'With most viral illnesses, there is no quick fix,' Dr Alexander says. 'By pushing through, you can actually take longer to recover,' Dr Alexander says.Ī severe sore throat or cough, or generally feeling unwell and very tired, also means you're unlikely to get much done at work either. It's hard to define exactly how bad your symptoms should be to call in sick.Īs a rough guide, fevers, muscle aches and lots of systemic symptoms (things that affect the whole body, like fatigue) require rest. When do you need to stop and rest?Īpart from the risk to others, it's important to take the time you need to get better. 'Whilst you might have a runny nose and sore throat, for someone else that might be pneumonia, and a hospital admission,' Dr Alexander says. It's worth remembering that, while your symptoms may be mild, you could spread it to someone who becomes much more unwell. 'The acceptability of turning up to work unwell and soldiering on - which is something that people wore as a badge of honour pre-COVID - I think that's probably disappeared, because we understand the consequences of turning up to work when you're ill and spreading illness,' he says. That doesn't help anyone in the long run.ĭr Vally hopes that is one thing that we've learnt from COVID. Melbourne-based GP Preeya Alexander says the situation is 'quite scary'.įor those that do have access to sick leave, some feel pressured to push through, or feel guilty about taking a day off in case it leads to more work for others. At the same time, COVID-19 and RSV continue to circulate, along with coughs and colds. More than 40,000 cases of the flu have been reported so far this year, putting us on track for a pre-pandemic average season. There's no hard and fast rules about when to call in sick, but there are several factors to consider. That's what we've got to try and not do,' he says.

'We've been on a really high level of alarm for the last few years, and there is that tendency as that threat has come down to drop our guard completely. Those days are over, thankfully, but there's still plenty of sickness around as we head into winter.Īssociate Professor of Epidemiology at Deakin University, Hassan Vally, says workers still need to look after themselves and protect their colleagues. At the height of the pandemic, a cough at your desk or a sneeze in the communal kitchen was enough to get you sent home straight away.

Calling in sick twice in a month