Either Your Sick Co-Worker Goes Home, Or You Do

Either Your Sick Co-Worker Goes Home, Or You Do

If you work with someone who refuses to take a sick day, personal-finance site Money has a great idea: Take your own day off to avoid getting sick.

Image via Wellcome Collection

If your employer has a good sick-day policy, everyone should be using it. Sick people should be home, where they can’t spread their disease. If sick people don’t stay home, then healthy people should. So if you can, stay home, and say so without naming anyone: “I’m working from home to avoid getting sick.” This politely, if passive-aggressively, reminds the sick people that their actions affect others.

If your employer isn’t smart enough to realise that your pre-emptive sick day is better for the company, try Money‘s suggestions:

  • Just take your own sick day.
  • Work from home, and say you’re doing so to focus on a particular project.
  • Find an excuse to work in some other corner of the office.

Not every workplace has a reasonable sick-day policy; don’t blame your co-worker if they actually do have to show up sick. (Blame your employer, and push for a better policy, and unionise.)

But any time a sick person is working harder than their boss asked them to, it’s your duty to pick up their slack, by slacking.

My Sick Co-Worker Refuses to Stay Home. Can I? [Money]


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