Are you working through a cold or flu?
3 Jun 2011

Are you working through a cold or flu?

1 mins to read
Why many of us choose to battle on at work when we are unwell.


The cold and flu season has begun, and the number of people getting sick is on the rise. And now it seems that many of us are battling illness and still heading to work when we’re suffering the effects of cold and flu.

A recent Newspoll survey of 1200 Australians aged 18-64 found that most people succumb to a cold or the flu at least once a year. What the survey also found was that 77% of those polled and who were employed still headed to work even though they were sick.

So what drives us to battle through? Some don’t want to feel they’re letting their colleagues down, others feel pressure if there’s a deadline fast approaching. For some, there may even be pressure to be at work no matter what coming from the boss.

But is it a good idea? While a strong work ethic is important to many of us, it really can be more beneficial for you and your work mates if you rest up at home.

Cold and flu viruses are contagious and spread through droplets from a cough or a sneeze. So if you’re coughing, sneezing and spluttering your way through the work day, you may be spreading your cold around the office.

Resting up at home will also help to assist your recovery and have you feeling better sooner and back working at your best. By resting we actually decrease our chances of an upper respiratory tract infection spreading into our lower respiratory tract, and becoming more ill.

How many of you are working through? What are the factors that are seeing you go to work when you’re unwell?



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