Sick at Work? Bad Idea [POLL/AUDIO]

Many workers don't like to use their sick days when they're actually sick. However, bringing an illness into the workplace isn't the smartest move, for you and everybody else.

"If you get sick, stay home. Get plenty of rest," said Mary O'Dowd, Commissioner of the New Jersey Department of Health. "Please don't go to work and share your germs with others."

O'Dowd's advice comes at the start of flu season. Viruses can live on the skin or other surfaces for a few hours, potentially infecting others.

"Colds and the flu are very contagious," O'Dowd added. "They can be transferred in the air, through saliva."

Plus, working through an illness can mean a longer wait until a full recovery.

If you must go to work while under the weather, O'Dowd recommends frequent hand washing and covering your nose and mouth while sneezing and coughing. Sharing of office items like pens and phones should be avoided.

O'Dowd noted a sick employee can be detrimental to an employer and the entire workplace. Productivity can take a hit, especially if one ill worker starts a germ-filled chain across the office.