How remote work could nix the sick day – By Bryan Lufkin (BBC News) / May 9, 2022
Sick days used to mean resting, not working. Now, however, more employees are logging in from home as they fight illness – after all, if people are remote already, why take time off?
Before the pandemic, ill workers quite often showed up in the office, coughing and spluttering away as they tackled their workloads. Today, fortunately, sick employees can often work remotely, keeping their germs to themselves. But this shift raises a new dilemma for workers. Exactly how ill do you have to be to take a ‘proper’ sick day from home?
Before, the choice was binary for most sick workers: power through despite feeling lousy and go to the office, or stay at home and abandon work for the day. Option one could mean keeping on top of your work (and pleasing the boss), while option two could potentially aid your recovery.
Now, it’s not so simple. Yes, colds or the flu can be debilitating, and people certainly might not be in shape to jump on a train and head for work. But for busy employees able to work from home, it can be tempting to continue firing off emails and performing daily tasks while coughing away on the couch, instead of taking proper time off to rest.
CONTINUE > https://www.bbc.com/worklife/article/20220505-how-remote-work-could-nix-the-sick-day
