Calling in sick on first day of new job

[Thepinkstuffing]

I have my first day tomorrow, it’s in a school, working in the early years classroom as a general TA.
I started having signs of a UTI a few days ago, and today I rang the GP and managed to get a course of antibiotics.
I feel really crap though, I’ve only started them today, I’ve still got tummy pains, pelvic discomfort and the constant need to wee, although just a few drops come out.
If I’m still feeling this bad tomorrow, I may need to call in. I can’t keep running off to the toilet either, as I’ll be with the little ones.

I’m worried I’ll get fired on my first week the way things are going!
It’s so typical of me

Drink lots of bland fluids. Water is ideal or milk. No fruit juice. A couple of pints would be a good start Also take a jug of warm water with you when you go the loo. Sluice down the relevant bits. This stops the burn from the acidic urine getting worse.

Antibiotics kick in very quickly if the antibiotic is effective for that particular bacteria. Occasionally you might get something rarer that is not caught. But usually the effect is near instantaneous relief although you may have a little residual soreness although the infection is gone. Antacid sachets work if you can tolerate the taste - I just can't stomach the taste of them. I used to take antacid indigestion tablets as being easier for me to stomach.

Wow, I'm very surprised at the responses. I would phone and explain you have an infection and start the week after. It shouldn't be a big deal. Value yourself.

I’m also of the opinion that if you’re still needing to the loo every 2 mins there’s very little point struggling to go in, other than simply to show willing, I certainly wouldn’t be able to stay.

Try soluble paracetamol and codeine tabs for the pain and tena lady for the urgency. Hope you feel better soon.

To be honest I think you will be more of a liability if you go in and there has been no improvement. The class teacher will need to know that they can rely on you - which they can't if you are dashing off to the loo every few minutes. And if you can't go to the loo when you need to - which is not that unusual for classroom staff, then you could make yourself a whole load worse

While I understand that in OP's particular case, her illness isn't contagious, I'm surprised that anyone would want someone in the office who is ill in any way! Presenteeism (show up no matter what) is a real problem when it spreads illness to coworkers.

OP, ignore the 'I was half dead but still made it to my work' unhelpful comments. If you're ill, you're ill. The world won't grind to a halt. I'm fairly stoic when it comes to health, and am currently knocking my pan in, working in a school with many Covid related staff absences. But even I think you should be off if unwell! Sure, the timing isn't great, but that's just life. Thankfully most Heads are understanding and would think the same.
Get well soon

Go in , see how you get on . As I told my kids , the teacher will send you home if they see you are ill!

Go to work.

Surely early years won’t be in for the full day? Locally it’s 2 weeks of half days before they even do a full day…. This year early years are in for an hour!
UTIs are horrendous but soldier through it…. Parecetomal and Ibro… and the antibiotics will kick in

I wouldn't call in sick for my first day of a job unless something extremely serious had happened. You won't be fired for it, so I wouldn't worry about that, but it will leave a terrible impression with everyone that you will never shake off, even if you never called in sick again. It looks really bad.

For a UTI it's really not worth it. You'll probably already be feeling a bit better by the morning as your antibiotics will be doing their thing. I would take a load of painkillers, wear some comfortable clothes and push through the pain until the end of the work day. You will be so glad that you did.

@Mummy7777

Sorry but I had a uti once whilst pregnant- a uti is discomforting but that's about it. I would definitely go in on my first day.

Depends on the person and the UTI. The one time I had one I was in the emergency room within 6h of the first symptoms with excrutiating pain and so much blood in my urine that it looked dark red. There's degrees to it, as any other condition. Let's not minimise someone else's suffering.

Guess it depends on how much you need this job. It's all well and good people saying 'you can't help being ill', but how many people out there are competing for TA jobs? Are you easily replaceable, will they just say don't bother showing up at all if you call in sick? It's not our lives that are affected, it's yours.

Personally, I'd go in, as I'd need the job. Drink bland juice as someone else suggested, and maybe wear an incontinence pad for safety. But you may be feeling a bit better by now anyway.

