AIBU if you have a cold, stay at home...

[kateskates]

... and don't bring tour germs into work. Everyone at my DHs office has caught a cold and are sneezing and coughing. My three month old DS has caught it. :(

But the majority of people with a cold are perfectly well otherwise. Why would they use sick leave just because a very small minority of people are immunocomprinised? Nobody would go to work at any point! A fever or other infectious illnesses but a common cold? Get a grip

I don't get paid for sick leave, and my employer would look very dimly on me phoning in sick for a cold.

I've had a cold since September so staying home would be kind of hard.

I take your point though op.

Because then they wouldn't infect other members of staff who may be immunocompromsied or have family members who are, who then need time off work to deal with that. They wouldn't spread it around the company so rather than having one person who needs a couple of days off, they have entire departments or companies that are sick, all being less productive and some needing time off. If they're commuting, they're spreading it to more people with every journey. It's this that is the blow to the economy.

Expecting employees to come in when they have a contagious illness, even a "normal cold" is a false economy if it's then going to spread around your entire workforce and their families. In this day and age many people could easily work from home for 48 hours or however long while they're symptomatic. It's not exactly a secret that bugs will spread round a workforce, a sensible employer would do something about that, like encouraging people to keep their bugs away from the office. And what seems like a simple cold to one person could be a much more serious virus for those with health issues in the workforce who are more susceptible, have other health conditions etc.

I used to work for a company like this, and in the two years I worked there I caught one cold, which I kept at home and didn't spread round. In other jobs I've spent entire winters sick where everyone keeps passing bugs around. I know which worked out better for the employer.

And it's not a small minority of people who are immunocompromised or have additional health issues that make bugs a serious problem.

We live in Bulgaria. Children are routinely sent home with colds. We are notified instantly if a child starts to cough or sniffle with the expectation that if anything comes if it, they will be kept home (even if parent can't go to work). After 2 days off school, a doctors fitness note is then needed on return. Older children may perhaps go to school with a mask. Very different attitude to spreading viruses.

I generally find it a PITA and notice no less incidence of my kids or me catching minor viruses here.

Tammy that's easier said than done though. Until my employer starts to pay sick pay then I'm going into work and DS is going in to school. I cannot afford to live if I keep taking unpaid time off.

I know that it must be hard for other people but I'm not going to lose out on pay because somebody else might get ill. That's the bottom line.

Tammy would you expect doctors and nurses to stay off work when they have a cold?

There is a difference between a cold and an infection which gives you a temperature. If you have a temperature your body needs to rest in order to fight it and if at all possible you should avoid the elderly and small children. In my experience, two days taken off of work to fight it will ensure recovery and not usually prevent reoccurring long-lasting secondary cold symptoms.

I hope your baby is soon better but I'm the nicest possible way, it is unreasonable to expect folk to stay home each time they have a cold.

I have a bit of cold and I am due back in work tomorrow after two weeks Christmas holidays (I am a secondary school teacher). I will absolutely be going to work - paracetomol/sudafed/plenty of liquids will get friends to get through.

I am extremely lucky that I get paid even if I am sick, but it costs the school slot of money in supply staff and that would certainly be unhappy with people staying off left, right and centre with colds.

In addition, if I am not there, my pupils may not get a subject specialist to teach them and because of curriculum demands we don't have time to go back over chunks of work so they will not know it as well.

It's hard but sometimes we just have to get on with it.

Tammy do you run a business? I like many others on here have had a cold for several weeks not. Not a fever or an infection. A cold. If I had time off all this time covering my workload would cost a business a bomb

Myself and my PFB (now 6!) caught a horrible cold when she was 11 was old (my DH and myself are teachers - unavoidable). I was BF so struggled with only taking paracetamol but also knew colds are par of the course with children. My children were in full time childcare from 6 months and were constantly ill from then until 2 years of age. On a plus side at 6 and 3 they have had full attendance at their respective schools as their immune system is fab!

I would love my employer to pay me to stay home when I had a cold. As it is colleagues go into work when pretty ill as we get no sick pay. Most can't afford to stay off unless they really can not get in.

Poor OP. I think she's got the point now everyone.

A lot of office workers are able to work from home and totally should when they are ill.

And I appreciate it when friends planning to visit warn me in advance if they have a cold. I usually tell them to come anyway but it's nice for people to have some consideration for others.

Perhaps this was all OP meant.

Hope baby is better soon.

@LambMadras

I think you are being a bit unreasonable. The person concerned might lose money by taking time off sick. Also, sick days go on record and can be used against you in disciplinary proceedings, so that day that ticks you off could be the instance that gets them dismissed.

Working from home is becoming more acceptable now, my DH is allowed to under 'new ways of working', although he doesn't do that often as he has a lot of meetings to attend. But it would make a lot of sense to stay at home and work there if you're full of cold so you don't pass your germs around. (I know that's not possible for everyone!).

Ha- lol. Everyday, on the bus.....
However, there's a really good chance that your DS will be party to spreading germs to you and everyone you speak to as well. Colds are there to give our immune systems a work out. Live with it.

Hospital staff can’t work with patients when they have colds though - half my family is in the nhs (paramedics, nurses, consultants) and if they have a cold they do non-patient duties.

Can we have some NHS workers backing up this or do we assume it’s total fiction?

It’s rubbish. Can you imagine every HCP going off with a cold? There would be no one to look after the patients. We don’t go off sick because there is massive guilt about letting your team down. Plus after three episodes of sickness in a year you’re on a staged sickness plan.

As I said upthread, DS1 (27) is currently in hospital and several nurses and doctors have colds. So, unless he and I are liars...

In this day and age many people could easily work from home for 48 hours

ha. Some office based jobs and perhaps a few others. Certainly not many and most probably not!

Yes, YABU. Very. When I have a cold I still have to pay for my sons nursery with money I’m not earning if I’m not in work. I don’t get paid for being sick, I can’t afford to be off at all. I felt so ill a few weeks ago I went into one of the toilet cubicles and collapsed. I came to, dusted myself off and went back to work.

I am an NHS worker and we don't have any non patient contact if we have a cold- we carry on and do our duties.
Also the procedure for being off sick in the NHS is quite unforgiving and you get many parents who are NHS workers at work when they have stinking colds because they are on 'the register' that escalates with each sick episode and can ending dismissal.
OP I am sorry your small child has a cold.

Yes my DP has had 2 single days off sick in the NHS, and has been told a third episode will lead to it being escalated. He works with patients and has went on when he is ill

Uh-oh! I've just woken up full of cold!!

Best ring my bride for today's wedding and tell her she can't get married as I have a runny nose! I'm sure she'll understand

In general all people should do their best to wash their hands and throw away dirty tissues after using them, cover their mouths when they cough and it sneeze, it’s basic hygiene of this won’t make the cold virus go away forever but if everyone practised good hygiene it does lessen the time we are ill. It’s unfortunate that it’s like a continuous cycle when you are just getting over a sore throat etc. to then pick up another bout of cold like symptoms. It is difficult though, to not get upset when a young baby is ill. In general people should just be more considerate with regards to how we deal with things as everyone has a different opinion on how to deal with illnesses. It’s also worth being considerate in answering a persons AIBU without coming across as rude and uncaring. As some have suggested the OP is not feeling her best when dealing with a poorly baby and no matter what illness a baby/child has or his serious it is not every mother finds it easy to just shrug it off when seeing their baby / child uncomfortable I hope your baby feels better soon.