Dive Brief:
- 67% of employed Americans would go to work while feeling symptoms of a cold or flu, a survey by CVS Health revealed.
- The top reasons employees work while sick: not wanting to use PTO (59%), worrying about lost wages (45%), and a boss that expects them to come to work regardless (40%).
- HR may need to go over company sick leave policy with employees, especially as cold and flu season lurks just around the corner.
Dive Insight:
In the fall and winter, workplaces can become “a petri dish of germs,” according to CVS Health. Many employees don’t mind coming in to work while a little under the weather, says Alison Green, writer of the popular “Ask a Manager” blog. But those who do feel that coming to work would only make them feel worse should be encouraged to either work from home or just take the day off entirely.
Compliance over paid sick leave is getting more complicated. Some states and cities now require paid sick leave of most all employers, while other states have banned cities and municipalities from creating paid sick leave laws in order to avoid a hodge-podge of different laws in one state. Either way, going over your policies prior to the worst of the illness seasons is a good idea.
