Skip to main content
Partly Cloudy icon
62º

Many people fear using sick days since working remotely, study finds

66% believe taking a sick day for anything less than COVID-19 will be frowned upon

Millions of Americans are working from home as a result of the coronavirus pandemic.

And according to a new study on studyfinds.org, many fear to use their sick days.

The study showed 66% of Americans working remotely believe taking sick days for anything less severe than COVID-19 would be looked down upon by their employer.

But experts say even the common cold could interfere with your ability to work from home.

The survey revealed three out of four respondents say the bar for taking sick days has been raised. That’s because nearly 50% say COVID-19 has made other illnesses look minor.

Because of this, 67% of Americans say they are less inclined to take off from work when they are sick.

The study also showed seven in 10 people have continued to work, even while feeling ill since they started working remotely.

Experts say “toughing it out” is never a good idea. This is because your body needs time to recover from any illness.

Working while sick can also prevent you from performing your best at work.

Experts say taking proactive measures by staying hydrated, getting plenty of rest at the first sign of an illness can make a huge difference.

RELATED: COVID-19 fatigue showing in Bexar County


About the Authors

Gretchen Nowroozi was born and raised in Houston. She started working at KSAT as an intern in 2019 after graduating from Michigan State University. She is a producer for Good Morning San Antonio.

Sarah Acosta headshot

Sarah Acosta is a weekend Good Morning San Antonio anchor and a general assignments reporter at KSAT12. She joined the news team in April 2018 as a morning reporter for GMSA and is a native South Texan.

Loading...

Recommended Videos