Am I Too Sick to Go to Work? Cold, Allergies, and More

Simply being sick does not mean your illness is contagious. However, it’s best to stay home from work while you have certain symptoms like sneezing, fever, vomiting, chills, or malaise.Your head’s stuffed up, your throat’s sore, and your body aches like you were run over by a truck. You feel miserable enough to stay home, but you worry that work demands don’t give you the luxury. Before you pack up your tissues and head into the office, think of your co-workers who’d rather not share your germs. When deciding whether to stay home, consider your symptoms. If you have a mild tickle in your throat or a stuffy nose, you should be able to go to work. Allergy symptoms also do not need to keep you from work, since they’re not contagious.Symptoms that may point to a contagious illness include:sneezingfeverhacking coughvomitingdiarrheaAvoid the office if you have these symptoms or you feel generally miserable. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) also recommends staying home for...