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This morning, in Health Watch, Working while You are Sick. Every year, when the cold and flu season starts, it means a higher risk of picking up an infection in the office or spreading one. Let’s ask our doctor Mallika Marshall what to do about it. Good morning.

Good morning, Harry. Good to see you.

How common is it for people to go to work even though they know they are sick.

Well, Harry, it’s so common that there is actually a term for it. It’s called presenteeism versus absenteeism. And a lot of employees actually go to work because they are afraid people are gonna think they are lazy, they are afraid they are gonna get in trouble with their boss, they don’t wanna use of their sick days, or they are particularly dedicated to their job. But it’s really a good idea to stay home when you are sick because you are less likely to be productive at work. You are more likely to spread your germs to your co-workers. And studies have suggested that presenteeism cause more productivity for companies than actually absenteeism. So it’s a big problem.

Here is the question though, because I think a lot of people feel like, I have to go to work. There is so much pressure to go to work to actually show up. How do employers by-and-large feel about this?

Well, CCH, which is a corporate service’s firm, does an annual surveys and they asked employers, is it a problem? 56% of organizations actually say that presenteeism is a problem in the workplace, which is up from 39% two years ago. So more and more companies are seeing it as a problem.

All right. What can be done then to prevent people from coming to work when they are sick?

Well, they asked employers that too, so what do you do to keep employees at home? 62% of employers say that they actually will send a sick employee home. 46% say that they try to educate their workers about the importance of staying home when you are sick. 22% actually let people telecommute so that they can stay at home instead of coming into the workplace. And some companies actually say that they try to foster an environment to encourage, pay er, co-workers to stay home. But a lot of employees disagree. 46% of the employees say that they are still afraid they are gonna be disciplined if they take a sick day.

Yeah, there are so much pressure, so much pressure on the employees to show up.

You should talk a little bit about just how easy it is to spread the illnesses if I walk in with a flu boy, it’s sure gonna, it’s somebody else gonna get it.

They are. It’s incredibly easy when someone is sick, coughs or sneezes, these little respiratory droplets enter the air, and so if you breathe those things in, you can introduce germs into your body that way, or if you touch something, something as simple as a telephone, a keyboard, a doorknob, when someone sick has touched. And then you touch your hands to your eyes ,// your nose, then you are likely to get sick as well. Sounds really easy.

And the quick tips then on how to stay germ free.

Well, the most important thing, the point we are trying to make today is stay home when you are sick, especially if you have a bad cough or especially if you have a fever, avoid close contact with your co-workers, don’t get too snugly with your co-workers this time of the year. Make sure you cover your nose and mouth if you are sick when you cough for you sneeze, clean your hands, wash them thoroughly, or use those hands-sanitizing gels, and avoid touching your eyes and your nose as much as possible, ‘coz that’s the way you introduce the germs.

Yeah, we have a snuggling moratorium going on here at the office, right now.

No snuggling at work, now.

Doctor Mallika Marshall, thank you so much.

Thanks.