Lawyers can be martyrs. They work when they’re well. They work when they’re sick. They’re proud of the suffering.

This year should be different. The H1N1 flu (are we giving up on H1N1 now and just calling it “swine”?) spreads through the air and it’s highly contagious. You can’t prevent it simply by washing your hands. Sick people can’t rush in to their offices, close the door and hope not to infect others. They’ve got to stay away from people. And you’ve got to stay away from them.

So this year it’s important to tell sick people to stay at home. Don’t let them come in. Send them on their way if they show up with flu symptoms.

Also, it’s important to encourage them to get vaccinated against the seasonal flu and the swine flu.

Make it easy for them to work from home. Change policies that incentivize coming to work sick. Don’t let the H1N1 bring you down.