Joy Journal
Every Friday, you can receive the Joy Journal, which will give you information, inspiration and tips that you can use in your pursuit for joy.
How Sick is Sick Enough?
Take the Time to Recover
The waters have muddied around sick days since employees started working from home. It has long been a challenge to answer the question of how sick is sick enough in order to stay home from work, but now with many of us already at home in some capacity, the bar has gone even higher.
A 2022 study by WorkHuman revealed that more than half of hybrid workers (52%) and nearly half of remote workers (44%) said they feel obligated to work while sick when they’re working remotely. In fact, a study by OnePoll revealed that 66% of Americans say they feel less inclined to take time off for sore throats and stuffy noses when working from home, and 70% say they’ve worked while sick during the pandemic.
What you need to realize is that there’s the concept called “presenteeism,” and it costs the U.S. $226 million in lost productivity each year. Presenteeism is working when you are unwell and not doing your best. Typically, productivity decreases and mistakes increase. So, just because you can work, especially when your office is now at home—whether full- or part-time—doesn’t mean you should.
Logging on while sick can prolong your illness and make recovery more difficult. Plus, it contributes to burnout because you never take the time to unplug and heal.
If you’re sick, be sick…and focus on recovery. Your work will still be there when you’re well.
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