You know those curious people who always conduct surveys about everything in the world? They found out that about 90 per cent of Canadian workers admit that they keep going to work even when they are sick.
The flu season is at the doors, and the first sneezing-coughing-sniffling-groaning melodies are on here and there. I noticed it before that a lot of people don’t take those first symptoms of disease seriously and keep going with their lives as if nothing has changed. The survey discoveries just fortified my observations with quite solid numbers.
The surveyors talked to 500 Canadian workers and 445 of them said that they’ve come to the office with a cold or flu symptoms (all of which can be read as spreading their happily reproducing bacteria all over the area).
What does it say about Canadians? I’d say the results of this survey suggest that about 90 per cent of Canadian workers struggle with a serious addiction named workaholism.
(Well, it may also say something about the system, where many workers are not covered for sick days, or overwhelmed with the amount of work and are worried that they will be judged by colleagues for putting an extra burden on them).
But I feel that coming to work when sick is not the best way to let your workaholism spiral out of control.
It may feel like a heroic move – despite the terrible condition, weakness, headache and all the discomfort I’m battling the disease and sacrificing myself, spending a full day at work and trying to keep up with everything. But I sincerely believe it’s not. I actually think it’s rude.
Not only do people put their own health to the test (when instead of letting the body rest and recuperate for a bit to fight the disease and get back to being strong and healthy, they get themselves through constant physical and mental stress, pretending that they are “figne” (read aloud) and potentially getting themselves into even more serious health issues), but they also put others at risk.
Respiratory infection is transmitted through coughing, sneezing, handshakes or contact, like door handles or countertops, for example. Usually, as soon as such symptoms as fever, sniffles and sore throat go away, the disease is not contagious anymore and the person can’t get themselves into more serious health issues. So all it takes is a bit of care given to self in the early stages.
I’m no medical expert, but as far as I know, an infection may go a long ways. Even if my immune system is strong and I experience it in a mild form, I may forward it to somebody else. An elder or a kid who often has weaker immune systems.
I know it sucks to get sick, but to get sick because of somebody else being irresponsible feels like a double whammy.
Besides, personal experience suggests that when my nose is stuffed and the head feels like it was filled with bubble wrap (and some of those small bubbles blow every so often causing pain and a kind of sick hypnosis), I’m not capable of doing anything properly. My work capacity and quality go down. And if I still try to push, smaller or bigger mistakes don’t hesitate to remind me to back out and let the organism do its job.
On top of that, with the traditional initial symptoms, your body gives you a red flag, asking for attention and help. By ignoring it you tell your organism that others’ needs are more important than your own, which may result in further degradation of your health. And in the end, you risk missing even more time at work.
And finally, it does piss people around you off. And the fact that it’s impolite to openly demonstrate the disgust or walk away from a coughing colleague (especially if there is power imbalance) usually disturbs people even more, as they are now keeping their mind off work as well.
So with the first snow covering the ground and little nasty virus cells whirling in the air like snowflakes, please take that cough seriously. It’s easy to fix. It’s safer for you to fix it on time. And it’s also polite to keep it to yourself.
