Can I go to work with pink eye?
Last updated September 3, 2026.
Bacterial pink eye: back to work about 24 hours after starting antibiotic drops. Viral: contagious while the eye is red and watering, so the early weepy days are the stay-home window if possible. Allergic: not contagious at all. Job type can override everything: food service, healthcare, and childcare call for stricter exclusion while symptomatic, and employer policies vary, so check. If you must work while contagious, behave like it: constant handwashing, hands off the eye, no shared towels or tools. Contact lenses stay out until the eye is fully clear plus a few days, and the case and any makeup used during the infection get replaced. The do-not-commute list: pain rather than itch, light sensitivity, or blurred vision, since those suggest something more serious than pink eye and need prompt evaluation.
What to do
- Bacterial: 24 hours on drops, discharge easing.
- Viral: contagious while red and watering; home is better early.
- Allergic: work freely, not contagious.
- Food, healthcare, childcare jobs: stricter rules apply.
- Pain or light sensitivity: get seen, do not commute.
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