Cross-posted from Washington Work and Family Coalition:

Have you heard about the highly contagious Koala flu that turns people into horrifying, albeit adorable, zombie marsupials who subsist only on human thigh meat and eucalyptus leaves?

No, you haven’t, because it hasn’t happened — yet. When it does, we’re probably all going to get it because of annoying co-workers who insist on coming to the office when they’re sick.

Yep, humanity will meet its end thanks to Marge down in accounts receivable, who figured, despite the bad fever and hunger for human flesh, she’d suck it up and come to work.

That apocalyptic scenario might be slightly exaggerated, but it gets to the heart of a recent question from a reader who has had it with the socialist redistribution of germs: What is it about the modern-day work environment that encourages disease-carrying co-workers to come in and spread their viruses around the office park?

Turns out there are a couple things at play here.

Read more from I Just Work Here »