Feeling ill? Your co-workers think you should stay home

January 04, 2015, 12:43 PM GMT+0

If you've got a bad cold, a large majority of Americans say that you should stay away from work for the sake of everyone else

As the flu and cold season continues Americans are grappling with the age old dilemma of whether or not go to work with a dripping nose and a hacking cough. Essentially, should you stay at home and risk becoming known as lazy or go to work and risk getting everyone else sick?

YouGov's latest research shows that the vast majority of Americans (76%) are of the same opinion: if you have a bad cold it's better for everyone else in the workplace if you just stay at home. 13% of Americans do disagree, though, and say that it's better to come in and work, even if others could get others sick.

Despite three-quarters saying sick people should stay away from work, 43% of Americans say they've personally turned up to work despite actually being sick enough to stay home. People in the Midwest and under-45s (both 52%) are the most likely to say that they've gone to work sick. 14% of Americans admit to having called in sick to avoid working despite actually being fine, with under-30s (22%) and people in the Northeast (21%) being the most likely to play hooky.

Full poll results can be found here.