Should I stay off school tomorrow?

[Secretlifeofme]

I'm a secondary teacher and due to go back to school tomorrow after half term. The problem is that last night and today I have had a nasty tummy bug, on the loo constantly and feeling weak and nauseous.

Having taken immodium I am starting to feel better, but had set aside last night and today to do quite a lot of schoolwork which I have now not done :( even if I feel better by tomorrow, would it be terrible to take the day off and catch up on the work I would have done while I was ill? Honest advice appreciated.

[Littlefish]

You should stay at home tomorrow. If you have been suffering from diarrhoea today, then the bugs will still be in your system tomorrow.

You are not taking the day off to catch up on schoolwork, you are taking the day off to recover from a nasty tummy bug and make sure that you are no longer infectious.

[noblegiraffe]

Don't go in. The worst bit about phoning in sick is setting cover work so you can get that sorted today.

It's unlikely that you will feel well enough tomorrow to teach well anyway.

[Imnotaslimjim]

Even if you felt better I'd suggest staying off tomorrow, the 48 hour rule is there for a reason

[Secretlifeofme]

Oh, I don't think we have the 48 hour rule in secondary! You know how it is- the minute you start to feel a bit better, you feel guilty about taking time off.

[Secretlifeofme]

And I have two exam classes tomorrow :(

[Secretlifeofme]

So are we definitely going with the 'stay off school'? No one on the other side? (Can you tell I am anxious about making the decision to stay off?!)

[noblegiraffe]

There will be no prizes for going in sick. You will feel bad and not teach well. You will be then faced with a mountain of work on your arrival home, when all you want to do is go to bed.

It's just one day. You are not skiving, you are genuinely ill. Imodium doesn't cure the illness it just bungs you up.

[Secretlifeofme]

Right, thanks everyone. I am going to sort my cover work now

[toomuchicecream]

Agree with everyone else. You'll get the half term off to a bad start - feeling crap and not having had the chance to prepare properly. As the week goes on you'll get more and more behind and feel more and more crap. By next weekend you'll be completely drained and have to spend it recovering and not be able to get on top of any of the work you're now behind on. And it's not exactly going to get any better as the term progresses, is it.

[DontGotoRoehampton]

I am a supply teacher, so I say - please be off sick
Seriously - you need time to recover - things are so hectic and 24/7 now that no-one gives themselves a chance to convalesce.

[PotteringAlong]

Honestly, I'd go in. Teaching when you feel awful is far easier than setting cover work and dealing with the fallout of not being there.

[littlesupersparks]

I'm a secondary school teacher and we definitely have the 48 hour rule. Stay home and recover x

[ShyGirlie]

i've had the flu all weekend. Going in tomorrow though as it's easier to just go than to phone in sick. Cant face phoning the head (scary) and i've so much to do i'll just fall further behind. depressing.

[threepiecesuite]

In our school it's 3 periods of absence off in a school year and you're on an Absence Management Plan which feeds into your Performance Management. That's anything from 10 minutes off to a week or whatever, for any reason at all eg. your own child is sick.
What's your record like so far?

I'd go in. Dealing with the fallout from cover lessons is a right pain.

[Secretlifeofme]

I have only had one day off so far this year. I am still feeling pretty shit tbh- the nausea is really ramping up now and I keep retching- so I really don't think I'll be well enough to go in anyway, even if I really wanted to.

[Killasandra]

Please stay home.

You're sick. You don't go to work when you're sick.