According to a survey conducted by the Thomson Reuters’ health unit, nearly three-quarters of Americans will go to work even if they are sick. Though snot may be hanging out of the nose and coughing is more frequent than speaking, it’s a challenge the working American has to face.
The study shows people will not take off work because they do not want to lose that day’s wages. Also, a missed day at work means work will be double the next day back. Today, a measly $100 means a lot, and apparently it’s not worth it to miss a day of work.
Employers stress the importance of taking time off to recuperate from an illness, but rarely does that happen. If a sick person attends work, he or she increases the chance of infecting co-workers with that ailment and prolonging the illness.
I look at my office, and I can hear someone hacking away every few days. Noses are blown loudly, and the smell of sickness hovers in the air. People are constantly using hand sanitizers and spraying desks with Lysol to exterminate germs.
It’s hard to take a day off where I work. Because of the nature of my work, we need to meet certain goals every month for projects. If we even miss a day, it will double our workload the next. One day can throw off an entire month’s productivity; if we don’t meet our goals at the end of each month, we will be written up. After a certain number of write-ups, a person may lose his or her job.
So, is it worth it to suffer through the day and infect other co-workers than get fired? The answer is yes.
My company provides excellent sick time and benefits, but rarely do I hear or see a co-worker take advantage of this time.
For now, I’m going to keep using that Lysol in my area and maybe start wearing a protective mask to work.
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