Going to work with a cold?

Going to work with a cold: It depends on your job

“Should I go to work with a cold?” Every working person has probably asked themselves this question at some point—and most probably several times during every cold season. Likewise, everyone is familiar with the anxious glances at colleagues, customers, or other professional contacts in the open-plan office who have a cold: avoiding infection and preventing colds has been an important issue in everyday working life since long before the coronavirus.

Those who work in nurseries, schools, or the care sector, for example, will find it difficult to protect themselves from possible infection with cold viruses at work. People who do more physical work, such as in the trades or construction, may be more likely to be able to stay “to themselves” at work, whether they have a cold themselves or a colleague is coughing. When it comes to the question of whether to go to work with a cold, however, the situation is different here than it is for sedentary work in an open-plan office: those who perform physically demanding activities would be well advised to take it easy even in the early stages of a cold. Otherwise, a cold can drag on or, in the worst case, lead to heart muscle inflammation.

Office work is not usually associated with strenuous physical labor and also offers a whole range of other options for dealing with coughs and other symptoms. Since the coronavirus pandemic, working from home has become a viable alternative in most companies, allowing employees to stay home from work when they have a slight sore throat or runny nose, rather than going to work with a cold.
 

Avoiding colds – tips for work and the office

But how can you prevent a cold when everyone in the open-plan office is already coughing and sneezing behind their computers? If you want to protect yourself from infection, you can try to minimize contact with viruses by doing the following:

• Keep your distance: Whether in an open-plan office or a private office, when colds are rife, it is better to refrain from shaking hands when greeting people and to maintain a safe distance during conversations. Colds, coughs, and bronchitis are usually transmitted by viruses that spread via droplet infection.
• Pay attention to hygiene: Cold viruses also spread via surfaces that many people come into contact with. It is therefore advisable to disinfect door handles, telephones, keyboards, and similar items on a daily basis.
• Wash your hands: Thoroughly washing your hands with soap on your way to work and in the office is also a good way to combat cold viruses. Lather your hands vigorously for at least 20 seconds and don't forget the spaces between your fingers.
• Fresh air: Heated air dries out the mucous membranes in the respiratory tract, weakening their self-cleaning system. Therefore, it is best to ventilate open-plan offices several times a day for 5 minutes. This also reduces the concentration of cold viruses in the air. Nasal ointments or sprays can also help to keep the nasal mucosa moist. 

Strengthen your immune system: Getting enough sleep, eating a vitamin-rich diet, and exercising in the fresh air can help boost your body's defenses to better fight off colds – whether at home or at work in the office.

Working with a cold in an open-plan office: just carry on working, go to bed, or work from home?

If you don't want to or can't let a cold stop you from working—whether on principle or because you have something really important to do—you can, of course, simply go to work with a cold. Some supervisors still don't like it when employees work from home. However, if you go to work with a cold, it is advisable to take great care to avoid infecting others.

Working from home is certainly the better alternative. In addition to the reduced risk of infection, you also avoid a potentially stressful commute to work and may even be able to take a refreshing power nap on your couch at home. These are all factors that can potentially shorten the duration of your cold – and that benefits everyone.

Sick leave: When it is better not to go to work with a cold – and what is permitted in such cases

Whether in an open-plan office or working from home, there are limits to how long you can bravely carry on working. Even when working in an office with a cold, there is a risk of making the cold worse if you are particularly ill and under a certain level of stress. And at the latest when symptoms such as severe fatigue, fever, aching limbs, or a severe cough with phlegm appear, the old adage “if you're sick, you belong in bed” is 100% valid.

It should go without saying that you should stay away from open-plan offices and the workplace in general if you have such cold symptoms. There is also no need to delay seeing a doctor because you are afraid that the sick note will be longer than necessary for your recovery: a sick note protects you from having to go to work with a severe cold, for example, but it is not a ban on employment. As soon as your symptoms allow, it is okay to slowly resume work—even in such cases, working from home has clear advantages over the open-plan office.

Colds at work, at home, and in the office: relieve coughs with special ivy extract

If, despite all precautions, you develop an acute cough, you can treat it with a herbal medicine from the pharmacy. For adults, phytotherapeutic remedies for coughs and bronchitis containing special ivy extract, e.g., in the form of cough syrup, have proven effective. This type of treatment is not only well tolerated, but also highly effective: the special ivy extract acts as a cough suppressant and can also relieve the urge to cough – the latter is particularly valuable when returning to work among other people. The cough syrup in a bottle is suitable for use at home. The cough syrup stick sachets, which can be taken without water or a spoon, are practical for the office and when on the go.