I am really ill and I start my graduate job Tuesday HELP

[Graduateaccountant]

I am really really ill. Aches, fever, going hot then cold then hot again, dizziness. I start my graduate role on an accountancy scheme on Tuesday!!! What should I do? There's no way I'll be well enough for then.

I don't feel like some of you understand - I can't physically walk without feeling dizzy, can barely get to the toilet.. this isn't just a cold!

You're better off going in and being sent home than not making any effort to go at all.

Oh come on, you've had one day of this and you're writing off your first day of work. Plenty of fluids, paracetamol and caffeine. Travel down tomorrow and mind over matter. If you can type on here and follow a conversation you're not that I'll.

Ill even

You seem determined to not go.

I’m in the camp of it looks awful - you should drag yourself in.

But by all means feel free to ignore the advice and opinions you don’t like.

Phone first thing and ask if you can move the start back a week. Ask if they want you to go to the doctor to get confirmation ( I would not expect them ). It is not your fault you are ill.

You will probably be feeling better by Tuesday. Personally I'd get the train down tomorrow making sure you're fully dosed up, alternating paracetamol and ibuprofen. Stop at an M&S food and stock up with comfort food and easy lunch food and do your best to get in.

Are you often poorly, or is this unusual for you?

If it’s “proper” flu you’ll need to take sick leave.

I don't feel like some of you understand - I can't physically walk without feeling dizzy, can barely get to the toilet.. this isn't just a cold!

You have no idea how you'll be feeling by Tuesday or even tomorrow. You seem really keen not to go. You don't have to decide now, dose up, get to sleep, see how you are. I think it's unlikely you actually have flu as you're posting here and keeping up with the thread, not flat out.

I'm never ill. I've never had the flu before in my 20 something years of life. All my symptoms match up to it: extremely achey body, high fever, going hot and cold, dizziness. It could be something else of course but I don't know. All I know is I haven't left my bed because I have no energy. I slept for the majority of the day.

Well go or don't go, but don't be rude to people who are telling you it'll look bad. Stay home if you must, only you can know that.

OP just get to sleep and see how things are in the morning. I recently had to travel for a an overnight stay for a very important presentation for work with debilitating morning sickness and a raging throat infection. I was in tears on the phone to my mum saying I couldn't do it and wanted someone to tell me not to! But I did and just getting up and having a shower / brushing my teeth made a lot of difference. And the presentation was fine and I didn't throw up on anyone. If you don't go you'll feel guilty and worried about it all day. Good luck

You sound very unwell. Email now saying what you have said here and phone in the morning. It won't be a problem as long as you show you are being considerate. It is bad enough having flu without worrying about it as much as you are. Hope you feel better soon .

OP you're panicking. See how you are tomorrow. If you've improved at all you might be fine. I've had bugs that just flattened me and vanished after about 12 hours.

Go to the GP and get signed off for the week (good to have confirmation).

She hasn't had one day off sick yet. The GP won't give a sick note until she has self certed for a week.

See how you feel tomorrow morning. If you feel a bit better, get the train down and go to bed early and you may well feel okay to go in on Tuesday morning. If you still feel equally unwell tomorrow, then call in and explain and ask if you can begin on Wednesday. Don't ask to begin a week later - that won't make a good impression. Take your illness one day at a time.

Some of the comments here are absolutely ludicrous. Clearly these people have never had flu!

I had flu earlier this year, as well as about 20 other viruses brought home from nursery by my twins. Most of them I’ve been able to function but there have been two where DH has had to take a day off work while I sleep because I physically can’t stand. Flu was one of them.

Flu leads to hospital for many for a reason. It’s not a cold and it’s ridiculous that people are expected to power through what can be a serious illness and infect others.

I’d call and have a frank discussion tomorrow with your line manager. You have flu, you are extremely sorry about the timing, but you don’t want to infect the team and you want to be able to focus on the important orientation stuff you’ll have in your first few days. (If you can’t focus on all that it will really impact your job performance). Ask for your start date to be pushed back rather than taking sick time.

@Needtobuythecatawashcloth great post.

I agree OP - transparency and communication is key here. If you can't go in and do the job to the best of your abilities, you'll waste everyone's time. They wont care if you need to push back a week, just get on the phone today and talk to them.