Do you take time off work for a cold?

[BadwordMcGee]

A few recent threads have got me thinking.

COVID not withstanding, do you take time off work for every cold?

I don't. I don't take time off work unless I'm actually ill. A few sneezes and a snotty nose wouldn't have me in bed or off work. It would have to be a bad cold where I actually feel ill not just snotty and bunged up.

Some threads recently have suggested I'm selfish (not directly at me) but I work in a hospital (manager for geriatric care), have a toddler and primary school child across 3 childcare settings so probably get more of the "common" cold than average!

No, I don’t get them often and usually last around 3 days but I’m on a 0 hour contract so don’t get sick pay. So yes I go to work with a cold, I work in customer service and customers come in coughing thier guts up any way....

No, however I’ve just had the Awful Cold that is going around at the moment and had a day off sick as I felt dreadful and was coughing and streaming everywhere. It still hasn’t totally disappeared 3 weeks later.

I figure if I'm well enough to go out for dinner or continue all other aspects of my life but carry a pack of tissues then I don't need to be off work.

How selfish. You don’t care one bit about spreading your cold virus to other people around you. You go out and eat in a restaurant with a cold? Disgusting. I bet you go to the gym with a cold and splutter all over the equipment and don’t wipe it down either. It’s all me me me with you. You know elderly you work with are vulnerable to colds and it can develop into more serious infections like sinus infections or even pneumonia. Yet you think it’s fine to swan off to work and be a Typhoid Mary.

Not unless I'm really really snotty/dying. And even then it's only a day or two until I'm feeling like I can think again

I have taken the odd day off with a cold, yes. Not the normal sniffles but those awful colds where you can’t breathe, your head feels like it weighs a tonne, then it turns into a sinus infection.

A couple of months ago I caught the ‘super cold’ that’s doing the rounds and it was awful. I was knocked sideways for three weeks and could barely get out of bed for two of those.

My view is that if it's contagious and will make other people sick then I'll take a day off. If not contagious then I make myself go in. So, yes, I would take time off work for a cold.

Before covid no, haven’t had one since. But people will suffer if I don’t go to work and no one covers for me completely, so it’s a balance.

I think it depends like pp have said. A sore throat, and mild cold - yes would prob go to work. Feeling unwell with congestion, chest infection - no probably not.
And I think it would depend on the work setting as well - public facing , or working in a kitchen for example.
I'm not particularly germ phobic but i was once slightly put off when the cashier at tesco had an awful cold and was coughing and snuffling while handling all my food.

How productive can you be is ny question. If you are there in body but not in mind? Can brain surgeons/pilots/traindrivers etc honestly work safely with a heavy cold?

I feel colds in my head and all my muscles and often have a shiver temp. I will dose myself up and get on with it if I'm a bit ropey and running at 70/80%. Any lower than that and it's a no go.
I'm a High School teacher and behaviour management is very difficult if you feel ropey or have a sore throat etc. Sniffmes and sneezes are very mild IMO

Typhoid Mary 😂

No.
And at school our kids are told they shouldn't stay off just for a cold.

Depends how bad it is! Obviously.

Also relevant is that different people have very different ideas of when to say cold/ flu.

A nasty cold with nasty sore throat, elevated temperature, pounding head, earache etc yes. If I felt couldn't get up and go to work. Different if wfh but if really ill and not going to be able to be productive then no.

Flu is the whole can't get out of bed high temp, aching joints, the sweats and things that happen.

In the end though they're different causes most people don't know if they have common cold or flu virus!

The other point is about spreading it which is never appreciated.

No I wouldn't, I can't work from home though.
Cold are contagious for weeks so I don't see how taking a day off makes it any less selfish. There's no way I'd be calling in sick for three weeks because I've got a cold.

No , I have only ever been off work for serious illness.Having said that, the pandemic and thinking about the vulnerable with whom I usually work has made me think about this.I think that if I am I'll with a temperature this winter particularly if coughing and spluttering I will not do face to face contact with patients.

I am constantly surprised at the number of people who have no qualms about infecting others, even if it is just a cold as they say.

I think it is bad manners to go to work with a cold unless it is unavoidable.

There are too many others who can get very sick from a cold.

@PlanDeRaccordement

I figure if I'm well enough to go out for dinner or continue all other aspects of my life but carry a pack of tissues then I don't need to be off work.

How selfish. You don’t care one bit about spreading your cold virus to other people around you. You go out and eat in a restaurant with a cold? Disgusting. I bet you go to the gym with a cold and splutter all over the equipment and don’t wipe it down either. It’s all me me me with you. You know elderly you work with are vulnerable to colds and it can develop into more serious infections like sinus infections or even pneumonia. Yet you think it’s fine to swan off to work and be a Typhoid Mary.

Fucking hell, I started reading your comment thinking it was sarcasm.

If everyone took time off for a common cold, no one would have a job, as we would all get the sack for taking too much time off.

I have to until I have neg pcr.

Before covid, never heard of anyone having a day off for cold

@LoveFall

I am constantly surprised at the number of people who have no qualms about infecting others, even if it is just a cold as they say.

I think it is bad manners to go to work with a cold unless it is unavoidable.

There are too many others who can get very sick from a cold.

Well you know for most people, the need to pay the rent/mortgage and put food on the table is unavoidable.

And as a PP pointed out, some colds can last for weeks.

If everyone took time off for a common cold, no one would have a job, as we would all get the sack for taking too much time off.

Ive never been sacked and never gone to work with a cold.
Oh, wait maybe you would be sacked because U.K. is toxic for workers rights. You have employers that sack people if they miss 4 days a year and other ridiculous practices.

Not usually but I did this last week for a couple of days. Hated doing it but felt awful. Feverish, no energy etc. Nose and eyes constantly dripping. Certainly wasn't in a fit state to be at work.

@PlanDeRaccordement

If everyone took time off for a common cold, no one would have a job, as we would all get the sack for taking too much time off.

Ive never been sacked and never gone to work with a cold.
Oh, wait maybe you would be sacked because U.K. is toxic for workers rights. You have employers that sack people if they miss 4 days a year and other ridiculous practices.

Yep, in one year.. break a bone, have a miscarriage, and then a heavy cold. Get sacked.

I am freelance and in the past would tend to go in if I can - but with 9/10 colds a fever would be my most dominant symptom so the journey was often the worst part. I had a job 10 years ago where I travelled for work every month, two weeks on and two weeks off... I was basically doing 4 weeks work in 2 because they could afford to pay someone full time. Every single time I would catch the office cold, have to work through it and bring it home to DH. And just about recover in time to start again!

It's like everything else really, depends on the severity. For example I was fit and well having covid, so worked from home. Yet both the vaccines and the booster left me feeling awful and on all three occasions I needed 3 days off work.

Some cold yes I'm working, some colds nope I'm in bed taking care of myself.

Every year people come into work with the sniffles, which I then catch. Except when I catch it its no longer just sniffles. Its full blown body aches, raging fever, headache, razor blade sore throat, inability to focus...
Public transport around here is full of people coughing and sneezing all over the place, I've got a feeling I'm going to be terribly ill this winter.

@PlanDeRaccordement

If everyone took time off for a common cold, no one would have a job, as we would all get the sack for taking too much time off.

Ive never been sacked and never gone to work with a cold.
Oh, wait maybe you would be sacked because U.K. is toxic for workers rights. You have employers that sack people if they miss 4 days a year and other ridiculous practices.

Oh, wait maybe you would be sacked because U.K. is toxic for workers rights. You have employers that sack people if they miss 4 days a year and other ridiculous practices.

Well yeah, so why are you having a go at people for working with a cold?