WHY do people insist on going to work sick

Usually the office 'general policy' on getting someone to stay home when sick comes from ABOVE.  And if the boss comes in dead with the flu people feel like they have to as well.  Or they're just stupid and inconsiderate (which seems to apply in your case, Glenda).
 
On my side tho -- I'm majorly allergic to Lysol -- and when the gal I work with got pregnant, she was spraying it ALL OVER THE PLACE -- I had a major asthma attack and wound up having to go home because of it.  I've asked, begged and pleaded PLEASE DO NOT spray Lysol or use it around me. 
 
Alcohol works every bit as well (better usually) and I keep a bottle on my desk all the time with Kleenex. 
 
Glenda -- have you ever tried Oscillococcinum?  You can even get it at Wal-mart -- and with the year you're having you need to keep it on hand ALL the time.  It truly will help you NOT get sick if you take it (exactly as directed, which includes setting your alarm for 6 hours if you need to - it works on the body's clock and it's important to dose it at those 6 hour intervals all 3 times).
 
You can use it if you already ARE sick and it will help you get well faster.  Get it and read that insert -- it works!!  But you can repeat the battery on successive days if you need to.  But trust me -- all you've spent on cold preparations and antibiotics, would have kept you well plus some with Oscillo!
 
[linkhttp://www.oscillo.com/]http://www.oscillo.com/[/link]
 
In Wally World it's usually either on the top shelf or the bottom one of the cold stuff section.

ORIGINAL: gaylemarie

i hate when sick people needlessly expose others! i hope you feel better soon, maybe keeping some airborne tabs in your desk might be a good idea,
[linkhttp://www.drugstore.com/products/prod.asp?pid=76905&catid=23932&trx=PLST-0-CAT&trxp1=23932&trxp2=76905&trxp3=1&trxp4=0&btrx=BUY-PLST-0-CAT]http://www.drugstore.com/products/prod.asp?pid=76905&catid=23932&trx=PLST-0-CAT&trxp1=23932&trxp2=76905&trxp3=1&trxp4=0&btrx=BUY-PLST-0-CAT[/link]

i have tried these. they work pretty good, but are NASTY tasting.

i am a big proponent of pounding down OJ when i start feeling ill. especially if it is just a cold. i get either tropicana immunity defense oj or the tropicana healthy kids oj. i figure if i am getting sick i need all the extra vitamins and what not that are in these two formulas.

our boss is nice enough to give us sick days. more than most people can usually use. still people come in sick. if it is just a cold, then it is OK to come in not great but OK. if it is worse, then stay home. i think the problem is that the boss lets people use the sick days as extra vacation days sometimes. so some degenerates us their vacation time, sick time as vacation time, and then come to work sick.

ORIGINAL: espencer

I have been at work when i'm sick even with fever, but never with something that can be shared to others

 
If you have a fever it's most definitely sharable

ORIGINAL: calliecritturs

Glenda -- have you ever tried Oscillococcinum?  You can even get it at Wal-mart -- and with the year you're having you need to keep it on hand ALL the time.  It truly will help you NOT get sick if you take it (exactly as directed, which includes setting your alarm for 6 hours if you need to - it works on the body's clock and it's important to dose it at those 6 hour intervals all 3 times).

You can use it if you already ARE sick and it will help you get well faster.  Get it and read that insert -- it works!!  But you can repeat the battery on successive days if you need to.  But trust me -- all you've spent on cold preparations and antibiotics, would have kept you well plus some with Oscillo!

[linkhttp://www.oscillo.com/]http://www.oscillo.com/[/link]

In Wally World it's usually either on the top shelf or the bottom one of the cold stuff section.

 
 
Glenda, I SWEAR the oscillo really works.  I bought a pack of it, per Callie's recommendation and it saved me from weeks of misery fighting a sinus infection.  I took it exactly as directed (already had the infection), even set my alarm clock, for 10 days, and the darned infection cleared up withOUT antibiotics, which destroy my gut.  I keep a pack in my purse, just in case I get any signs of cold or flu, I can take it immediately. 
 
Yes, I can appreciate your frustration, I have a person like that at work too.  To boot, during tax season, there's a person who NEVER washes their hands after using the bathroom, how GROSS!  How do I know, been in the copy room many times (can see BR door), heard the toilet flush and the person emerged, NEVER heard the sink running, so....  And, I've had other coworkers ask me if I suspectd this person doesn't wash their hands.  I keep a package of Clorox wipes and constantly wipe everything this person touches.  YUCK!
 
Sending you some {{HUGS}} and healing vibes for a speedy recovery.

Sometimes i think folks don't have much choice.  Take a single mom that is barely getting by and her job doesn't have sick pay or personal days off (and believe me, many don't) and if she misses works she has to have a slip from the doctor.  so she n ot only misses out on p ay, but has to fork out for a doctor.  I think there should be a law.  I mean, you got a 24 hour bug, you don't need to go spend $75 for an office visit to get a note from  your doctor.  My one  DIL had a j ob like this and it stinks.
 
And what about parents who send their kids to school sick because they don't have anyone to look after the kid and can't take off work.End up with a whole classroom full of sick kids.  Now i personally knew a mother of 4 that sent her kids to school regardless--she didn't work and the kids in school was her 'free time" and she didn't want to give it up.  COLD.
 
