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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To call in sick?

37 replies

Namechangeymcnamechange11 · 12/03/2019 04:30

I've always been of the opinion that you don't call in sick for a cold.
Struggled in yesterday, felt bloody awful. Boss told me I looked bloody awful. (Tbf I had an important meeting which is why I stayed).
Today I don't feel any better - hot/cold, feeling sick, skin hurts, very congested, can't lie down or I feel like I can't breathe. (Hence being up now).

Aibu to call in sick for a cold? I feel like if I get on my commuter train, I will either be sick or pass out, but the concept of calling in sick for a cold is a bit Confused
If it helps, I don't work in a health care role or catering or anything like that.

OP posts:
Owlettele · 12/03/2019 04:36

Sounds like at least a bit more than just a cold of not the flu OP. YANBU call in sick. Wrap up warm and relax as much as possible. Do t spend the day feeling guilty either. Colleagues will not thank you for sharing germs and you don't sound capable of much atm anyway 🦈💐💐

runninguphills · 12/03/2019 04:39

Sounds awful! It's not a sniffle. Stay home!

Middlrm · 12/03/2019 04:39

I am pretty much a don’t call in sick unless you can’t physically get out of bed person normally worked through passing a gallstone once ( took a couple of weeks ... giving birth was more pleasant) until it was pointed out to me if I am saying I am fit to be in work but my productivity drops I would would be managed accordingly ... it then occurred to me the only person I was hurting was me ( well that was after suffering for pregnancy exhaustion and sickness ) by the way it was 24 hour sickness and i felt flu exhausted couldn’t talk without gagging needed a sick bag at all tunes in person ... boss actually commented what a lovely pregnancy I had and increased work load at one point 🙄🙄🙄 Little did he know. Trust me I am not a wimp I didn’t go to hospital until I was fully dilated and ready to push because I didn’t think I was in enough pain for labour in fact I only went in because of the blood. I only though it was labour when i was there and it was time to push but if I had my time again I would have been kinder to me

So in a word go sick 🤢 I wouldn’t want what you had your be doing your colleagues a favour... be prepared to take a couple of days too it sounds horrible x

donajimena · 12/03/2019 04:40

Bless you. I'm awake for the same reason. Temp 102. I feel so lonely and ill. I bet someone will be here soon to tell us we can't be that poorly if we are here though. My right thumb is about the only thing I can move.

allthegoodusernameshavegone · 12/03/2019 04:42

If you feel lousy You need to call in sick, a day resting will aid your recovery and you will get well sooner.

Boom45 · 12/03/2019 04:45

People who drag themselves into work coughing and sputtering because they're "not the type of person to call in sick" wind me right up. I don't want your germs, stay home and get well. Presenteeism isn't any good for a business anyway and you need to take care of yourself.

Rememberallball · 12/03/2019 05:03

I tended to be the one struggling to work through every illness simply because I knew the difficulty the managers would have covering my sheer volume of work amongst people who (generally) also had a fairly full schedule and, because I’d been on the receiving end of phone calls asking me to cover another 4-5 jobs on an already busy day. However, if your boss was commenting on it yesterday and you feel worse today, call in, stay home and dose up on whatever you can to feel better - and go back when actually well enough!!

Chottie · 12/03/2019 05:12

Please stay home and in the nicest possible way, keep your germs to yourself don't struggle in, look after yourself and get over your cold.

Streamside · 12/03/2019 05:18

A relatively young relation of mine died recently whilst getting ready for work.He was suffering from a few health conditions but just didn't know when to stop or how to read what his body was telling him.All the signs seem to be there to indicate that you should stay at home and rest.

swingofthings · 12/03/2019 05:22

Colds ranges from a little dribble to making you feel absolutely dreadful. It is perfectly acceptable to call in sich when you have a nasty case of cold. Many people call it flu be s'use it makes them feel dreadful and believe that's the only way they'll be taken seriously. It's not the flu, it's a bad cold, and bad enough to stop you being able to carry out your duties.

Rest and get it over as quickly as you can.

k1233 · 12/03/2019 05:50

I'm a little immune compromised and people going to work sick really pisses me off. Since I've stopped taking public transport, I've been significantly less sick, which is great, but the selfish people showing up for the sake of it and being totally unproductive (present absenteeism) really make me cranky. Keep your germs at home. No one is so indispensable that they can't be away for a few days when they're sick.

EarringsandLipstick · 12/03/2019 06:08

I honestly never understand the angst over this. If you feel dreadful and unable to go to work, of course don't. Stay home, get well and spare your colleagues too.

StrongerThanIThought76 · 12/03/2019 06:10

I called in sick with a horrendous head cold a few weeks ago - streaming eyes, runny nose, sinus pain etc. If I'd had an office hob where I could just stew in a quiet corner I'd have gone in but my role is the epitome of customer facing - there's no way I could stand up in front of 150 people all day feeling like that!

TruculentandFarty · 12/03/2019 06:11

It usually takes me over a month to get over a cold, if you can take the time off or work from home people like me will really appreciate i

DonnaDarko · 12/03/2019 06:16

Everyone is entitled to time off for being ill. Never feel guilty about self care. Plus you won't pass on your illness to anyone else. The last place I worked, the same group of us took turns being ill every other month cos some of us wouldn't stay at home and flipping recuperate! Plus I think the very stressful environment didn't help any of us, but that's a whole other story.

I think as a society we need to address why people feel so bad about being ill. If you're sick your sick!

Nacreous · 12/03/2019 06:21

I think as a society we define everything as either "a cold" or "flu" when actually there are hundreds and thousands of cold/flu-like viruses which will make some people feel truly dreadful and others just moderately so, depending which virus they get and their immune system.

If you feel dreadful (and it sounds like you do) then you should take time off sick and recover.

user1493413286 · 12/03/2019 06:26

Stay at home; people won’t thank you for going in and sharing it

OhDearGodLookAtThisMess · 12/03/2019 06:34

Would it help if you just labelled it something else, rather than a cold?

JenniferJareau · 12/03/2019 06:52

Stay at home, you are clearly unwell. Who cares if it is a "cold" or not. Some colds come and go with little impact on me, some have me in bed two days straight.

Felyne · 12/03/2019 06:59

Colds can be horrible! I think we dismiss them as 'minor' because they are so common, but they can inflict major misery and suffering if you get a particularly bad one.

Stay home, rest and feel better for it. You won't aid your recovery by stressing your body with travelling and trying to function at work.

NotTheFordType · 12/03/2019 07:01

@EarringsandLipstick

Generally the angst is because the employer is applying the bradford factor.

OP - if you're not already on an absence plan then call in sick. If you are, depending on what stage it's at? If it's FWW then obviously go in.

Jencottage · 12/03/2019 07:01

How irresponsible taking all those germs into work. Stay at home, heal and stop playing the martyr!

HexagonalBattenburg · 12/03/2019 07:03

If it's the one I've got at the moment - stay off cos it's awful.

I'm only not staying off because zero hours agency work and no sick leave.

Quartz2208 · 12/03/2019 07:12

You are sick so call in sick. Stop martyring yourself and putting others at risk

Not only does your productivity go down you risk infecting others who either need time off or their productivity goes down. The dislike of calling sick unless you are about to be admitted to hospital I suspect causes more hours lost than someone simply resting for the day

1sttimeunicorn · 12/03/2019 07:16

I'm pg with DC2 and get wound up when people come in clearly ill. Please call in sick and get well.