Every year, Canadian workers take an average of 9.3 sick days, but for small business owners, sick days often aren’t possible. The business needs to keep running smoothly, even when you’re under the weather. Here are some tips for staying productive when you’re too busy to take a sick day.

Prioritize Your Tasks

Most business owners have long to-do lists, but not all of those tasks are urgent. When you’re sick, prioritize your tasks and only complete those that are absolutely essential. Save the less urgent jobs for when you’re feeling better. For example, functions like submitting payroll on time need to be done even if you’re sick, but answering emails can probably wait.

Keep Flexible Hours

When you’re healthy, you may stick to a 9-to-5 schedule, but that may not be possible when you’re sick. If you keep nodding off and can’t get any work done, get some sleep. Later, when you feel a bit better, your work will still be there. This may mean that you work outside of your normal business hours or that you don’t work a full day, but this is better than not working at all.

Work From Home

If possible, work from home when you’re sick. At home, you can work from the comfort of your bed or couch, and this may help you get more work done. By staying home, you can also avoid spreading your cold or flu germs to your employees, which helps your business remain productive.

Delegate to Your Employees

Canadian small business owners work an average of 51 hours per week, and this workload may not be manageable when you’re sick. When you’re not feeling well, you may only be able to work a few hours a day. To ensure the business runs smoothly, delegate some of your tasks to your employees. Reducing your workload and stress levels can help you focus on your recovery.

During cold and flu season, employees may take sick days, but business owners often can’t. If you can’t step away from your business, follow these tips to stay as productive as possible.