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Original poster

I've called in sick

111 replies

Photoclock · 24/04/2025 07:49

I haven't been well all week. A heavy cold, but I've been in and done my best. I was in meetings with my boss all day yesterday. She never once asked if I was OK or made the kind of "should you be here?" enquiries other did, and believe me it was obvious I wasn't well. A bit anti social to be there tbh, but you don't call sick with a cold if you're well enough to work...?

I got up and showered, dressed, got as far as putting my shoes on and finding my keys then as I was about to open the door, broke out in a horrible sweat and felt the need to sit down. So I decided sod this and came back to bed.

But if my boss had shown a bit more interest yesterday I might have pushed through...

OP posts:
imsosotired · 24/04/2025 08:47

You really shouldn’t have been going in with a cold. It really annoys me when colleagues do this. Keep your germs to yourself.
It’s not your manager’s job to tell you to go home.

butterflycr · 24/04/2025 08:46

Photoclock · 24/04/2025 08:43

Which boss absolutely will not allow.

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So you call in sick.

It's not complicated. When you have a cough you do not put yourself in a position where you're around other people who you could spread your germs to.

faerietales · 24/04/2025 08:46

Photoclock · 24/04/2025 08:43

Which boss absolutely will not allow.

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So call in sick. You’re a grown adult - you don’t need to wait until someone sends you home!

Curioushoney · 24/04/2025 08:45

Bloody hell op just read your other threadyou started this morning about your quick temper and how the “red mist descends”!

faerietales · 24/04/2025 08:44

Threecraws · 24/04/2025 08:40

If you were bad enough that you expected your boss to comment you should not have been there in the cost place

Exactly. I have no patience for people who are clearly unwell, come into work and cough and splutter everywhere.

If you’re that sick, stay home. You’re a grown adult with agency, you don’t need someone to take pity on you and send you home. This isn’t primary school.

Curioushoney · 24/04/2025 08:44

I don’t imagine someone like the Op not being around is the greatest loss

Original poster
Photoclock · 24/04/2025 08:43

SipandClean · 24/04/2025 08:40

Quite. That’s where working from home comes in.

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Which boss absolutely will not allow.

OP posts:
Curioushoney · 24/04/2025 08:43

So you called in sick to spite your boss who didn’t, what, blow your nose for you?

scotstars · 24/04/2025 08:43

So your in a huff because your boss wasn't sympathetic to a cold? And you get your own back by phoning in sick? Bizarre. If your not well don't go to work and spread germs it's simple if you are an adult you don't need other people to tell you what to do

SipandClean · 24/04/2025 08:40

butterflycr · 24/04/2025 07:55

You're unreasonable for going into work in the first place with a heavy cold.

Take some responsibility. It doesn't matter what your boss thinks. You shouldn't be making other people ill.

Edited

Quite. That’s where working from home comes in.

Threecraws · 24/04/2025 08:40

If you were bad enough that you expected your boss to comment you should not have been there in the cost place

faerietales · 24/04/2025 08:38

Photoclock · 24/04/2025 08:18

Well no, but you probably also don't appreciate colleagues calling in sick every time they have a cold?

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I’d rather they called in sick than came in coughing and sputtering all over the place.

butterflycr · 24/04/2025 08:38

itsgettingweird · 24/04/2025 08:05

Going into work with a heavy cold and feeling fine on paracetamol is ok.

Sweating and feeling like shit and needing to climb back into bed means you aren’t well enough to work. So you did the right thing staying home.
good news is when I hit the sweaty mess part it’s usually as I break a fever and I recover afterwards so hopefully a day in bed/ on the sofa catching up on box sets and MNing will have to back to health quite soon.

I would take Friday off as well though so you have 4 full days to bounce back.

It's not OK to go into work with a heavy cold and spread it around.

Work from home or don't work.

Your colleagues and any other commuters you come across on your way in are not going to appreciate you coughing and snotting all over the place and you don't know who might be more vulnerable than you.

LittleBird74 · 24/04/2025 08:37

I’m a manager at work. It’s fine to phone in sick, I would rather you took time to rest and feel better than come in, feel awful and infect the rest of the team. When you called I’d wish you well and tell you I will see you when you’re better.

What I hate is someone coming in unwell, moping around and expecting me to tell them to go home. I’m not your mum or school teacher, as an adult you can tell me if you don’t feel up to it.

butterflycr · 24/04/2025 08:35

Photoclock · 24/04/2025 08:01

I had a cold. Snotty with a cough, but didn't feel particularly ill.

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Completely ridiculous to go into work with a cough.

MrsBennetsPoorNerves · 24/04/2025 08:31

You're either well enough to work or you're not. If you don't feel up to it, then of course yanbu to take time off. But yabu to base this on whether or not your boss asked if you were ok yesterday. Yes, she should have asked you, but that shouldn't have any bearing on what you do today.

Ineedanewsofa · 24/04/2025 08:30

I never ask the “should you be here” question of my team, they are all adults who are able to judge if they are capable of coming in to work that day. You sound like you expected to be martyred for going in with a cold and because you weren’t your throwing your toys out. How old are you?!

Emanresuunknown · 24/04/2025 08:26

You sound like you expected your boss to 'send you home' yesterday and because she didn't you are now punishing her by calling in sick.
You are responsible for yourself, you were either well enough to work yesterday or you weren't. Plenty of people are snuffly at the mo due to hay-fever, she might not have realised you were ill.

CountingDownToSummer · 24/04/2025 08:22

Your boss, rightly, assumed as you are a grown adult that you would have made the decision to go into work based on how bad you were feeling.
If you are honestly saying the reason you didn’t go in today was because your boss didn’t ask how you were feeling yesterday comes across as really petty

Original poster
Photoclock · 24/04/2025 08:18

faerietales · 24/04/2025 08:17

I wouldn’t appreciate someone snotty with a cough coming into work.

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Well no, but you probably also don't appreciate colleagues calling in sick every time they have a cold?

OP posts:
faerietales · 24/04/2025 08:17

Photoclock · 24/04/2025 08:01

I had a cold. Snotty with a cough, but didn't feel particularly ill.

Show quote history

I wouldn’t appreciate someone snotty with a cough coming into work.

lostinthesunshine · 24/04/2025 08:14

YANBU to be off sick.

But YABU to expect your boss to make that decision for you. It’s not up to her to send you home. It feels a bit like someone expecting their mum to keep them off school.

Didimum · 24/04/2025 08:12

I don’t think the onus of recognising illness should be with your employer. As with workload stress or any other issue at work, you have to speak up.

YANBU to take time off when you’re unwell. YABU to expect your manager to broach the topic with you if you haven’t yourself. You’re an adult.

Original poster
Photoclock · 24/04/2025 08:11

MikeRafone · 24/04/2025 08:08

Was there not a chance to work from home and do online meetings? Surely going in just spreads the germs?

No boss revoked previous hybrid working and has made it very clear no one wfh, no matter the circumstances

OP posts:
MikeRafone · 24/04/2025 08:08

Was there not a chance to work from home and do online meetings? Surely going in just spreads the germs?

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