Why Do Americans Go to Work Sick?

Why do Americans go to work sick? Influenza season has stretched out into the beginning days of spring this year, with health experts admitting they missed with their prediction of what flu vaccine to produce last year. Communities are seeing massive outbreaks of the flu, with hospitals responding to high numbers of patients. And in every work place, the sounds of coughing are evident, raspy voices are answering the telephone, and occasionally - someone you're trying to reach has actually called in ill and stayed home from work.

Some facts about influenza:

Every year, the influenza virus mutates into a new form. There is a pattern to the mutation, but it is almost like predicting the weather - even the best statisticians do not always get it right, so the vaccine produced is not always effective.

On average, 40,000 people a year die in the United States from influenza or its complications. They literally drown from the mucus in their lungs, or they succumb to dehydration from the fever.

There is a flu pandemic about every 100 years. The last one was in 1918, called the Spanish flu pandemic. Estimates put the death toll worldwide between 50 million and 100 million people. Between 2.5% and 5% of the world's total population died in those years. Scientists are cautioning that we are "due" for another pandemic.

More people have died from the flu in the last pandemic than died from the Black Plague, World Wars I & II, Nagasake or Hiroshima, or AIDS. Combined.

The 1918 Spanish flu pandemic started in the United States, and lasted nearly three years going in waves around the globe. Only three spots on the globe were not affected - islands where news had spread ahead of the disease, and no visitors were permitted to come ashore.

That last point might be telling, in today's world, especially with the work culture in the United States.

The Reasons People Go to Work Sick

There are a variety of reasons people still go to work with the flu, even once they have all the symptoms of influenza - the harsh and racking cough, the fever, dehydration, weakness, head and body aches, and overall malaise. And every time an infected worker "comes ashore" by going to work, another infected person is likely to be created.

Why do Americans go to work sick? Their employer may penalize them for missed work days - or even fire them if they call in sick just once. An infected person might work for an employer (who is becoming more and more common these days) who doesn't pay them for sick time. The sick person might be living day-to-day, paycheck-to-paycheck, and missing even one day of work can put them to ruin.

Or, the corporate culture might be such that if you aren't there 100% of the time, you are passed up for raises and promotions, no matter how good your work.

Sick Employees are Bad for Business - And Your Health

Employers should be taking note - promoting the practice of employees coming to work, no matter what, is more expensive to you than paying the first person to get sick to stay home - because they are going to infect everyone around them. Productivity will lag when the 30% or 50% of your employees are there sick - but unable to function because of the fever or cough.

"Presenteeism" is a bad business practice.

And spread it will, from person to person in the workplace. And from employee to customer, just as assuredly. That 30% to 50% is the typical infection rate for influenza. That many people, once exposed, will contract the disease. And exposed you will be. Another good statistic employers should keep in mind - sick people don't do much business, go shopping, or visit restaurants. They go home and stay home after reporting to work.

How Flu Spreads

The cough is the part that spreads the virus most effectively, in tiny little droplets like space capsules for the virus to move from host-to-host. But there are multiple ways to be exposed - or expose others - to influenza.

The virus gets on your hands when you cough. It is a hardy survivor, and can live for days or even weeks without getting into someone's lungs. It can infect you through any mucus membrane, such as in your mouth or your eyes, not to mention breathing it into your lungs. Infected people leave it behind on doorknobs, faucet handles, banisters and handrails. They leave it everywhere they go, and it is in the very air everyone else is breathing.

What to Do, and Not Do

If you're sick - call your boss. Tell them you don't want to be the carrier of what could be the next Plague of Biblical proportions. And if that doesn't work - cough in their office.

Another tip - don't get on airplanes.

There was no widespread air travel during the last Pandemic.