Coming to Work While Sick – Productivity or Just Plain Inconsiderate?

A recent discussion on r/askSingapore tackled a common workplace issue: employees showing up to work while visibly sick. Some view it as dedication, but the majority see it as irresponsible and unnecessary.

1. The "Never Take MC" Mentality

The original poster (OP) shared about a colleague who brags about never taking medical leave, even when he has a fever and chills.

"Once he told me he had a fever and chills, blowing his nose non-stop and wearing a thick jacket on a warm day."
— u/Warm_Ice_4029

While some might see this as commitment to the job, many Singaporeans think it’s reckless and inconsiderate.

"One sick, whole team can get sick. And when they are sick, their work quality declines too. It’s like they never learned from Covid."
— u/cheezystuffedcrust

"These people are the reason why Covid restrictions lasted so long. Because if you don’t put it into law, there will always be jokers who sabo the rest of us."
— u/Klubeht

2. Toxic Workplace Culture & Management Pressure

One big reason why employees come in sick is fear of repercussions. Some workplaces discourage taking MC, directly or indirectly.

"A lot of workplaces in Singapore, the boss looks dimly on staff taking MC."
— u/brokenreborn2013

"My boss reminds us that if we take MC, our bonus will decrease. None of us take more than 4-5 days of MC a year, but boss still deducts from our bonus."
— u/HANAEMILK

"When it’s bonus period, my ex-boss made me submit an Excel spreadsheet of how many MCs each employee took for the entire year."
— u/Infamous_Seaweed7527

Some companies even reward employees for not taking sick leave, turning not falling sick into an incentive rather than a personal health choice.

"Some F&B employers give an ‘incentive’ if you don’t take MC the entire month."
— u/Infamous_Seaweed7527

This leads to people forcing themselves to work sick, spreading germs, and reducing productivity overall.

"One man down is better than the entire company down with whatever the hell he had."
— u/sdarkpaladin

3. The False Sense of Productivity

Coming to work while sick doesn’t necessarily mean being productive. If anything, it lowers efficiency and risks spreading illness to others.

"What your colleague is demonstrating is 'sudo-productivity'—the illusion of being productive just by being physically present, while actually operating at reduced capacity."
— u/RainWhispering

"They’ve sold their soul to the company. Unless your presence is mandatory to stop Singapore from being nuked, just take the damn MC."
— u/The_Water_Is_Dry

Many SME bosses encourage this behavior, even mocking employees who take MC, leading to toxic work environments.

"Micromanaging SME bosses' dream employee: never takes a sick day, drags their dying, diseased body into the office to cough everywhere, then KPKB when 'less dedicated' employees take MC."
— u/tartful_d0dger

4. Should Employers Be Stricter?

Some argue that it’s on managers to send sick employees home to protect the rest of the team.

"If your managers don’t send them home, look for a new job."
— u/Livid-Direction-1102

"I work in an SME but my boss hates it when people come in sick. We will tell them to take MC, but if they don’t want to, what can we do?"
— u/Complex-Divide9933

Meanwhile, some employees try to use this against the system:

"If a colleague comes in sick, I’ll take MC the next day and say they spread it to me."
— u/Qlazzical

5. Lessons from Covid – Have We Learned Anything?

After Covid-19, you’d think Singaporeans would be more mindful about not spreading illness at work. However, some old habits remain.

"At the start of Covid, my ex-colleague came in sick and coughing without a mask. I told her she might want to wear one, and she glared at me and said, 'Back in India, no one wears masks.' Only after her boss told her, then she wore it."
— u/ang3lkia

Some managers still prioritize work over health, failing to learn from the pandemic.

"My boss passed me his fever during a 1-on-1 catch-up. I took MC the next day, and he complained about me to my teammates, saying, 'Work is more important.'"
— u/Cute_Meringue1331

"They spread their shit around. I’ve been a victim many times. I have autoimmune diseases, so it’s worse for me."
— u/Pale_Sheet

Final Thoughts

While dedication to work is important, coming in sick does more harm than good. It lowers productivity, spreads illness, and reinforces toxic work cultures where employees feel guilty for taking legitimate sick leave.

Instead of rewarding people for not taking MC, companies should prioritize employee well-being—because a healthy team is a productive team.

At the end of the day, is showing up sick really worth it?