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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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Original poster

Teachers- how often are you unwell!?

72 replies

Newadventure · 27/03/2019 08:26

Just a curious question.

Dd is 4, has been attending nursery since she was 2. She picks up all sorts of illnesses from nursery/school and brings them home to me, lovely!
Before having dd I was hardly ever unwell but even just this winter I've had various colds and stomach bugs that she's caught at school and then passed on to me.
Not a huge deal I suppose but got me thinking, if she's picking them up and giving them to me, how do the teachers cope when they are amongst it all 5 days a week!? How do our schools even stay open??

OP posts:

Proseccoagain · 27/03/2019 22:02

Used to get massive cold and then lung infection every spring which turned into a week off, just got worse each year. When I was younger I used to battle through it and go in but in the end had to get signed off.

Durrt · 27/03/2019 22:09

I'm not a teacher but work in a school. I haven't missed a day of work in around 5 years.

We have to face a disciplinary panel if we have more than 3 absences in a year. We basically have to soldier on regardless.

I work with very young children. I get coughed at, sneezed at, dribbled on daily vom. On a plus side, my immune system is made of steel

wasgoingmadinthecountry · 27/03/2019 22:25

One day off in 10ish years - went in but sent myself back home when I realised how unwell I was.

MidniteScribbler · 27/03/2019 22:29

I've changed schools this year to a completely new area, and I have felt pretty awful most of the term, have had a cold for the last two weeks, and have a sore throat today. I always end up in bed for the first few days of the holidays, as I crawl into the end of term and then it hits me. First year teachers always get it the worst, then after a few years at the same school, you end up being sick a lot less.

I worked at a brand new school a few years ago, and it was awful for sickness the first year. There was one day that we had 45 out of 60 teachers out, could only get relief teachers for about half of those, and those that were there were barely functional (as were most of the students that were there). At that point we just threw up our hands and put movies on.

tillytrotter1 · 27/03/2019 22:33

My OH was ill every Christmas for the first 4 or 5 years after he started teaching.

QueenofLouisiana · 27/03/2019 22:34

I’ve been teaching 20 years, I was last off sick about 3 years ago withD&V.
About 7 years ago, I managed flu (the real, can’t get out of bed one!) and whooping cough in the same year.

MitziK · 27/03/2019 22:35

Vaccinations, washing hands very carefully, guarding our mugs like treasure - and generally keeling over with something awful every single holiday where we can't physically function any more. Usually on our last legs by four and a half weeks into term.

MitziK · 27/03/2019 22:42

I do think part of this is that you'll be pulled up on a disciplinary if you're ill more than a couple of times in a year and harassed to provide full cover - the compulsory phoning in person before 7am and calling again by 3pm with an update (and then still having to phone in again at 7am) makes it easier to come in and try not to pass out.

Just as well it's not an Academy or Free School, though. I suspect that
if you were inconsiderate enough to die on their time, they'd hold a full seance to ask 'Is there anybody there? Where's your Cover for tomorrow?'

Ihatehashtags · 28/03/2019 06:30

I have never been so sick as I am now because my son goes to daycare, gets sick and then passes it into me. I get asthma so basically every time I get a cold it goes to my chest and I get a horrendous cough that at least 50% of the time requires antibiotics.

LoopyLoonyLuna · 28/03/2019 06:31

I definitely think half of it is about the hassle of being off school. If you’re ill you have to phone on before 7am then set cover for all of your classes (takes ages to come up with useful things they can do without any guidance) and then you have to check/mark what they’ve done when you get back.

So unless you’re at death’s door it’s easier just to go in. I’ve only been off once in the last several years and that was when I had sepsis that landed me in intensive care in hospital so literally at death’s door! I definitely couldn’t drag myself in during that!

exLtEveDallas · 28/03/2019 06:43

I do some recruiting for schools and would say way over half of the new recruits get ill in the first few weeks! Myself included - having not had a single sick day in 7 years previous employment, my first two weeks in school saw me start with a cold then chest infection and finished with conjunctivitis! I didn't have any time off, but omg I felt like death.

I've actually started warning new starters that it might happen, and not to beat themselves up if it does.

brizzlemint · 28/03/2019 06:57

I remember going into work with a cough and then nearly passing out so the head sent me to the GP, turned out i had pneumonia.

Minimincepies · 28/03/2019 07:10

DH is a teacher and hasn't had a sick day in 12 years. He lost his voice with laryngitis and still managed to teach (using mime and interactive whiteboard). But he's often ill in the holidays, through exhaustion I think.

Gottalovesummer · 28/03/2019 07:22

I work with pre school children so get coughed and sneezed on constantly.

I never pick up their bugs and never get ill.

What works for me is having clothes I just wear to work and changing them after finishing work. And good game washing as mentioned by others.

I think my immune system has just built up over the years.

Gottalovesummer · 28/03/2019 07:23

Good hand washing even!

Bumpinthenight · 28/03/2019 07:26

I use antibac gel every time I get touched or touch a child!

Articulateforme · 28/03/2019 07:30

I've been teaching 19 years. I've had about 8 days off sick in total!

WaterOffaDucksCrack · 28/03/2019 07:42

Isn't it the same as other jobs where you're working with the public/patients/children? You drag yourself in as you'll get told off if you don't and you can't afford to be off anyway 😂

FinallyHere · 28/03/2019 08:48

I use antibac gel every time I get touched or touch a child!

Not such a big fan of anti-bac gel.

Sure it kills the bugs, but that means it kills all the bugs. Better to create an environment in which the good bugs thrive, so they can get on with their job, which is to kill the bad bugs.

Original poster

Newadventure · 28/03/2019 12:24

That's a really good point about making dd get changed out of her uniform when she gets home from school, unless we're going somewhere I just let her wear that until bath and pj time (or until she decides to strip off herself) also.. I've never thought about making her wash her hands as soon as we get in either! Yes before she eats but that's a good 45mins-1 hour after we get back..

OP posts:

CanILeavenowplease · 28/03/2019 12:59

It is generally easier not to be ill when you are a teacher. You are expected to provide cover work and somehow magic the missed time out of thin air with exam classes. So unless you are genuinely unable to lift your head off a pillow, you go in.

SchrodingersUnicorn · 28/03/2019 13:39

Oh so much! I'm an immunocompromised teacher, now that is no fun at all...
I think I probably have 4 absences a year, varying from 1 to 3 days each. Mind you, I only took 2 days off when I was hospitalised with pneumonia, I really do push through and if I can stand I go in. I remember texting in cover work from hospital when I went into premature labour.

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