@Ohsoquietchange

Surely early years won’t be in for the full day? Locally it’s 2 weeks of half days before they even do a full day…. This year early years are in for an hour! UTIs are horrendous but soldier through it…. Parecetomal and Ibro… and the antibiotics will kick in

Thats children, not staff

IME (and I’ve managed and recruited to lots of different teams) most people want to start a new job and make a good impression, so if they’re ringing in sick on their first day then it’s because they’re really sick and probably tying themselves in mental knots about it. If it was the only sick day/spell during their probation period it wouldn’t end their employment if they were otherwise competent, and it certainly wouldn’t be held against them for time immemorial.

As to people choosing to stagger into work rather than get injuries checked out: honestly, more fool you. There will always be another job; you can’t replace your health.

Some MNers would make absolutely terrible, judgemental managers and colleagues and I’m glad I don’t work with/for or have to manage them.

OP, if you’re ill and the antibiotics haven’t kicked in properly, then you’re ill and won’t do yourself justice. A good employer will recognise that you’re genuinely upset at not being able to start as planned, and while there may be a bit of understandable “shit, how do we manage cover now?” behind the scenes, they won’t take it out on you or hold it against you forevermore unless they’re a dick you wouldn’t want to work for anyway. That’s part of what managers get paid to sort out!

In the meantime, echo the advice of lots of fluids and painkillers, and I hope you feel better soon. Bad UTIs are very unpleasant (I always run a fever when I get one, and the only antibiotics I can take often make me vomit).

Remember staff loos might be some way from the classroom, can’t use the pupils’ toilets (mind might not get off the teeny loos in EYFS)

Seriously would only be calling in sick if I absolutely was unable to move. It sounds rubbish but I would work with much worse and not let my colleagues down especially first day.

@Mummy7777

Sorry but I had a uti once whilst pregnant- a uti is discomforting but that's about it. I would definitely go in on my first day.

I had a UTI whilst pregnant, which then became a kidney infection so severe, I was hospitalised for over a month, and almost lost a kidney.

What was ‘discomforting’ to you can be pretty serious to others.

The advice on here…..Jesus Christ. No I wouldn’t go in. If it’s something you’d ring in sick for normally, why is your first day any different? It’s a seriously fucking painful and uncomfortable condition. Of course it’s not ideal but no one will even remember in a day or two.

The attitude to work and jobs on Mumsnet is very strange.

I’m so pleased that I’ve never worked/had to work anywhere where I wouldn’t pass my probation for calling in sick. Madness.

I would try and go in if you can OP, but definitely explain to the teacher you’re working with that you have a UTI (which is being treated with antibiotics) so you keep needing to wee. If you don’t then they might worry that you’ve got an upset stomach in which case you definitely shouldn’t be in school!

I have had quite a few UTIs and I have found that they improve quite quickly with the antibiotics. I have felt awful with a couple of them though, so please ignore the people telling you that it’s ‘just cystitis’ If you’re not well enough to be in work then you’re not well enough to be in work.

I’m also not sure about the advice to drink lots. I was told by a nurse that this is outdated and that you must drink enough to stay hydrated (so your 2 litres) but there’s no point in drinking any extra as it doesn’t flush the infection out and all it does is make you wee even more which you don’t want to do as weeing is painful! She might have been a bit of a rogue nurse though, so I’d go with whatever your doctor told you. Good luck

Whether its right or wrong it will give a bad impression.

Not sure why anyone is comparing it to covid. UTI aren't contagious, you can't give it to someone from working next to them. And we aren't in UTI pandemic where you are meant to stay at home if you have one.

Been there and it's a horrible dilemma - was struck down with D+V the night before starting a new job but obviously didn't want to miss the first day. Ended up loading myself up with Immodium and eating nothing to minimise the chances of puking. I made it through the day, though not sure how!

I hope you get better soon. If you feel a polite phone call explaining the uti is going to make a better first impression than the loo every five minutes then that's ok.

I’m a teacher and have gone into work with bad UTIs, lots of water and ibuprofen plus 12 hours of antibiotics and it will be manageable. You’re a TA so explain to your teacher that you may have to dash to the toilet regularly, but I could only go once an hour in between lessons and managed.

New job you have to go in. .it's terrible timing but not going in first day is awful. We had that horrible decision once and DH just dosed up and did it. .