Employees reporting to work sick

Employees who went to work sick because they were worried about the financial consequences of taking time off.

Results from a new poll of Ohio and Florida workers conducted by National Public Radio, the Kaiser Family Foundation, and the Harvard School of Public Health suggest two main reasons people go to work sick: They don't have paid sick leave or they feel pressure from their employer to be on the job, regardless of whether they're ill.

Employees' financial situations also weigh into their decision to go to work sick. In Ohio, where 60 percent of employers offer sick leave, 50 percent of respondents said there was a time when they were sick but went to work anyway because they were worried about the financial consequences of taking time off. Respondents to the poll also said their financial situation has gotten worse over the last year, causing some folks to feel they can't afford to stay at home sick.