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!

There’s colds and colds though.

I don’t take time off for colds, but I was once memorably told to fuck off home after going through a man sized box of tissues and being a bit delirious. The day is a bit of a blur but I remember it was a busy day and I was determined to see it through. With hindsight I was proper ill.

‘Colds’ covers a lot of ground from the sniffles (go to work) to fevers and chest infections. And there’s a weird culture of manning up whichever end of the spectrum you’re at.

I had a “cold” which I now wonder if it was early covid over Christmas 2019. Battled through the last day at work, had to cancel hosting on Christmas Day because I was so ill, and had to go to GP with cough/sinus infection eventually. I couldn’t taste or smell until February. Fortunately I was off on annual leave until 6 January anyway, but could I have worked through? No chance.

I take time off when I feel too ill to work. I get several colds every winter. I couldn’t reasonably take time off every time.

Unless you work with clinically vulnerable people (and I must say I think yours is probably a job where you should think twice, OP) only a compete inadequate would skip work with a common-or-garden cold. And the idea that visiting a restaurant if you have a cold is 'disgusting' is completely bonkers.

No wonder PP hasn't got any bloody immunity if they isolate themselves the minute they sneeze. So weird. So workshy.

Normally no I wouldn't and this week I have been full of cold but continued to go to work in a primary school. However I have ended up passing it on to my colleague who unfortunately gets a bad chest so she had to go home Friday.. this will likely mean she's off and on antibiotics all because I chose to go in. It all depends on the environment but it felt wrong to call in sick with a cold.

Find it uncomfortable to take time off unless I am physically incapable of being at work e.g d &v etc.

Used to get sent home from the office when I got throat infections which used to take a few days to ease with antibiotics etc.

Now work in schools most teachers seldom take time off when Ill. I've seen people literally yellow from liver infections coming into work. Also many times seen staff with almost no voice still try to teach lessons.

Of course plenty of jobs get SSP or no sick pay at all. So they can't take time off for colds either