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As a remote employee, why do I find it so hard to take time off when I’m sick? I get paid sick time, but rarely use it.

Elaine Varelas advises on reasons why you should still take time off from work when you are sick, even if you are working from home.

Ask the Job Doc. Boston.com

January 10, 2024

3 minutes to read

Q. When I commuted to an office, I’d call out when I was sick. I’ve been working remotely for the past 10 years and when I’m sick, I don’t call out but instead plow through, no matter how terrible I feel. Many of my female friends are the same way. No matter how sick they are, they don’t take advantage of sick time for their own health. When I am sick, I know that I should be resting and taking care of myself, but I feel like I will be judged if I tell my manager that I’m too sick to work. Any advice on changing this way of thinking for me and so many others I know?

A. The value of sick days has not gone away just because people work remotely. Many people ignore sick days as they try to tough it out and go into the office, and unfortunately, what they end up doing is spreading their germs to their colleagues, and the extent and power of their germs can vary. We found this with people who came into the office with COVID. We found it with people who came into the office with the flu. The impact on the workforce (and the people they take care of in their homes) in general is remarkably negative. Now that people are working remotely, many people feel that since they won’t be spreading germs to colleagues, they should just tough it out.

Part of the challenge about being sick is that if you’re not a hundred percent, then your work isn’t a hundred percent. Recognize that you’re ill and prioritize your health. This might include a doctor’s visit, rest, hydrating, and some kind of medication. What it doesn’t involve is continuing to work at half capacity. Taking a sick day, taking some amount of time off, and committing to that sick day by having a conversation with your manager is an important part of knowing your limits and what ultimately matters.

You may be worried that you will be judged by your manager. To eliminate this or to limit the judgment, you may ask your manager, are there things that are high priority today that I can get for you if I start to feel better after getting some rest? If I should feel better tomorrow, are there things that I can focus on? One of the challenges about taking a sick day is the general assumption that you’ll be better tomorrow, and chances are you won’t. When you’re calling in sick, let your manager know that you will be in touch the next day to let them know your status in terms of improving or not. Don’t over commit yourself to coming right back to work if you are still sick.

Unfortunately, there are people who don’t want to take sick days because they would like to use their sick time when they’re healthy, and add it to their vacation time, but that’s not what it is for. Having a conversation with HR about what the company’s policies are will be valuable so that you can be reassured that yes, the company would encourage you to not come into the office when you’re sick, and to tell your manager you won’t be working from home is just as reasonable. According to Cori Tamarro, Keystone Partners’ Human Resources Director, taking time for physical and mental health is important for every worker’s well-being.

If you have group meetings on a day that you’re sick, those colleagues will prefer to not see you hacking and sniffling, and suffering from being ill, and will recognize that you are committed to support their work in any other way at any other time. Sadly, there are employees who seem to take advantage of sick days, but that’s not most people. Managers’ first comment when someone calls in sick should be, “I’m so sorry to hear that. Let me know when you’re feeling better, and we’ll talk about how to work on the most important things.”

You mention that your female friends feel the same way. Most working mothers who work in an office take their sick days when their children are sick. Good employers, especially those in professional services, have created sick childcare practices and policies that provide caregivers for sick children, so that professional services employees with demanding, time sensitive work (for example, physicians, or attorneys), recognize that working parents need additional support. Most parents want to be home with their children when they’re sick, but they may have a work commitment where they need extra support for a portion of their day.

There are a million sayings about work and health. You don’t need to read them here. Make the higher priority choice every time.