Should I work from home or take real sick leave?

If your only option when sick is to go to the office or quit, if clearly contagious must be discontinued. But now, with so many of us having the option of working from home when we can’t make it to the office, that decision is a little more difficult.

This also applies to people who work remotely all the time. As one of them, For real all right If you need to take a day off or lean over your computer and type something akin to a weekday. That said, this is mostly my own anxiety. It goes without saying that if you are sick, you should rest. So here are some questions to ask yourself if you’re hitting your limits.

do you have a fever?

There are many symptoms that don’t necessarily interfere with work, such as a mild runny nose (keep a tissue handy). But fever is one of the better places he draws the line.

When you have a fever, your body wants you to roll up and lie down on your bed. You can’t get a lot of work done that way. If you have a fever that comes and goes, it may come back before you’ve finished your work, and you won’t be feeling well during that time. go back to bed.

Are your symptoms above or below your neck?

This is an old runner’s saw, but I think it applies here as well. Runners say it’s okay to exercise if symptoms are only above the neck (runny nose, stuffy nose), but if symptoms extend below the neck (phlegm in the lungs, fever, muscle aches, general fatigue) please stay home.

You don’t have to follow that exact boundary, but you get the idea. Just as a fever signals to your body that it needs time to rest, so do symptoms such as fatigue and vomiting.

Are you actually productive?

Let’s ask a different kind of question: What would your actual work day look like if you decided to work? If you’re sitting at your desk, basically fine, reaching for a tissue once in a while, it seems like a reasonable work-from-home day.

On the other hand, if you’re struggling to keep your thoughts coherent, battling sleep, constantly rushing to the bathroom, or coughing uncontrollably all day, don’t spend eight hours at your desk. Sitting is not good for your health. Also your employer. Save everyone the hassle by letting them know you are unavailable.

How will you spend your day if it’s cancelled?

I’ll put this question last because it can cause the most anxiety.It’s okay if you have a cold To do something fun like watching TV? If you can physically buy cough medicine at the drugstore, does that mean you should have worked instead?

I hope these questions sound silly. If you need to rest holidayYes, you can watch TV or read a book during breaks. Ideally, someone would go buy your medicine and make you. Soup, but even if it’s not, there’s nothing hypocritical about using the little energy you have available for grocery shopping. .)

A good rule of thumb is to ask yourself where you want to work. If you can only imagine working if you can bring your laptop to bed, stay in bed and don’t let your laptop out of bed.

On the other hand, if your thinking is “I’ve been working on a novel I’m writing all day” or “time to finish some yard work” aren’t actual sick days, but they may require a mental break due to burnout.That’s fine, but it’s Completely different issue Ask yourself.