Working from home when ill

[superlibrarian]

If it is a desk-based job where some employees work from home sometimes already, and given a manager trusts that an employee is not skiving or playing the system, is it U to allow staff to work from home some days when they are ill (you know that level of illness where you're horrid with cold but don't actually need to spend the day in bed)

A thinks it is U not to allow this sometimes, as it saves the business lost days through minor illnesses

B thinks it is U to allow this, as it is unfair to people who don't have desk-based jobs

I used to suffer horrendous periods, flooding, horrible cramps, headaches etc. I could scarcely drag myself out of bed and the thought of a 2 hour train commute was horrendous. My lovely, lovely manager would let me work from home. If I was having a particularly bad morning I'd get up, text/phone her and she'd say ok (she always said she was contactable from 6am as she also commuted). Bearing in mind I used to leave the house at 0610, I'd go back to bed for a bit having taken pills, sleep some more then get up about 10am. I'd then feel much brighter and get loads done. I'd sometimes have an afternoon rest/more pills but then work more in the evening.

If it stops the spread of germs and allows people to work then bring it on?

I work flexibly, from home when not in internal meetings or front of customers, if I am not well enough to travel will work from home, if too ill to work from home I will make that decision and call in sick, like the grown up that I am.

It certainly does a lot to stop the spread of germs, there is that. And normally it does allow a little more rest of you normally commute, which helps.

Vivienne, why do you feel nothing is very fair in the WFH world?