Doctors don't get paid to stay home either. If they are not seeing patients they don't get paid either and you don't get seen when you have the flu. How is that for real world.

Concur with Gunny~most people cannot afford to not work regardless of how they feel. Many doctors do not live in the "real work world" as most do. How great it would be to get paid to stay home when sick!

Unfortunately most people that still have jobs don't get paid "sick leave" so you can't afford to take the needed time off.