How sick do you need to be to call in sick to work?

[Nomoreafterthisone]

Just that really.

Does it change your answer if you work from home?

What stops you calling in sick?

All these people saying they could WFH if mildly ill - is that because you would have WFH anyway or do you take your laptop home every night just in case? During covid I took mine home every night so I could WFH if I had to self-isolate but I didn't before and don't now, it seems pointless lugging it back and forth when I virtually never need it at home.

Oops
(a) exasperation in DHT voice when you call at 6.30
(b) impact on team (they have to prep for your cover)
(c) knowing we are broke, in deficit, and no money for supply
(d) going back in and dealing with the ‘mess’ from not being in
(e) return to work interview with school manager

on the other hand, I am in at 7.30, leave at 6, and very full on in between that time - no wfh, cancelling a couple calls 😉- so it’s exhausting when you feel sub par, and if there is not another adult in the room I can’t just go to the loo…

I'm a teacher so if I take a day off I have to write a whole day of cover work and then try and catch up the classes when I get back (and they invariably haven't done the cover work). Multiple days off is very rare and an absolute killer. I have to be pretty ill to take the day off. Sickness, diahorrea, temperature or unable to upright due to dizziness or flu like symptoms. Generally get very few of the above these days, just long lingering colds or sore throats.

Also there's little point in me staying off with a bad cough or cold to prevent the spread as I will have caught it from one of the many hundreds of coughing, sneezing and spluttering kids in my school who come to school ill to try and maintain their school attendance.

My boss used to say, if there was a £50 note on your doorstep, would you get out of bed to go and pick it up. If you would then you should go into work.

My boss used to say, if there was a £50 note on your doorstep, would you get out of bed to go and pick it up. If you would then you should go into work.

They sound like a bit of a twat, tbh. Unless, of course, the job is picking up one item from the doorstop and then being done for the day? Otherwise, how are the two even remotely comparable?

I suppose it also depends on your job. Any job that requires stamina, strength, precision, concentration or is really high stakes ie minor mistake has significant consequences should have a lower threshold for sickness absence . Nurses, surgeons, Police officers, paramedics, nuclear safety engineers, pilots, bricklayers etc should probably stay home, while people with a desk based job which is less safety critical or physically demanding are more likely to be able to work.