DO you stay at home when you have a bad cold?

[nickytwotimes]

Just nosey as to what others do....

[orangehead]

No, useless feeling realy bad with it and nothing special to do. But normally just carry on

[Carmenere]

No fgs I am a woman I just get on with it unless I have a delirium inducing chest/sinus infection or the real 'flu (the one where you can't get out of bed).

[mankyscotslass]

I'm a SAHM now, but when I wohm I had to go in.
The company I worked for disciplined you for 3 absences in a year, then graduated it to sacking for abscence from work.
I had a ds in childcare who came home with a cold every month at one point, and he passed them all to me. Some days I couldn't see the screen at work because my eyes were streaming so badly.
DH was in the same position, made worse by being on Methotrexate for PsA, and always took colds badly. He was placed on the disiplinary scale at his place of work for absence, and now goes in even when I feel he is probably not well enough to drive never mind work.
In an ideal world you would stay home and not pass germs about, but sadly a lot of places of work are not that sympathetic.

[HonoriaGlossop]

I had one fantastic, sensible boss who would send you home if you felt bad with a stern "We don't want your germs, come back when you're better". Some bosses are able to see the bigger picture = one employee off for a bit, instead of all employees off one after the other making far more impact on the service.

No-one else I've worked for since has had that attitude though. It is seen as being a fab person all round to struggle in unwell. I went in recently with an awful throat infection, and almost no voice and no-one even mentioned the fact I was having to gasp to talk to them, let alone felt I ought to go home!

Only went in BTW as have had time off sick for another matter and as manky says with her DH, I had been 'made aware' my sick leave was 'rather high'.....

It's so short sighted. Of course alot of bugs are passed before people even know they're ill which is just life, BUT I'd rather people went home than coughed all over me, and left bugs all over computer keybaords, door handles, the kettle......

[cherrylips]

I tend to stay at home if feeling really ropie. But then I am a nurse, and don't want to pass bugs on to patients or staff.

[PuppyMonkey]

Oh crikey yes. Any excuse for a sickie if it's one of my working days. Trouble is my bad colds have a habit of morphing into full blown chest infections if I don't look after meself a bit. Prone to asthma etc you see.

[BCNS]

when I went out to work.. no.. work from home now.. and again no.. I just do things slower!

[lucykate]

no, in fact, when i was working, (am currently sahm), after my second m/c, i only had 1 day off.

[saltire]

I wouldn't stay at home now, becasue according to my employer, I have had 5 "unathorised absences" from work, including one day off when DS2 had sickness and diarohhea and couldn't go to school, and one day when they sent me home for falling over and hurting myself.

If my boss did as Honoria's used to and said "oh you're not well, go home" I can guarantee that when I went back in I would have another unauthorised absence, despite the fact that I had gone in and been sent home.
In fact, no i would be sacked, becasue I've been told it is unacceptable, adn that if i am off for any reason, then I will have a disiplinary and probably dismissal

[AMumInScotland]

I always stay off if I've got a bad cold - I know from painful experience that a few days off will be far better than struggling on and getting a chest infection. I don't have asthma or anything, but I've had some bad chest infections which had me below par for weeks. Luckily my manager is ok about it, and as I have a generally good sick record it doesn't cause any problems.

I always tell my staff to take time off if they've got a nasty cold or anything too - I've chased one off home when he came into the office in no fit state to be out and about. Partly because I don't want his germs, but also for his own sake, honest

[AMumInScotland]

Saltire - that's terrible! So no matter how sick you are, you're meant to drag yourself in?!

[IAteDavinaForDinner]

Personally I'm not one for taking to bed when I have the sniffles. I might well come home early if I feel really bad but mostly if I can get up and get going I feel better anyway. Much better than lying in bed thinking about how crap you're feeling.

Different with 'flu obviously, although haven't had that for years.

[saltire]

Mumin S - yes,One of the days (2 actually) that I was off was when I ahd teh slapped cheek virus. it affected me really badly, i had swollen joints and a rash from neck to toe. I had 2 days off, but went back because i was so worried. At the same time, a colleague of mine had a chest infection and could hardly breathe or speak and she was in. of course you get no thanks for it.
I work for a major high street healthcare retailer, who profess to care about the nation's health. Well they don't care about their staff's heath thats for sure

[PeppermintPatty]

Depends how bad I feel.
For normal colds I go in cos I generally feel ok.
But if I feel really rotten I stay off.

I have had a wierd virus thingy now for over two weeks, I was going into work as normal but it wasn't going away (in fact getting worse) so went to docs and she told me I needed to rest so now off sick.
Feel quite guilty for taking time off though.

[mankyscotslass]

AMuminScotland,THat is they way my old firm was, and the way my husbands current firm are.

[mankyscotslass]

OOPS, hit post too early, meant they are the same way as Saltires company. My old firm were massive too. DH's are a medium sized business.

[PeppermintPatty]

God saltaire that's appalling
What if you had a sick note from doctors? could they discipline you then?

[unknownrebelbang]

Not usually, although I will tend to work shorter days (work flexi 5-6 hours per day).

I do have the luxury too of being able to cocoon myself in a separate office if need be, so can work slower and not inflict my germs on other staff.

[mankyscotslass]

PeppermintPatty, mine did even with a sicknote.
Infact, as a manager I was involved in disciplining staff for abscence (they never said illness, always abscence). As a manager I was expected to follow protocol and set an example, we were not allowed any leeway as individual line managers.
HR and senior management had a very strict line on this.

[AMumInScotland]

Mine is civil service, which generally have a reputation of allowing sick days without a fuss. But when you get to 11 days in 12 months HR will talk to your manager about it, and decide if something needs to be done. I've actually reached that point, but nothing has happened! I'd guess my manager has told them it's not a problem - he trusts me and knows I'm not messing them about. But other staff have been pulled up about it, specially if they don't look that motivated when they are there, or have a lot of Mondays off.

But sometimes you just can't help getting sick - either the bugs your children so kindly share with you, or an accident or whatever, so they shouldn't discipline you for it.

[saltire]

But why should an incidnet when they sent me home be classed as unathorised absence?
The first time I was off, when Ds2 was ill, I was given a formal verbal warning.
Another colleague was in hospital had an operation and had 72 days off following it - she simply couldn't walk. her first day back, she had a back to work interview and was given a formal written warning

[AMumInScotland]

That is just so out of order! I mean, they have to deal with the ones who are taking the piss, but genuine illness should never be treated that way.