(Photo By Flickr User Drew Leavy)

There’s nothing worse than when a sick co-worker shows up at the office infecting the whole place. But before you get annoyed with your hacking office/work mate, it’s important to understand why he or she felt it was important to show up at work.

According to the grindstone.com, Here’s why most people go to work sick:

Not everyone gets paid sick leave-

Shift workers and most people working minimum wage jobs don’t get paid sick leave and they often can’t afford to lose a day of pay.

Your office culture doesn’t promote healthy habits-

Some offices promote the idea that employees should be working all the time — day, night, sick and even on vacation. If this is the type of environment you work in, chances are you will burn out quickly. You might want to brush up that resume and look for a company that cares more about the well-being of its employees.

Your employer makes you jump through hoops to prove you are sick-

The common cold doesn’t really require a doctor’s visit, but many HR departments require a doctor’s note to approve a sick day. It’s a ridiculous practice but very common.

You don’t want to waste a possible vacation day-

Some offices don’t distinguish between sick days and vacation days. When you only get two weeks for the whole year, taking a day or two for a cold seems wasteful.