Does anyone else feel incredibly guilty when off work sick?

[Strawberryfieldsforeverrr]

I've been off all week, I have covid and feel hideous. Dc have covid as well and are off school, it's all a lot.

To make matters worse I feel so guilty for being off work, which is ridiculous. I havent been off sick for maybe 2 years so it's not a regular thing.

Conincidentally I'm on leave next week and feel even worse about that.

Does anyone else feel similar? I know its not logical but don't know how to not feel this way.

I too am off with covid...I feel terrible but better here than spreading it

@Booksbooksbooksandmorebooks hope you feel better soon. This time around it's rotten isn't it.

Absolutely not. Used to and realised everyone goes off sick for the most ridiculous reasons, and post on their insta stories etc.. now I feel no guilt whatsoever

@Noshowlomo you're absolutely right of course. I think I feel guilty as my manager was a bit snippy with me, but he's always off sick himself!

I'm currently off with back pain and feel guilty. I don't know why because there's nothing I can do about it and I am only ever off for genuine reasons. But I still feel bad about it.

I have covid this week and feel guilty because we're really busy at the minute and I was off work a month ago with another certified illness. I am genuinely too sick to work though.

I was a community midwife and if I was sick on a day my
antenatal clinic was held, I felt guilty. I knew how hard it would be for someone to rearrange their work and cover it.
Otherwise, I didn't feel guilty. People cannot help being ill.

Oh don't be. You are unwell and you are entitled to!

Besides, i am sure your employer benefitted you from being mildly sick on other days when you decided to work anyway. Dont feel guilty for a corporate. Rules are rules to protect them

Yes! I have been off 3 weeks, teacher and haven’t been back this term.. off with a herniated disc.. feel incredibly guilty and judged by those at work despite them being lovely!

Oh and if it's your colleagues workload you are worried about, i'm afraid thats your manager's job. Let them do their job and if they are not, its just exposing how bad they are at their job!

Don't feel guilty in the slightest! I work v hard when I am there, if I am off it's because I am too poorly to work, what is there to feel guilty about?! Maybe I'd feel differently if I was a surgeon or something but in most jobs, they really can cope for a few days without you, the world won't cave in.

I have in the past but I don’t anymore. If I’m well, I’ll work. My test is if I know I’d spend the day in bed rather than getting up and putting on a load of washing, having a tidy etc throughout the day (basically doing housework that can definitely wait) then I’m well enough to sit at my computer. If I know I’d spend the day in bed then I’m poorly enough to be off work.
I know so many that take sickies when they just want to go to Thorpe park for the day when it’s quiet, or have a day at the beach etc - I don’t really care, where I work you’re only really making more work for your return and anything desperately time sensitive will be sent to someone else but we are a big enough team to absorb these one off days.

No, because when I’m off sick it means I’m really unable to work

I am horribly sick, took 2 days off and felt guilty so went back. A week later, still sick, still dragging myself into work. I just want to sleep

Well you're not going to get better by dragging yourself into work.
Why be a martyr?

Nope.