"You have over-the-counter drugs that suppress your symptoms, but they don't suppress contagiousness," Ziebarth pointed out.
Employers, for their part, should encourage ailing workers to stay home. Presenteeism—showing up at work ill, whether they're contagious or not—costs companies about $150 billion a year, one study estimated. A worker is about a third as productive when he's slumped in a desk chair working at half-speed as he is when he's healthy, say researchers. By staying home when he's sick, he can get better faster. The rest of the workforce can remain in full—and fully productive—health.
And diligent workers who absolutely must meet a deadline or finish a life-or-death project should at least self-quarantine. Telecommuting has become an increasingly acceptable way to work, and 60 percent of employers let employees work from home, according to the Society for Human Resource Management's annual Employee Benefits Survey.
"It’s good to change the culture of how people see each other," said Ziebarth. "You can signal hard work in a lot of different ways. It's not the right way to go into the office and spread diseases."
In fact, we all need to do our part to stigmatize coming to work sick. If a coworker comes in complaining of a tickle in his throat or clammy hands, say: "Go home! Nobody wants you and your gross germs."
Or just send him a link to this article.
This article was provided by Bloomberg News.