All of us have worked with someone who is chronically sick. The result is a workplace that has to shift, shimmy and cover for the absent worker and a worker who is struggling to find good health.

MSN.com had a frightening piece this week about the germiest places in everyday life. Included in the list are such places as:

Your kitchen sink

A wet load of laundry

Airplane bathrooms

A woman's purse

Public drinking fountains

I knew I should have stayed away from that wet load of laundry. With this list plus swarms of rumors about mono and other sicknesses, a consistent dose of hand washing is about all that is recommended by the experts. The bottom line- keep yourself clean in order to stay on your game at work and at home.