2nd day of new job calling in sick ????

[xogossipgirlxo]

I’m mortified. I had bit of cold yesterday, took paracetamol and ibuprofen, went to my first day at new job. You know what it’s like, adrenaline keeps you going, but I came home and felt really really run down. I barely slept at night, because meds didn’t really work. I know it’ll look bad calling in sick on my second day but I’m genuinely ill, my temperature is about 39C, my throat is aching so much, shivers, headache, my face feels really tender to touch on my cheeks like it is with sinusitis. Are they going to think I’m taking the mickey? I was so upbeat yesterday, really enjoyed my first day, I’m gutted today😢

Call in sick. Your new manager will worry they've made the wrong decision for a day or so, then you'll go back and prove them wrong. You absolutely can overcome an unfortunate start that's not your fault.

If I was in this situation, I’d call them, explain how lousy you’re feeling but you’re keen to do the right thing and ask what do they suggest.

in the early 2000s a colleague came into work looking grey with a temp of around 40 apparently and was shivering and sniffling until he went home early after a group meeting in a packed room. No surprise when he called in sick for the next few days.
within a week, about 40% of my department had come down with the virus, the type where someone couldn’t have tempted me out of bed for £1k. By the end of the month 80% of the department and a chunk of the office was off. Average sick time was over a week - more like 7 work days and many took 2 working weeks to recover.
It’s an extreme example, but one person possibly caused thousands of hours of sickness and it did impact our quarterly profit!

I work in a professional role and this wouldn't be a big deal. We have a supportive team, no one abuses the sickness policy and they aren't suspicious of sick days. Sometimes timing is bad.

I feel like some jobs (particularly with a lot of people working for the first time) might have been badly burnt and therefore be more suspicious.If you around food or vulnerable people though you need to call in.

Ultimately if this is your only sickness during your probation period people will forget it even happened.

Please don't listen to the people who are telling you to go in. We can all cope with all sorts of things and still get ourselves into work on occasions. This you can't. Also, I dont think you will be thanked for passing it on. Look after yourself, this is not 'just a cold'.

The Monty Python Black Knights are out in force, I see.
A temp of 39 that doesn't respond to home meds doesn't sound like a simple cold to me.
I'd phone, not email (unless there's a specific rule) and be really honest, say you're gutted about it, it's such bad timing etc, but explain how ill you feel.
I agree with a pp, if it’s held as a black mark against you, it’s not somewhere you'll want to stay for long.

There are some great drugs for sinus pain .. Tesco do own brand just Phenylephrine hydrochloride.
It's excellent for sinus problems.

I’d go in. Let them send you home.

All the ‘well you need to go in regardless’ chorus - how many of you own the business you prioritise over you health and how many are paid employees that could be made redundant or replaced with zero care?

The obsession with work over all else is not a flex, it’s a sign of someone who has a skewed sense of importance.

Very few people are so business critical they can’t be covered for a day or two when ill.
The desperate need for validation by going in ill, spreading your germs and putting people who are immunocompromised or those who care for them at risk of infection is insane.

No one is going to say ‘she came in whilst ill, half assed the job all day, infected half the team and stopped several others from being able to see their ill family for a few days because she’s just so committed to her job’.

I understand it’s not great timing @xogossipgirlxo but illness doesn’t work like that. Call them, explain you are too ill to come in and don’t want to spread it. You are human not a machine.

Still not a sackable offence though is it 😬
OP’s asking for advice, people are giving their advice and you’re “shouting” for everyone to get a fucking grip because it isn’t the same as your advice.

Because it’s a new job, I would definitely go in.
Dose up.
They will send you home.

Take care of yourself!

I had a colleague who started once who took 4 days off in his first week for insomnia. I was a bit 🙄 but trusted him. He has been here four years and is brilliant. I can't think of another instance where he has taken a run of sick leave. He's been promoted. It was just a blip.

It happens, we're all human.

Just go to work! It's a cold and you'll be fine but, if you're not, they'll notice and send you home. You can't bail on day 2.

My DS did this on his second day at work in a new job. It was unfortunate terrible timing but one of those things. He’s now been in the job four years and only had another half a day off sick.

Well this is a bit ridiculous isn't it?

Some people are always getting colds, especially if their DC has just started nursery or school.

They'd spend the next 18 years on unemployment benefits if they had to 'consider you'.

this happened to me once. I was off sick for most of my first week. I then stayed for 10 years and barely took another day off again!

it’s def not ideal but if you’re ill you’re ill you’ll need to prove how reliable you are when you’re back, plenty of time

There is a lot of reaching in this example though isn’t there? if the colleague wasn’t patient zero (unlikely if it’s that contagious) they would’ve been contagious for days before any symptoms showed so the outcome wouldn’t have been any different if theyd stayed at home the first day symptoms developed

Definitely call and explain that you have a fever that isn't coming down and you don't want to risk passing a nasty bug onto anyone else. Then try and get a doctor's appointment so you can have a sick note which backs you up (and probably antibiotics for a likely sinus infection)

I've never had a job where my boss has 'sent me home'. IME, people assume other adults in the workplace are competent and can judge their health for themselves. And workplaces are busy places where people's focus is on doing the job, not on noticing if a colleague looks like they might need to go home sick.

absolutely this

I had tonsillitis first week of a new job. Dragged myself in every day. It was awful. I wish I’d just been honest now. Call them. Explain.

I have cancer and don’t expect the whole world to stop turning because of me. I work on a supermarket checkout, can you imagine if I insisted customers with colds, fevers etc not to come into the store?

Phone them, you can explain it better and they’ll probably be able to hear how ill you are.

Sounds like more that a cold, tbf.

Aw, my Mum worked at a supermarket till when she had cancer, I hope you beat the crap out of it soon ❤️