UPDATED April 15th, 2018
Sometimes it’s hard to know if our reasons for calling in sick are valid. At the first signs of a cold (you’re stuffed up, you’re achy, you’re tired all the time, your bed looks especially appealing…), do you instantly call your boss and say you’re not well enough to work? Or are you the suffer-in-silence type who attempts to get some work done in between sneezes? We’ve all said it before: I’m saving my sick days for days when I feel better. We hate missing work because we are sick, and truth be told, if we stayed home every time we got the sniffles, we would be spending a LOT of time on our couch. In fact, recent reports show that “Up to 40% of lost time from work is due to the common cold, totaling about 23 million missed days per year.”
That’s a lot of used tissues and reruns of Friends at 11am. As the winter season approaches and brings with it colder weather and germs galore, it’s important to know when it’s time to call in sick. Sure, it’s tempting to tough it out, but is going into the office really the best option for you or your colleagues? No one wants to get sick but unfortunately no one is immune to illness. The trick is to first understand your symptoms and then make an educated decision if you are well enough to work, or if you should be quarantined until further notice. Here are 10 signs that you have a call in sick excuse to roll with.
