To think it’s grim to come into work when you have a cold?

[sunfloweryy]

If you can easily work from home/take the day off sick?

I’ve been off work with a particularly nasty cold for the last couple of days. I feel better today, but still not great so I’ve logged on from home to work as I’m still coughing and sneezing.

Colleague has just sent me an IM to see how I was and told me he’s got a cold too but he’s been in office. He was trying to make me feel guilty for taking time off for sure, and it’s bothered me!

He has form for coming in to work when he’s ill, coughing and sneezing all over the place and we hot desk so it isn’t even possible to contain him to one area. I get that the world can’t stop for colds, but surely common sense dictates that if you are able to work from home or take some days off you do so? Especially with this coronavirus going around!

AIBU?

Well I go into work when I feel like kak. Inc temps, sore throats, colds, ear infections, etc.

I wouldn't go if I had d&v.

I've had one day off in 10 years when I broke my leg while work decided if I could come in on crutches or not.

God there's usually half of us in the office have a cold at any one time from October through to March - that would be a lot of absence! Definitely no need to stay off for a normal head cold.

I recently took two days off for a just a cold. I had a temperature and was sweating and sneezing all over the place. After this and the weekend I felt totally fine, total four days recovery.

Previously I've worked through colds and remained quite sick for 2-3 weeks, often getting worse rather then better, sometimes taking even up to 6 weeks to fully feel back to normal.

I think there is a really counter-productive attitude in the UK where you are expected, or you feel that you are expected, to be at deaths door before taking time off sick. In Canada I only got 5 paid sick days per year but with a culture that expected you to take those days.

God there's usually half of us in the office have a cold at any one time from October through to March - that would be a lot of absence!

Perhaps half of you wouldn't have a cold at any one time if you didn't infect each other.

I have a suppressed immune system, I don’t mind people coming into work with colds. It’s the ones that come in with viruses that irk me. Luckily I work in an office by myself, so I just become a hermit until home time and hope for the best.

@WorraLiberty
It starts off as a cold, before turning into bronchitis. I've often phoned in sick by the time the bronchitis kicks in. It doesn't always turn into bronchitis....but if I don't rest and recover, it often does.

For those that can’t work from home I agree you should go in. In my office we can all easily work from home and do 2-3 days a week so a dim view is taken of anyone who chooses to come in and spread their germs!

@VivaLeBeaver okay, but if you had the option to work just as effectively from home on these occasions why would you make yourself suffer through the commute/going out in the cold and rain? Not to mention passing things to people who might not be able to cope as well as you. I have a relative with a compromised immune system and when I’ve even got the slightest sniffle I stay well away from him because catching it will floor him for weeks. I just don’t get it if you’ve got the option to stay warm and comfortable at home AND keep on top of your job why you wouldn’t take it.

If you can work from home and be paid (lucky you!) then yes, stay off. But much as I hated being around people with colds at work, taking time off for one just wasn't accepted as a good reason.

This" soldering" on attitude on might backfire on us all if COVID-19 starts to spread here. It'll be the heroes dragging themselves into work who'll infect the rest of us.

OP, nowt wrong at all with working from home. Your colleague is just doing the old one-upmanship thing.

Even in hospital environments they say you should come in to work with a cold, the view of the manager is d&v, actual flu and chest infection stay home. Common cough and cold, carry on.
Not saying I agree with it but I've never known a workplace allow time off for colds, not even in healthcare or food service.

This is just one of those topics that people never agree on. I think people should be allowed to rest and recover with bad colds. The part where you feel shivery, sick and like you need your bed. But normal colds where paaractemol takes the edge of is usually manageable.

Same with tummy bugs. I see it all the time. My friend at Christmas... Her son started puking on the Sunday teatime. Had a bad night. The shits Monday morning twice. Back at school Thursday. Less than 24 hours after the squits. Her argument was he wanted his school Christmas dinner! Then just before half term. Saturday evening. A mum at the school announces her and her 2 kids were down with a sick bug. All really poorly. Put a picture of lucozade and zoflora up. Baby was sent to hospital. Then Monday morning her child was back at school. Less than 48 hours before she was throwing up. Then on the Tuesday she was holding hands with a child in my child's class and I thought great. Luckily my DD didn't get it.

People just don't do the right thing.

That said colds and working is just life. I now send my DD in with colds when I wish I could keep her home because we get attendance letters. I always keep her off when it's really bad for a day.

Feel better soon and tell him to mind his own x

Back at school Tuesday that should of said x

Hahahhahah I would be off 12 times a year is I was off with a cold I even work when I have the flu why can't afford time off in have had 4 colds / flus in the last 2 months alone

I always hated it when people compares their circumstances. My ex-boss was a right cow when I would say I am WFH for sickness/child sickness issues and always made comments about how she never took sick days off (even though i was never off, I would WFH) and how she would arrange childcare for her sick child (poor girl never actually saw her mum ever coz she was put into every afterschool club you can imagine and asleep by the time she would get home apparently). It used to bother me, then i realised I am a number in a workplace, if i was to drop dead tomorrow they wouldn't wait to recruitme

My company deducts money from your salary for sick days. So unless I'm dying I'm here. Hate me all you like, it's just a cold 👍

Also people with asthma etc will appreciate people staying away with bad ones. It's hard to win in these situations. Work don't support it. Schools punish parents. Bugs continue to spread.

many companies don't allow WFH, many roles aren't workable from home either.

and seriously, who on earth can take a day 'easily' off sick for a cold???

My company deducts money from your salary for sick days. So unless I'm dying I'm here. Hate me all you like, it's just a cold

That raises an interesting issue. If COVID-19 does spread, employers like this will mean some people won't be able to afford to self isolate etc. It's not good.

My colleague came in once with an absolute awful cold and then everyone else got it. It was a really rough one, I was in bed for about 3 days and I wish he'd not come in and passed it on!

I think if you're in a role where you can WFH then you should when you're sick, that's only good manners, but agreed for a cold (no fever) in a normal year companies and employees can't afford for everyone to be off the whole time.

However, at the moment it's a bit different as we have the threat of a global pandemic - companies that force people to work when they're sick will cause deaths from the coronovirus. It's as simple as that. The government probably needs to produce rules about this.

And for people saying that 'they can't afford it' - the costs will be FAR FAR greater if this isn't contained to businesses and the government. Prevention better than cure and all that.

I dont have the option of working from home and I work part time. As a result work are not very understanding when I am . They have to directly replace me which comes at a cost. As a consequence I often go in with a cold, just drug myself up first. Our work policy means that first three days off sick are unpaid and then you need a drs note to ensure you still get paid. I cannot afford to take days unpaid so I go in.

I used to have a wonderful boss who if you went in with a cold would say that yes it was great that you were still in & working.

If you stayed off they would say that it was great that you were at home looking after yourself & not running yourself down.

I agree it also depends on the stage of the cold & if you are coughing & spluttering everywhere.

My husband has had an irritating dry cough recently.

My coughs tend to be productive when I get them!

*Perhaps half of you wouldn't have a cold at any one time if you didn't infect each other.
*
We're all picking them up from our kids, public transport- a hundred different ways. It's just not feasible to take time off with every cold. D&V yes, flu, of course - head cold, no. Same with school - kids would never be in if they were off with every cold!
If working from home is an option, great, make use of it, but it's not for the vast majority of workers.