Woke up with a cough? Feeling crummy? Too work or not to work, that is the question.
And there's a good chance a lot of us are going to drag ourselves into the office and cough, sneeze and hack all day while we try in vain to get something, anything done.
It is a valiant effort, but it may result in spreading germs and sending the rest of the office home in the coming days to battle the same illness.
WebMD has a page dedicated to deciphering how sick you are and how sick you should be before you make the decision to stay home.
Find it at: http://www.webmd.com/cold-and-flu/features/too-sick-to-work?page=2
Wondering if you should get out of bed? Ask yourself these questions first.
1. Are you contagious? Yes? Stay home. If you have mild coughing and sneezing, do your best to not spread the germs if you head into the office. Wash your hands, often.
2. Can you do your job? If you are so sick that you can do little but sleep, or the pain is too distracting, you should probably stay home. If you are taking medications that make you groggy, foggy or keep you from driving, staying home is a good idea.
3. Will continuing to work prolong your recovery? Sometimes, you really just need to let your body fight off the infection. This means sleep, and lots of it.
WebMD has suggestions for employees struggling with chronic pain, back ache, infections, cold and flu and how they should weigh the decision to stay home or not. When all else fails, ask your doctor.