Buzz
When you’re sick, and your only choices are heading to the office or calling in sick, it’s clear that if you’re contagious, staying home is the way to go. But with the growing option to work from home, deciding between rest and productivity becomes trickier.
This also affects those who regularly work remotely. Speaking from personal experience, I sometimes struggle with whether it's truly acceptable to take a day off, or if I should push through and attempt to work. This mostly stems from my own anxiety. It should be obvious that if you're sick, you need to rest. Here are some questions to consider if you're unsure about what to do.
Do you have a fever?
There are various symptoms that might not hinder your ability to work, such as a mildly runny nose (just make sure to have tissues nearby). However, a fever is a clear signal to stop working.
When you have a fever, your body will demand rest, and you'll feel the urge to curl up in bed. It's unlikely that you'll be productive in that state. Even if the fever comes and goes, it's probable that it'll return, and you won't be at your best. Rest is key.
Are your symptoms located above or below your neck?
This is an old adage among runners, but it holds true here as well. Runners often say it's okay to exercise when symptoms are confined to above the neck (like a stuffy nose or congestion), but if symptoms extend to below the neck (such as a cough, fever, body aches, or fatigue), it's better to rest.
You don't need to strictly follow that guideline, but the point is clear. Just as a fever tells you that your body requires rest, so do symptoms like fatigue and nausea.
Will you be able to get things done?
Let’s shift gears with a new question: If you choose to work, what will your day look like? If you’re at your desk, feeling mostly fine but occasionally reaching for tissues—sounds like a typical work-from-home scenario, doesn’t it?
However, if you’re struggling to think clearly, fighting sleep, constantly running to the bathroom, or coughing uncontrollably all day—sitting at a desk for eight hours isn’t going to help you or your employer. Save everyone the hassle and let them know you won’t be available.
How do you plan to spend the day if you decide to take the day off?
I’m saving this question for last because it’s likely to cause the most stress. If you have a cold, is it acceptable to enjoy something like watching TV? If you’re able to go to the store to get cough medicine, does that mean you should have been working instead?
I hope these questions seem a bit silly, because they are. If you need to rest, rest. Yes, it’s perfectly fine to watch TV and read while you recover. Ideally, someone will be there to grab you some medicine and make you soup, but if not, there’s nothing wrong with using your limited energy to run errands. (Just make sure to wear a mask to avoid spreading germs.)
A good guideline is to think about where you’ll be working. If you can only imagine working by bringing your laptop into bed, it’s probably best to stay in bed and leave the laptop out of the equation.
On the flip side, if you think, “I’ll spend the day writing that novel I’ve been working on” or “I should tackle some yard work,” then this isn’t really a sick day—you might be experiencing burnout and just need a mental break. That’s completely okay, but it’s a whole different set of questions to consider.