But there are some who think the job can't survive without their being there, and others want praise for "no matter what he is always here."

i agree with sandra, all jobs should offer sick days. i know people abuse them, but it sucks not to have then when you really need them.

my wife's last job didnt have sick days. so if you were sick, you either had to use a vacation day (and they didnt have all that many of them), be off without pay (who can afford that?), or go in sick. needless to say people went in sick. the stupidest part was that the upper management couldnt figure out why all the office staff was sick all fall, winter, and spring. well duh!?

i would venture a guess that they suffered more loss of productivity based on having sick people at work than they would have if they would have offered sick days and had people abuse the sick days.

the way our sick days work, is you can be out one day without a dr's note. but if you are out more than that they may ask for one. i say may because the boss never has asked for one even though the policy says you have to get a note. it is a more than fair policy IMO. because like sandra said sometimes you just have a 24hr bug and dont need the dr.

I have no choice, but to go in and work  no matter what. I've gone into work twice that I was so weak I had to sit down and I've even fell asleep at work. There is no one to cover me if I'm sick and had to come in  if I do take a sick day I have to have a stinking doctor's note. So try to get a doctor to see your or pay a big bill at the ER just to get a stupid note to bring to work. 

This thread has inspired me.  I have been congested, coughing, & sneezing all day, not to mention that instead of taking it easy today, I was realy busy.  So, I have decided to take the day off tomorrow.

My workplace is like a petri dish. I've had more colds since working there than I had in 5 years previous[&:]
 
I can't take off when sick, though.  We don't get sick days, but that's not the reason. There have been times when I'd even forfeit a day's pay to stay home and sniffle in peace. My boss, however, won't hire enough people for the kennels. I work with two part time people who can't/don't want to work a full day should I not be there.  (one starts whining about being there too long after two hours of work[8|])  Mind you, others manage to call out...but I seem to be the one who can't...probably because I actually do the job when i'm there[] I do try and cough into tissues and wash my hands obsessively though.
 
If I was able I would certainly be staying home when ailling though..I hate working when ill.  and I, too, wonder where all the snot comes from[&:]

Thanks Callie.  DH will pick some up for me today.  I am not going to work because I am unable to speak today. At all.  I have to EMAIL my call in because I literally can't talk. They can think I'm a wuss all they want, but I'm not even going to attempt to make sales calls feeling and looking like death warmed over and unable to push out so much as a squeak.
 
I have the utmost sympathy for folks who can't take a sick day.....but trust me, in this case it's just wanting to save the personal days (sick days) for fun stuff...and a total lack of consideration for others.

I hate this, too.  But, don't waste your breath telling any of them how angry it makes you. They prefer to come to work sick, then enjoy their vacation time in the Bahamas while you are hacking and vomiting at home because of them.  They are also selfish enough to tell you that you couldn't have caught it from them. 
I forget whose sig line says "some people are like slinkies - useless, but you can't help smiling when you see them fall down a flight of stairs", but the sick workaholics make me think of that line...[]

I called in sick today too. [8|]   I don't have a voice either!  Its so weird because I only have a mild cough, nothing serious, but I can't talk at all.  For someone who is accustomed to talking constantly, this is equivalent to torture! [] 
 
I took the dogs up to the golf course last night since we had our first snow of the season.  Cuma got some off-leash time, but I had so much trouble calling him back to me.  I didn't have the voice to call him above a whisper, so I just sort of squealed until he came over.
 
Feel better soon Glenda (and everyone else who is sick)!

I will concede that I could have picked up the flu at the hospital.  However, I think it's more likely that I picked it up in the small office that was full of her vomiting germs.  But THIS is identical to what she had and there is no one else I know who has this.  I went through an ENTIRE box of tissues yesterday....the ones with lotion and my nose is soooo red and sore.  And I know I'm not being very nice, but dang it, why do I have to suffer so SHE can have her play days??  And quite honestly I can't believe that the boss doesn't call her on being in there so sick....SHE represents the company as well, although to applicants instead of businesses.  But she also has to speak with client companies who place orders, etc, and sounding like a goose and blowing her nose every 3 seconds isn't terribly professional.

Ooooh! I know that red sore nose all too well, which made me think of chamomile tea.  Mom used to use it for a lot of things, and again, per Callie, it's an anti-inflammatory.  I drank a cup (with honey) before bed with my sinus infection and it helped to reduce that swelling pressure, plus it calmed me to sleep.
 
Whenever I have a cold and got the sore nose, or I woke up with tired swollen eyes, I took a steeped chamomile tea bag, 2 for the eyes, cooled it in the freezer, and place it on my sore spot for about 10 minutes.  You can also put a cup of the brewed tea in the fridge and soak a piece of cotton in the cold tea and apply.  The cold is soothing and the chamomile helps with the irritation. 
 
And I forgot to tell you before, during tax season, I take Zinc lozenges, up to 6 a day, it helps boost the immune system and thrawt any serious infections.  I've had people come in with the flu last year, and luckily I didn't catch it from them.  Of course, I clorox wiped my desk when they left, but still sharing a breathing space with them for 2 hours, I thot for sure I'd get sick.  Just another idea.  Hope your getting better.