You have probably heard that if you are sick, that you should not go to work.

Every public health group from the World Health Organization to the Centers of Disease Control and Prevention to the Knox County Health Department has been saying it.

You probably already know not to work while you're sick because it's terrible for your health and the health of people around you.

But not everyone has paid sick days. According to the Economic Policy Institute, 27% of workers do not get sick time. Whether you accrue sick time is strongly correlated with income. People in low-wage areas like the service or food industries tend not to get sick time.

The Bureau of Labor Statistics estimates that workers with sick days have an average of seven for the whole year. That’s half of the two-week period the CDC recommends for “self-isolation,” staying at home until disease clears. This does not factor in workers with children who may also need to stay home if a child is ill.

That’s why we want to hear from you. Can you afford to take time off during a pandemic? We want to know.

While some workers might be able to use personal days or vacation days to help cover the gap not all workers get those benefits. Many workers are faced with a difficult choice, work sick or miss pay. Many people cannot afford unpaid sick time. The majority of Americans do not have $400 on hand to cover emergency expenses.

We’ve made a poll to, hopefully, get some answers. Your answers will help us understand whether Knoxville’s workers are allowed to do the right thing for themselves and our community’s health.