Actually using sick days when you’re sick seems to be a thing of the past.  Anne Fisher at Fortune reports on a recent poll by ComPsych, a major provider of employee assistance programs and other outsourced human-resources services. The firm surveyed 1,000 employees of its client companies nationwide and found that 83% plan to come to work even if they are sick, up from 77% the last time ComPsych asked this question two years ago.

More than one in three (37%, up from 34% in the earlier poll) said their workload is just too heavy to allow for time off, and 21% (up from 17% in 2005) said they plan to save up their own sick time for when their children are ill.

"Employees are pushing the limits of their health and showing up to work at all costs," notes Dr. Richard Chaifetz, ComPsych's CEO. “This trend is driven in large part by economic uncertainty and the significant debt loads taken on by consumers in the past two years.”

That means you're more likely to be working alongside a contagious colleague.  Just what you needed, right?  To keep yourself from getting sick, wash your hands frequently, carry antibacterial lotion with you to meetings and use it after shaking hands, and try to keep from sitting in close proximity to someone who is actively sneezing or coughing.  If you feel cold or flu symptoms coming on, take a product like Zicam or Airborne to boost your immune system. You might not be able to prevent the virus from entering your system, but you will shorten its duration and severity, which means fewer sick-at-the-office days!