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2 stoujfviue suntribune b thursday jan 18 2007 publication mail agreement 40007673 if you are sick you are better off staying home and recov ering rather than coming in to the office and getting your coworkers sick staff photomike barrett et better by patrick mangion staff writer theres one in every work place a coworker who self ishly imperils his health and that of his colleagues by com ing to work sick raising the ire of those in surrounding cubicles the workplace martyr coughs sniffles and wheezes his way through an otherwise unpro ductive workday for any number of reasons studies suggest some people drag them selves out of bed on days better spent catching up on daytime tv to avoid any potential stigma that often comes from missing work other sickies feel their place within the organization is so important the business couldnt possibly function without them or quite simply millions of working canadians wont get paid if they call in sick whatever the reason the phenomena now has its own name presenteeism data presented at a canadian immunization conference last month showed 76 per cent of canadian bosses want sick employees to stay home signs you should stay home include fever persist ent cough severe sore throat and diarrhea however 46 per cent of canadians said they havent taken any sick days in the past 12 months and while there is always going to be a few people who refuse to stay home there are ways for the healthy set to protect themselves said york region public health nurse catherine edl in workplaces where a large number of employees share a small space or com puter telephones desks and keyboards should be cleaned two to three times a week more often if you share a workspace while he appreciates the effort sick employees of gemsen in vaughan are instructed to stay home said president sal riina as a business owner you love the martyrs but by the time its all over you have eight more people sick so im more inclined to have sick people stay home he said they want to prove something to their cowork ers or themselves employ ees who come to work sick want to advance their posi tion in the company through extraordinary effort mr riina said he knows because when he was full of gumption early in his career with a large elec tronics chain he can recall taking few sick days during his ascent up the corporate ladder from buyer to manag er and eventually vicepresi dent of sales i didnt want to lose my spot meanwhile the spectre of a flu pandemic has also helped bring presenteeism to the forefront so serious is the threat the ontario chamber of commerce representing more than 57000 businesses prbvincewide has taken the unprecedented move of making flu pandemic kits available ff neftens fcattfltng cqftrontcfe neil simons- rumors produced and arranged by samuel french co photo shiiby jvral misunderstandings abound at the 10th anniversary party for the deputy mayor of new york and his wife who audrey bain jeffbroughton ktrsty campbell david cardinal eddaigle anna loannou david mutton douglas tardif carmel warman graham wilson directed by kathy bridgetnan produced by mike bridgetnan a ryleepuss production when february 810 1517 2224 8pm matinee feb 18 2pm doorsopenl2lirbefore where uxbridge music hall how tickets available at presents presents presents 9058529544 1416 reserved seating why a fundraiser for the uxbridge cottage hospital foundation want more facts canmidiirfbridgtman90s4521836 tpxmitibj