I have worked for a variety of employers, thus building a diverse resume that includes working in retail sales, construction, public school administration, furniture sales/deliveries, private tutoring, restaurant employment, and janitorial services.
Most of my employers provided me with absolutely NO BENEFITS, such as paid holidays, sick days, vacation days, or dental/health insurance. Whenever I got sick, I had to either (1.) Show up to work with my illness or (2.) Call-in sick and sacrifice my earnings for the day.
Considering that my hourly wage was usually about $10 an hour, I almost never earned more than $20,000 a year. After living expenses, I did not earn much “extra” money each year, so I usually chose option (1.) when I was encountered with an illness.
A typical sick day would have me taking variety of medications such as cough medicine, pain relievers, and nasal sprays, to help me get thru my day of work. With these over-the-counter options, I could manage the majority of my ailments, but I never found a good solution for dealing with post-nasal drip (a.k.a. the runny nose).
A product that I think would solve this issue is the “nose tampon”. Sure….. It might be more marketable if it was advertised as a “running nose stopper”, but you get the point. The item would have to be inserted into the nostril and remain there in a surreptitious fashion. A perfect design would allow the user to inhale and possibly exhale while also keeping liquid from exiting the nasal cavity. It should also be able to withstand the pressure of a sneeze. The way to currently solve this problem is to stick a tissue up your nose, which is not the best way to present yourself, while you are at work.