That’s actually flawed thinking, experts say. “We as a culture don’t focus enough on self-care; we focus more on doing work,” says Natasha Bhuyan, MD, a family medicine doctor and West Coast medical director for One Medical in Phoenix. “We truly need to normalize recovery and self-care, especially when we’re sick.” Dr. Bhyuan adds that anecdotally, she believes fewer people are taking sick days while working from home because she’s getting fewer requests from individuals asking for doctor’s notes to show they’re sick. Not taking sick days is not a trend spurred only by the pandemic, however. Even pre-COVID, people often still went to work—even if that meant spreading germs to their coworkers—with the mindset of “powering through.” If there’s a silver lining to the pandemic, it might be that people are more conscious about not going anywhere if they have any symptoms of illness, suggests Dr. Bhuyan. But there are personal consequences when you don’t take the time you need to let your body heal by working from home. Here are three biggest downsides to skipping out on a full sick day off. RELATED: 7 Mistakes That Could Make Your Cold Worse Than It Already Is And if you don’t have kids, you still have yourself (and your place of work) to set an example for: Set a healthy precedent for taking the proper time and space you need to heal physically and mentally. Forcing your sick self to power through with diminishing returns just reinforces unhealthy expectations going forward. From an employer side of things, you should notify your manager as soon as possible if you are taking a sick day—ideally, the night before if you’re feeling unwell and don’t anticipate recovering by morning, says Kyle Elliott, MPA, CHES, a career coach and mental health advocate in Santa Barbara, Calif. Giving adequate notice allows your manager and impacted colleagues to plan around your absence. While certainly not required (especially if you’re severely ill), it is helpful if you’re able to update your manager on current projects and deadlines in a simple email, Elliott adds. Also try to give a heads up of your absence to any meetings that were on your calendar.
