Feeling sick? 4 reasons you (really) should stay home

There’s no question that Hillary Clinton is a powerhouse politician and inspiration to millions of women across the world. But whatever you do, don’t follow her lead when it comes battling a bug. The U.S. Democratic candidate proved she wasn’t invincible after continuing on the campaign trail despite being diagnosed with pneumonia. That decision led to her collapse at a 9-11 memorial last week, which wrecked havoc on her campaign.

Let Clinton’s misjudgment be a case study in why it’s bad a choice to go to work when you’re sick. If you still needed convincing, here are some prime pointers to consider before heading to the office in zombie-mode.

You’ll infect your co-workers

When you show up to work a sneezing, coughing mess, you have the power to infect everyone around you. That’s not the kind of power you want in the workplace.

“Droplets in the air that land on surfaces is a common way for viruses to spread,” says Stephen Wetmore, Chair of Department of Family Medicine at Western University’s Schulich School of Medicine & Dentistry.

You even have the potential to contaminate faucets and countertops with your grubby, under-the-weather hands, so that unsuspecting Joan in accounting will have what you’re having. Talk about bad office etiquette.

You’re not fooling anyone

When you’re battling an illness, it’s pretty noticeable. Think the opposite of poised: Your complexion becomes pale, your posture slacks and your voice sounds gravely and congested. So while you can attempt at going about things normally, your coworkers know what’s going on.

“Often your colleagues will recognize that you’re sick,” says Wetmore. “Even if you don’t. They’ll notice you’re not acting in the same way. Colleagues are sensitive to that kind of stuff.”

You won’t be as productive

If you think you’ll be working at your full capacity while your body is fighting a sickness, you’re being delusional. It’s your immune system that should be working overtime. When you’re exerting the energy to be at work, you’re not working at feeling better, which ultimately results in a poorer performance.

“You probably aren’t going to be very productive when you’re sick,” says Wetmore. “You won’t be concentrating on your job as well, even though you think you might.”

You’re making yourself worse

The energy you’re spending getting out of your PJs, commuting on the crowded subway and then trying to be productive at work is taking away from energy that could (and should) be spent getting better.

“Being at work and trying to force yourself to do things can be more overtiring and more taxing on your system,” says Wetmore. “It might make it harder for you to recover and it might take more time.”

It could also lead to complications, which might not have happened if you chose to rest at home. So don’t risk staying sick for longer than you need to be – it could make you worse.

When you’re sick, make resting a priority. It will save time in the long run, which is something Hilary Clinton probably wished she’d considered.

Do you stay home while sick or try to power through at the office? Let us know by tweeting @YahooStyleCA.