If you had a very important meeting in work ...

[smellycarrot]

Infact if you had two very important meeting this week, one that included flying to Ireland to meet a client but you were sick, would you feel bad about phoning in sick?

How do other people deal with being ill when you are senior in your job and flights and hotels have been booked in advance for weeks?

Yes I’d go.

if he was that sick he really wouldn’t be able to do it. I’d dose up do the meeting and spend the rest of the time passed out in the hotel

I agree. Plus you don't know how you'll be when up and about. I know someone who (understandably) didn't want to call in sick for his first day at a new job. But then he projectile vomited all over his desk.

When this week?

Travel arrangements can be changed and meeting arrangements rearranged. There’s a huge issue with flu throughout the country so I’d prefer someone was being responsible if they were meeting me.

He needs to be left to make his own decision on this one. You’ve given him your views, now it is time to step back and support his choice.

Exactly this.

If you’re the sort of person who thinks spreadings the flu at work is a good idea you’re wrong.

My DP works for the sort of person who is never ill and is a bit of a VIP. Anyways they were ill a few months ago and asked my DP to take his place at last minute at some events in US. The boss (company owner) had invested hugely in setting up these things. My DP did a good job, but he’s not the main guy. If the situation was reversed I’d imagine my DP would have been really stressed, but I think a good example that whoever you are no one is too important to be ill, and with something like flu I’d be furious if I were client that someone traveled like that.

These threads always end up with someone saying my leg is hanging off, I’ve got V&D, I’ve got flu and Covid yet you’d still be unreasonable for phoning in sick. Flu is nasty OP. It can’t be helped and I’d be furious if someone came to work contagious and spread whatever they had. Completely disrespectful.

If it’s flu he wouldn’t be able to get out of bed never mind get on a plane

This is how I would feel, could the meeting me done as a conference call if it’s really urgent?

Meeting be done **

TBH part of being in a senior position is ensuring you have contingency for things like this. I always have at least two deputies in my succession plan, one who can immediately step in if required (would just need to talk it through beforehand, get a few tips and tricks, might need a pep-talk to boost confidence) and one who could do it but it would be more of a stretch for them. Sure neither of them would handle it exactly the same way I would, but it would certainly be good enough! No one should be indispensable - if they are then they are doing it wrong.

In the real world no one is furious if someone shows up sick for a meeting. And it would be pretty easy to hide for the duration of a meeting anyway.

If he’s got severe flu and physically can’t get out of bed, yes I would cancel.

If I’m “just” very ill, I get myself to work because 90% of the stuff I do - which involves travel - can’t actually be rescheduled. Nor can a colleague deliver it instead.

It sounds as though he wants to go, is just worried about it being extra stressful while he’s not feeling well? He won’t be in bed for another full week. I’d say chances are he’ll be well enough to travel, albeit he’ll be more tired than usual.

If I’m sick? I’m sick. I’m am literally almost never sick (I’m genuinely not) and I too have a “big” job, so if I’ve said I can’t go? I really can’t. Everything can be rescheduled.

If I am so ill that I need to be asleep in my bed then I could not get to work, certainly not travelling. Physically I couldn't do it and my brain would be dead.

If it responds to paracetamol and/or Ibuprofen then off I go.

Only a very few people should be so important/valuable that only they can do a job. If the deal or whatever is so important the company should think about what they'll do if their number 1 person is unable to work.

Of course, sometimes employees 'think' they're irreplaceable due to ego or insecurity (their own or through the work environment).

No one should be indispensable - if they are then they are doing it wrong.

There are jobs where no one else does your role - not even in a similar capacity. It’s not healthy to be indispensable, but it’s certainly needed in some positions. Mine is one of those - I’m the only one who can do my specific tasks among the 200+ people my company employs.

Yes, I have a right to take sick leave, but I try not to because it has a direct impact on my colleagues and the quality of the product we offer. Often I need to give up the rest of the project if ill at the start - so 3 days off would mean not being able to do the rest of the 5-week project. I go to work unless I’m so sick I can’t get out of bed. So do most of my colleagues.

Me too - why can't it be done on zoom?

If it was man flu I'd tell him to get the fuck out of bed and have a lemsip on the flight but given its sounds like actual proper flu then he needs to cancel as soon as possible. The flu strain going about this year is hellish and he will likely not be fully better by the end of the week. Plus going on a flight and spreading round proper flu is pretty selfish/shitty behaviour.
How did he cope during lockdown, could he rearrange a virtual meeting if the timings don't work out to rearrange an in person meeting? I don't want to sound harsh but I'm pretty sure if he slipped into a coma tomorrow (only for a couple of days I'm not killing him off he would of course make a full recovery!) I'm pretty sure they could get someone to cover/cancel and rearrange. We all like to think we are indispensable but truthfully we are not, his priority needs to be on his recovery, not infecting a plane load of strangers and the people he was meant to meeting

This is Mumsnet OP. If anyone on here had their heads, arms and legs cut off they'd still show up for work half an hour earlier than everyone else, suited and booted to the neck.

Wrong. In the real world I would be livid.

If someone met me while they knew they had a still "active" sickness bug, because they thought they were too important to call in sick, yes I would be.

It depends on how ill he is. If he is in bed with a high temperature and/or coughing endlessly with a runny nose, then don’t go. If he is basically better but still feeling tired and a bit rough, then take medicine and go.

What I would probably do in similar circumstances is offer a Teams-meeting instead, and if they prefer in person, reschedule for the next possible date.

Mine is one of those - I’m the only one who can do my specific tasks among the 200+ people my company employs

Then your company is daft. If you were to be knocked over by a bus tomorrow (god forbid) then who would pick up your work to ensure business continuity?

If the person has medicated themselves to the hilt with both regular, pharmacy and physician prescribed drugs, and they still can't leave their bed then they'd have to cancel.

If it was possible I would try and either attend or do so by Skype/video call/normal phone call.

But sickness does happen. They can't exactly discipline or sack someone for being ill.

You'd hope another person on the project could be drafted in as a replacement.

No business should be that reliant on one specific staff member, unless they're very small. For those exact reasons.

I'd rearrange the meeting to be in Teams or Zoom, and just do the minimum if I was up to it. If he's flying and generally travelling he'll be knackered before he even gets there