To call in sick,or not to call in sick, that is the question

I rarely call into work sick; since I started with my new company I have had ½ a sick day in the last 13 months.  There are a number of reasons for this. I would like to believe that I am more constitutionally fit than other co-workers, but the reality is as a working parent I am often required to miss work for the kids, whether that be because of Dr appt’s, school functions, or their own illnesses.   Another reason is that with kids that stay home, being sick at home is more work than being sick at work.

So as you might have guessed I am sick this week. Sinus cold, snotty nose, headache etc… For the first half of the week I have been coming into work, even though I wake in the morning feeling like death.  Why you may ask, because modern pharmaceuticals do wonders to mask the symptoms of a head cold.  Pseudo ephedrine hydrochloride is my new most favorite substance in the world; because it makes my icky head-stuffed feelings go away for a couple of hours.  Well that and I really like the buzz it gives me.

So here is the question I have been pondering this morning, mostly because I forgot the meds at home this morning and more poor melon cannot focus on anything work related.

If modern drugs can mask the symptoms of a head cold, at least enough to make you functional, should you take time off work anyways? Are you entitled to take that time off?

There is one argument that suggests staying at home would lessen the chance of you infecting co-workers.

The other is that if I feel good enough not to be laying around in bed I should be at work.

Yet a third is, if staying at home and resting will not improve things then I might as well come in to work.

I dunno what do you think?