Quote from Afterglow:

I see co-workers who truly have a terrible time with allergies and sinus problems ,but they do NOTHING to get better long-term and then they complain when their bosses are upset that they're out sick 2-3 days per month. Having a doctor's note doesn't absolve an employee of the responsibility to get/stay healthy.

Why do assume these people are doing nothing to try to get better? Maybe their problem is more severe than yours, and they are trying very hard, but without success. I have HEPA air cleaners running in every room. I take Zyrtec, Singulair, Duratuss, Flonase, Astelin, and Patanol eyedrops daily. I get weekly allergy shots. I never do any outdoor activities during pollen seasons. I don't even open the windows in my house, EVER. I wash my sheets weekly in hot water, and with an additive to kill dustmites. I tired numerous vitamin and homeopathic concoctions. I went to bed early and slept 10 hours a night. Yet until I had sinus surgery, I could barely handle a part-time job. Luckily I'm not the breadwinner. Even with surgery, I get an infection or 2 every spring, and yes, I miss work for a few days.

Why didn't I have surgery sooner? Because a series of crappy doctors insisted it was "just allergies" and refused to refer me to an ENT. So if companies want their employees not to miss so much work, maybe they should offer better health plans. If I had had a PPO instead of an HMO, I would've had surgery 10 years ago, instead of 2 1/2 years ago.