A bit of good news for those of you who are among the many Americans whose employers don't offer sick days: there are a few pieces of legislation that have been introduced over the last few months to try to rectify that.

The most recent one – just tabled last week – is the Emergency Influenza Containment Act, temporary legislation that would provide up to five paid sick days for full- or part-timers who have been sent home or have been ordered to remain home by their employer because of a contagious illness, such as H1N1.

The bill isn't perfect, though....There are some obvious loopholes that could negate the whole point of having the law in the first place (read the article to find out more). The House Education and Labor Committee is supposed to hold a hearing on the legislation during the week of November 16.

There's also the Healthy Families Act (originally introduced in 2005 and then re-introduced this year), which, if passed, would require businesses with 15 or more employees to provide up to seven days of paid sick leave each year.

If you live in San Francisco, Milwaukee or Washington, D.C., you're in luck: those cities already have laws requiring paid sick leave.

I must say, though: all of this is fine, as long as you don't have a boss who would threaten or bully you, even in subtle ways, because you chose to stay at home sick and not spread your germs. Unfortunately, I've already had a few readers write in and tell me some of their horror stories (which, frankly, made me ill).

Seriously, if employers expect workers to never get sick, or to come into work and function at 100 percent when they've got the flu, why don't they just hire robots? Seems as though that's all they want (at least some of them).

After my post last week about the importance of staying at home if you're ill, one of my readers pointed out to me that he can't take sick days because he doesn't actually get any.

I did a little digging and found out that, in fact, something like 40 percent of the private-sector workforce in the U.S. is unable to take paid leave without notifying their employer in advance. Of those who do get sick leave, some are punished for taking it by receiving "demerit points" every time they miss a day. Accumulation of a certain number of points could result in termination in some companies.

Workers earning wages on the lower end of the scale tend to be the most affected – they have to choose between staying at home and not spreading germs, or coming into work even if they're contagious so they can make this month's rent, pay for groceries, or even keep their job.

But temp workers and independent contractors, including those working in the IT field, are also affected, as employers are not obligated to offer sick days or other benefits to those workers either.

I'm curious: How many of you who are working in the technology field are not entitled to paid sick leave? And of those of you who are able to take time off due to illness, are you discouraged from doing so?

If you're a new IT grad, you've probably realized this already: finding a job these days can be really tough. You've got your lack of on-the-job experience working against you, and there are a whole lot of other out-of-work but seasoned IT pros out there who may be vying for the same position you are, even if it represents a step down for them.

The Higher Education Careers Services Unit (HECSU) recently released a report that found graduate unemployment in the U.K. and the Republic of Ireland has spiked to 44 percent, the highest rate in 10 years. The stats can't be much better for the U.S., Canada or other countries.

However, if you do get a job, HECSU says the salary levels are not being hit too hard.

If you need help finding your first tech job, check out our Entry Level and New Grad Resources Center. That's where you can find links to job boards, cover letter and resume writing tips, interview prep and follow-up, and other resources that could give you a leg up in your job search.

How many times have you heard that around the office when someone lets out a cough?

While the person saying this may be joking, coming into the office with so much as the sniffles is increasingly being considered a faux-pas, especially these days when people are freaking out about H1N1.

The general consensus is: if you're sick, stay at home. And if you have deadlines to meet or otherwise absolutely have to get something done, this may be the time to take advantage of your company's telework policy. If you're allowed to work from home in these circumstances, why in the world would you come into the office?

So what happens if you're in a position where it's just not possible to telecommute? In a perfect world, you'd still stay at home and take whatever sick days you need, because management has planned ahead and allowed at least one other person to be cross-trained in your specialization so they can perform your job in an emergency.

But with downsizing and the generally hectic pace in IT, is that reality in the average workplace? Do you feel your company is properly prepared to handle such a situation? Let me know your thoughts....