“Should I Log On If I'm Sick?” — Illness in the Hybrid Working World
Yes, I’ve replied to emails while sick in bed. I’ve propped myself up on pillows, surrounded by tissues and paracetamol, and thought, “I’ll just answer a few things so I don’t fall behind.”
And I know I’m not the only one.
Hybrid working has given us amazing flexibility—but it’s also blurred the lines between “working from home” and “resting at home.” And when you’re sick, that can be a real problem. Should you push through and log on? Should you go to that meeting even if your voice (literally) sounds like a broken record? Is it ever okay to go into the office with a cough?
Let’s unpack this. Because dealing with illness in a hybrid world is a whole new game—and one we’re still figuring out.
The Pressure to Power Through
There’s a strange guilt that comes with being sick when you work remotely. In the old days, being sick meant staying home. It was a binary choice: you were either in the office, or you weren’t. But now, many of us are already home. So the question becomes: how sick is sick enough to justify not working?
It’s easy to convince yourself that logging in for just a bit won’t hurt. After all, you’re not commuting. You don’t have to get dressed. You can answer Teams messages from under a blanket. But this is exactly where boundaries start to fray.
And here’s the thing: when we don’t properly rest, we don’t properly recover. That “just an hour or two” easily turns into a full day of low-quality, distracted work that makes you feel worse.
The Office Question: Should You Go In?
Okay, let’s talk about coughs.
If I had a pound for every time someone said “It’s just a cold” while clearly infecting everyone within a 10-foot radius, I’d be rich. Post-pandemic, we’re all more conscious of germs (and rightly so), but office etiquette hasn’t quite caught up.
My personal rule? If I’m still coughing, sneezing, or obviously contagious—even if I feel okay—I stay home. Not because I’m lazy. Not because I want to work in my dressing gown. But because bringing bugs into the office helps no one.
This is where hybrid working is actually a gift. You don’t have to choose between dragging your sorry self to the office or burning a sick day when you’re already on the mend. Instead, you can phase back in gently. Which brings me to...
The Art of the Comeback: Easing Back In
So, you’ve had a few days off. You’re still a bit tired but mostly functioning. Should you go full throttle again? Probably not.
What’s worked for me—and what I recommend—is a soft return. Here’s how I do it:
Morning check-in only: Log in, catch up, maybe do one or two tasks. Then stop.
Half-days: Ease back in over a couple of days. Work a morning, rest in the afternoon.
Batch the brainless stuff: Tidy up your inbox, sort your calendar, do admin. Save creative or high-stakes work for when your brain is fully back online.
And importantly: don’t expect to pick up where you left off. Being sick is like being in airplane mode—things pile up while you’re offline. Take a day or two to land before you start sprinting again.
What Not to Do When You’re Off Sick
This is a hard one, especially for Type-A personalities (yes, I see you). But when you’re off sick, you’re off. That means:
Don’t check your email (if you can help it).
Don’t join calls “just to listen in.”
Don’t feel guilty for logging off.
If it’s urgent, your team will find a way. If they can’t live without you for two days, that’s a process issue, not a you issue. Your body needs rest, not resentment…
What I’ve learned the hard way is this: when you give yourself proper recovery time, you come back sharper, faster, and actually useful. If you drag yourself through work while half-dead, you stay half-dead for twice as long. Nobody wins.
The Rules Around Sick Days (Yep, There Are Rules)
Before you decide whether to rest, work from home, or do a bit of both—it’s worth remembering that your company might have actual rules about what you’re allowed to do when you’re off sick.
For example:
You might need to formally notify HR or your manager when you're taking a sick day.
Some companies ask you to fill in a self-certification form for short-term illness (usually up to 7 days).
If you’re off for longer, you may need a doctor’s note.
Crucially: if you’ve reported yourself as sick, you’re not meant to be working. Logging in, joining meetings, or replying to emails might technically put you at odds with policy—and could raise questions about insurance, liabilities, or workplace expectations.
So even if you feel okay-ish, check your internal guidelines before doing a sneaky half-day of work. It might be better for everyone—including your future self—to go properly off-grid until you’re officially back.
If you’re not sure what the policy is, ask! It's better to clarify once than guess wrong every time you’re unwell.
Setting Expectations (Before You Get Sick)
If the rules aren’t really set precisely in your company, then you may have to do it yourself.
Make it clear in your team how you handle sick days. Let people know that when you’re sick, you really are out of action—and that you’ll do the same for them. This normalises taking proper time off. It gives people permission to rest without guilt. And it makes it easier to set boundaries when the time comes.
If you’re a manager, lead by example. If your team sees you taking real time off when you’re unwell, they’ll feel okay doing the same. If you’re coughing through Zooms and replying to messages at 10pm while sick, they’ll think that’s what’s expected.
The Mental Game: The Fear of Falling Behind
One of the most insidious things about working through illness is the fear. The fear that if you don’t check in, things will go wrong. That your inbox will explode. That someone will think you’re slacking off.
I get it. I really do.
But here’s the truth: if you’re good at your job, people won’t forget that just because you were ill for a few days. And if your company genuinely values well-being, they won’t punish you for prioritising your health.
Yes, you’ll probably come back to a lot of emails. But you’ll also come back with a working brain and a working body—and that’s worth the trade.
Final Thoughts: You’re Not a Robot
Do you need to take a moment to remind yourself that you’re not a machine? You’re not a productivity bot. You’re a human—with immune responses, sinus pressure, and perhaps occasionally, a dodgy stomach….you add your own thing!
Hybrid working gives us options, and that’s brilliant. But we have to use them wisely. Being at home doesn’t mean we have to be working. Being sick doesn’t mean we have to prove we’re still useful. And being a good colleague doesn’t mean infecting your team with the flu.
So next time you’re under the weather, try this: log off properly. Rest fully. Come back when you’re ready—and not a moment before.
Your body (and your team) will thank you.