Too sick to work? Best to know your rights

Donna Ballman, an employment law blogger, offers the following on what employees need to know about their legal rights if they have to call in sick:

Minor illness: If you’re out sick for a day or two with, say, a cold or something minor, you have little legal protection under federal law. The laws that protect you for illness only protect you if you have a serious medical condition or an illness relating to a disability. Doctor’s note or no, if you live anywhere but Montana you’re in an at-will state, meaning you can be fired for any reason or no reason at all. That includes being sick (unless your state or city has a paid sick leave law).