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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To go to work with a cold?

21 replies

EvieBones · 11/10/2018 20:49

Three week ago, stinking cold

I went in and two colleagues asked me to leave as they didn’t want to get sick. We work in close quarters. Manager was on annual leave.

I was off for two days in total and then it was the weekend which I don’t work.

On the Monday my manager called me in and told me she didn’t expect me to take time off work with a cold. It isn’t up to anyone else to tell me to go home and she doesn’t expect me to have anymore sickness periods this year (like anyone has a choice in getting sick). I’ve worked there for four years and had a total of 5 days off sick in that time. 2 for a cold. 2 for a vomiting bug. And 1 for a broken wrist.

AIBU to not go to work with a cold?

OP posts:
GiveMeAllTheGin8 · 11/10/2018 20:50

Yabu

MyBrexitUnicornDied · 11/10/2018 20:51

I have small kids. If I went off sick every time I caught a cold off then I’d have been fired a long time ago.

IheartCaptainHolt · 11/10/2018 20:56

If it's flu then fair enough but you can't be off with a cold. No one would ever get any work done!

PrincessConsuelaBannanaHammock · 11/10/2018 20:59

It's a pain because everyone goes to work with a cold so then everyone catches it, I currently have a horrendous cold and feel like my head is going to explode, but I will be at work tomorrow because I just don't think I could take time off work for a cold! I know it's a vicious circle of everyone catching it though

YouTheCat · 11/10/2018 20:59

Unless the people at work are immuno-surpressed or something, I don't see why you'd need time off for a cold.

I had a really nasty one last week, with raised temperature etc. and still went to work.

Original poster
EvieBones · 11/10/2018 21:00

I also have small kids and plenty of colds.

First cold in 4 years which has had me off work though

OP posts:
TubbyTubster · 11/10/2018 21:00

I’m with your colleagues. It drives me mad when people come into work with stinking colds spreading it everywhere. And I think your manager is being unreasonable to say you can’t have any more sick days this year when you’ve taken so few historically.

ThroughThickAndThin01 · 11/10/2018 21:01

If everyone was off every time they had a cold our office would be a quarter staffed all the time. YABU.

NotUmbongoUnchained · 11/10/2018 21:03

Mum colds last about 10 weeks usually! No way would I take time off. The one thing I really miss about japan though if everyone wearing face masks. I think I’d get funny looks if I wore one here.

Merryoldgoat · 11/10/2018 21:04

It’s not about having ‘a cold’ - it’s how it affects you. I’ve worked through some, some I’ve been off a couple of days.

Sniffles, slight headache, of course you go in.

Fever, difficulty breathing, constant sneezing? You stay home.

London91 · 11/10/2018 21:15

Personally with a cold I'd go to work and just dose up on lemsip. But not everyone is the same. I have colleagues who go off for any little illness or excuse and it puts a lot of pressure on me. I work in close quarters too, I've had colds passed onto me and I've just sucked it up and worked through.

bellalou1234 · 11/10/2018 21:18

I get horrific colds like 2 per year. Shiveres, temp sever sore throats headache,, last about 3 days but im.normally flawed and couldn't work

Flutternotsoshy · 11/10/2018 21:20

I had the chills and a fever earlier this week.
Called Monday and manager one was very "have you been to the GP, are you back tomorrow?"
Said that I wouldn't be in the next day as I had called the GP who advised I may be contagious so I'd call on Tuesday to update.
Fever broke Tuesday morning and felt much better. Called in and spoke to manager two.
Who told me not to come back til Thursday just in case I could spread it around other people!

No cough, no stomach upset, no vomiting. I only missed Monday/Tuesday cos I felt way to weak to physically do my (non office based, fairly strenuous) job.

Point I'm making is it appears that there's no hard and fast rule. And heavy colds can be as bad as a mild case of flu in my experience.

AnneLovesGilbert · 11/10/2018 21:23

I’ve always been one to struggle in but I’m pregnant and have been on steroids so considered compromised and I’ve been raging inside at the bastards at work who keep showing up snotting and coughing and spewing germs. I swear people come in, demonstrate their grossness and basically wait to get told to sod off home and get better before coming back.

We have flexible managers and my desk mate worked from home when he was coldy which I appreciated.

greendale17 · 11/10/2018 21:24

You can’t win in these situations. Just do what works for you

MIdgebabe · 11/10/2018 21:25

Cold leads to worsening asthma so if I get a cold a rest up as much as possible and I try to avoid people with colds

My work is great though, we are all allowed to work from home when we are fit enough to work but want to avoid germ sharing.

MIdgebabe · 11/10/2018 21:27

200 different types of cold virus, I guess with different severity. You are lucky if you only ever get the easy ones

ShotsFired · 11/10/2018 21:33

I've been working for years alongside dozens of people with various bugs.

I can count on one hand the amount of times I've caught it too. Honestly it's a cold, not the plague.

Santaclarita · 11/10/2018 21:48

I stay off usually for a day or two for a cold. But mine are usually more like flu to be honest. It wrecks me, get a fever, no energy, dizziness, can't breathe, sore throat, basically everything. I've tried working through it before and it's pointless, I get nothing done.

FlowThroughIt · 11/10/2018 21:50

Your colleagues are being overly precious.

TulipsInBloom1 · 11/10/2018 21:52

Did you feel well enough to work at your usual capacity? If yes, then you should have stayed at work.

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