Going to Work Sick?

The New York Times Shifting Careers blog discusses employees coming to work when they shouldn’t, primarily when they’re sick—a practice known as presenteeism (the opposite of absenteeism). The problem with presenteeism: It’s making your coworkers sick and it may be costing your employer a lot of money. So why do people do it? Generally it’s either due to job insecurity or the feeling that work won’t go on without you. With that in mind, we’re curious: What are your criteria for staying home sick? Do you take yourself out of commission when you start to sniffle, or does it take a full-blown case of the flu to slow you down? Let’s hear your thoughts, including how presenteeism is handled in your workplace, in the comments. Photo by Mussels.