How Sick is Too Sick to Go to Work?

It may be still summer outside, but that doesn't stop us from grabbing a hold of those pesky germs flying around that make us feel sickly and take us on that stressful inner argument of should I go to work or stay home?

My back hurts, my stomach hurts, my nose is all stuffy, I can't stop sneezing, I feel bloated, I have a sore throat, etc. These are all common ailments that we suffer from time to time and I'd like to look into them and see exactly how work interfering they can be.

Let's start with the common cold. The common cold can be caught at any time, not only in the winter months. The common cold will give you symptoms of a fever, headaches, nausea, sinus congestion, chills, sweats, sore throat, runny nose, sniffling, sneezing, coughing, tiredness, and watery eyes; just to name a few.

Fever, a fever doesn't always occur with the common cold, it can also be associated with infectious diseases, skin inflammations, and or cancers. When having a fever, your heart rate increases and can be controlled by cool wash clothes and drinking lots of water. If the fever is below 101 degrees Fahrenheit, as long as you are continuously trying to lower the fever, you should be able to get through an eight hour day. However, any environment that is not set moderately at room temperature could be a bad environment to work under having a fever. High temperature areas should be avoided.

Having chills is also a symptom that tags along with having a fever, but with a high fever. Chills occur because your body is trying to put your body back at a comfortable temperature. If you are having chills, then your fever is high enough to be of a concern and you should remain home to treat and regulate your body temperature. High fevers have a tendency when reaching critical to cause convulsions, seizures, and difficulty in breathing. If you are experiencing a high fever for more than three days you should consult a physician.

The annoying sore throat, this is my worst symptom when it comes to the common cold. This infection that grabs a hold of our tonsils can stop us from eating, talking, and even drinking liquids. Having just a scratchy throat can be the beginning of a full blown sore throat. If you work in an environment that requires you to be on the telephones constantly or just talk a lot, you may want to keep warm tea, milk and soups readily available to coat the throat for a brief time to alleviate pain.

Personally, that first day of a scratchy throat and talking for eight hours tends to throw the sore throat into overdrive, so if you work in a call center environment you may want to ask if there is work you can do for two or three days that doesn't require you to be on the telephones. When the sore throat does get to the point where you can not swallow, drink or eat without pain, staying home from work is probably the best idea. The longer you utilize your vocal chords, the longer it will take for the infection to heal. Sore throats can be contagious, especially if it is strep throat. So you may want to consider calling off work for at least the first day to bypass giving your co-workers this annoying ailment.

Do you feel tired, have the sniffles, and feel achy? All of these define the start of a cold, if you are feeling all of the above, you want to avoid work for a few days because you are contagious and you're going to be miserable. If you go to work with these conditions you may actually end up being sicker longer than sitting at home recovering.

Normally when you catch the common cold, it can turn into a sinus infection, where you feel very congested along with pains around your face. This can be easily treated with antibiotics and is not contagious. Calling off is required to see your doctor and is suggested to do so.

Nausea and diarrhea, these two symptoms whether together or separate are an automatic stay home from work symptom. If you can't hold down food or control your bathroom trips, then your employer isn't going to be too happy seeing you running to the bathroom more than doing your job. If nausea is the case, stick to a liquid diet for the first three days then slowly attempt the softer to more solid foods. If there is diarrhea, invest in Imodium.

For the ladies out there, when it comes to that time of the month, our week of bloating, constipation, and cramps can throw us through an emotional downward spiral. Bloating and constipation are symptoms that can be controlled with Midol and loose clothing. However when it comes to cramping, many women, such as myself, suffer from severe cramping in our lower abdomen that can stop us from standing or even sitting. This cramping can become so painful that we cry or scream out in pain. Seek out your doctor for ways to calm the cramps. You're no good to your employer if you are curled up in a ball at your chair.

Depression and anxiety are also two common ailments that can prevent us from successfully completing our work hours. Being around people, going out into the public, and being part of customer service can put a lot of unhealthy weight on people's shoulders. Many people work years, never calling off for an ache or pain, until depression kicks in and catches up with them. Depression and anxiety are two emotional conditions that should not be ignored.

Migraines, this is a disorder that you have no control over and is a serious condition that interrupts your daily life and does require you to call off of work whether you like it or not. Migraines have the ability to cause vomiting as well as sensitivity to bright lights and noise, which can cause a problem. If you are stubborn and refuse to call off work, make sure your employer knows why you'll be wearing sunglasses and ear muffs to work.

In conclusion, almost every ailment can create some sort of work conflict. You always first want to make sure that you are not contagious. If you are, make sure that you make your employer aware of that fact. Some employers like to give you the "we really need you here" speech. Advising them of being contagious will help them understand the severity of your illness and that contaminating your fellow co-workers is something that you, your co-worker, or the employer would greatly harm the company. You want to think about yourself and your condition. Do you feel like you are capable to perform your job or are you in a job environment where your conditions can worsen or remain being cared for? Remember you do the best when you are healthy!