It's likely that more than one telecommuter woke up this morning with a sore throat that would normally signal a day of sick leave, and wondered whether to go ahead and log into the office system anyway.
The number of days registered as sick leave for office workers has, in fact, decreased as the coronavirus epidemic has shifted work from offices to homes. Ordinary colds, flu, and stomach ailments have not spread at the previous pace because people are not in such frequent contact with others.
In addition, having hobbies on hiatus has reduced the number of leisure-time strains and sprains.
Part of the decrease in sick leave can also be explained by the blurring of boundaries in teleworking. For most people, before the epidemic, there was a fairly clear dividing line: work is done in the office during working hours and anyone ill stays at home to recover and doesn't work.
However, when spending most or all of one's working time at home it may be much harder to "give in" to minor cold or flu symptoms.
Miia Jansson, an occupational health physician with the healthcare service Heltti, says she feels the pain of teleworkers.
"We have a lot of conscientious employees in Finland and sometimes work may be done at the extreme available energy level. One should listen to one's own well-being. I know from experience myself that it is not that easy," Jansson says.
More relaxed days
The exceptional circumstances many people are working under these days require managers and supervisors to be better listeners and to actively inquire into how employees are doing. Sometimes a bit of encouragement is required to convince employees that taking a day off would be a healthy thing to do.
Being at home allows many to work a slightly lighter day when there is a need to rest, as well. In these cases, symptoms may subside more quickly.
Nowadays, it is critically important that anyone experiencing cold or flu symptoms stay home, distance themselves from other people, and have a low threshold for getting tested for coronavirus.
If your flu symptoms are caused by something other than the virus, here are five tips from Miia Jansson to help you assess your fitness for a day of telecommuting.
1. Pay attention to your general well-being.
Headache, runny nose, sore throat or general fatigue are the kind of cold or flu symptoms familiar to everyone. A single symptom often does not seem to be a sufficient reason to call in sick.
When, then, are these symptoms something that should make us put down our phone, turn off our computer and crawl back under the blanket?
"The boring-sounding guideline is that the employee must recognise his or her general well-being. If you feel that your head is not working, you are feeling fatigued, and you may not be able to sit, it is better to shut down the computer. When thoughts don't flow, rest is important," Jansson advises.
2. Fever is not a measure of ability to work
Many are accustomed to thinking that they are not sick enough for bed rest until they have a fever. This is simply not true.
A person may be incapacitated even if he or she does not have a fever. In particular, various viral diseases can fatigue the entire body, even if there is no fever.
3. Ask for help
Jansson encourages setting oneself a low threshold, or "no threshold at all" for contacting a supervisor or occupational health nurse when not feeling well. You don't have to feel sick at home alone. Help is available for almost everyone.
"You don't have to make it alone. It is worth asking your occupational health contact, for example, whether it is normal to get tired every day, or whether or not it is worth working with whatever symptoms there are," Jansson says.
Telecommuting has changed the way people meet, and so it's unlikely that a supervisor or co-worker will notice your eyes are red or you look exhausted.
Talking about how you feel and how you are holding up is more important than ever before.
4. Don’t push yourself to extremes
For eight months now, the pandemic has stressed and burdened us all in various ways. The coming seasonal darkness may take a further toll.
We can't all give championship performances all the time. One has to show oneself some consideration and mercy.
A short break, if necessary from time to time, makes more sense for both the individual and the employer than a complete discharge of the batteries and, in the worst case, long periods of exhaustion.
5. It is ok to work selectively
Teleworking also has some upsides for cold or flu suffers, as well. If you are in good enough condition, you can still attend your online meetings while lying on the couch and resting instead of having to go to the office and sit for hours in a conference room.
Jansson encourages anyone not feeling fully fit to agree with management on lighter working days.
"In our experience, employers have been flexible during the epidemic, so some days an employee can do a little work to the best of their ability. You don’t always have to work at full throttle or turn to total bed rest," she notes.
It is good to remember, though, that if you formally file sick leave, there is no need for work to be done. Flexibility mainly concerns situations where there is a slight reduction in working capacity, not a full-blown illness.
8.11: Clarified that this discussion covers both the common cold (known informally in Finnish as "flunssa") and influenza.