Employee Health - Am I Healthy Enough to Go to Work

If you feel ill, you should not go to work. In this topic, you’ll learn the ways in which you can diagnose yourself and determine whether or not you are contagious, as well as what to do if you are. This includes knowing when to stay home from work and for how long, and what symptoms you should be aware of as they could be related to an infectious illness.

• Questions (level 1, 2, 3)

• Video module

This content is currently available in English.

1. If you feel that you might be sick, or are experiencing any symptoms of a possible illness, stay home from work. You could be contagious and could risk infecting your co-workers or customers.

2. Communicate with your manager or leader about your symptoms if you think you might be sick. They will help you decide if it’s appropriate for you to come into work.

3. If your throat is sore, and it’s difficult and painful for you to communicate, you’re likely contagious and should stay home from work.

4. If you experience a continuously runny nose that makes it hard to keep your hands clean, you are likely contagious and should stay home from work.

5. If you are frequently coughing or sneezing, stay home from work. Coughing and sneezing can spray infectious particles into the air or onto surfaces and spread to others around you.

6. If you have a fever of 100° Fahrenheit (or 37.8° Celsius) or higher, you are likely contagious and should stay home from work.

7. If you recently had a fever, regularly check your temperature to see if it has returned to normal. If it hasn’t regulated, continue to stay home until it is regular for 24 hours, to help lower the risk of spreading infection.

8. If you are sneezing, and have a runny nose and itchy eyes, but don’t have a fever, body aches, or a sore throat, you’re likely experiencing a seasonal allergic reaction. This means you are not contagious, but you should still check with your supervisor to see if you should come to work.

9. Illnesses usually stop being contagious 24 hours after symptoms disappear, so you should stay home from work for a day after you stop experiencing symptoms. This will help lower the risk of infecting your co-workers.

The novel coronavirus has certain distinct symptoms that you should be aware of, so you don’t go into work when you have them and risk spreading the illness. In this topic, you’ll learn what those symptoms are, and what to do if they begin to develop. This includes monitoring yourself for a dry cough, chest pain, or a fever.

• Questions (level 1, 2, 3)

• Video module

This content is currently available in English.

1. If you have traveled to a foreign country, or have been in close contact with someone who has traveled to a foreign country, and either of you begin to feel ill, do not go to work.

2. If you have a fever of 100° Fahrenheit (37.7° Celsius) or above, stay home from work until your temperature has been normal for 24 hours.

3. If you begin to experience symptoms such as a fever, cough, or difficulty breathing, do not go to work. These are symptoms of the novel coronavirus, and you could risk infecting your co-workers or customers.

4. If you have consistent pain or pressure in your chest, you may be experiencing a symptom of the novel coronavirus. Don’t go into work, so you don’t risk infecting your co-workers or customers.

5. If you are already experiencing a cough, and your lips or face become bluish, don’t go into work. Instead, contact a medical professional because this could mean your coronavirus infection is worsening.

6. Do not go into work if you have been undergoing tests for the novel coronavirus. If there is a chance that you could infect your co-workers or customers, stay home.

7. If you are experiencing abdominal pain, diarrhea, or vomiting, you may be experiencing symptoms of a novel coronavirus infection. Stay home from work, so you don’t risk spreading the infection to others.