When you take a sick day, it is important to communicate that you’ll be out of the office to necessary stakeholders like your managers, coworkers and clients. It enables sick employees to stay home and not infect others in the workplace, a choice employees might not make if they were not paid. There's science behind the logic of taking a sick day: your white blood cells attack viruses when you sleep, and people who slept less than eight hours were three times more likely to catch a cold. Paid sick days allow employees to take time off from work while they are ill without losing pay. Sick days mean more work for some.

In this guide, we discuss how you should effectively communicate your sick day to people at … If you’re sick, it can be necessary to take time off from work—both to rest and recover and to protect your colleagues from anything contagious.

On average, employees only took just 2.5 sick days in 2018, according data from LinkedIn. By taking time for yourself, you can spend the whole day comfortably recovering instead of burdening your body further with the pressure of work.
This is why the whole lying thing just won’t turn out in your favor: “The problem is, certain employees need [sick days] more than others, so when they’re not taken as truly needed, it can create a perception of unfairness and ultimately hurt your credibility.

This is a significant benefit for the employee and good news from the employer's perspective, too. By choosing to take a sick day, you’re choosing to hand that extra work over to your team and boss.