What to Say When Someone Shows Up Sick
Here’s what to say when you’re facing a sick coworker, an ailing dinner guest, or some other ill person who insists they’re absolutely fine.
When a coworker—or your boss—shows up sick
Before deciding what to say, consider what you can realistically offer. Could you take notes for your colleague? Help them join remotely? Reschedule a meeting that depends on their participation? Giving someone a way to bow out with grace can make your request easier to accept, says Jodi R.R. Smith, an etiquette expert in Marblehead, Mass.
“I’m going to take copious notes,” she suggests telling a colleague. Offer to send them afterward so they don’t feel they’ll miss out by heading home.
How you phrase that suggestion depends partly on your role and relationship to them, adds Elaine Swann, an etiquette expert in Carlsbad, Calif. A manager can instruct someone to head home; a peer should frame it as a request. Either way, speak privately or send a quick message instead of calling someone out in front of the room.
