To call in sick for my first day of work?

[SicklyWorker]

Starting a new job tomorrow but I have an awful cold. It's not Covid.

Nose streaming, sore throat, sinuses hurting, headache, feel dizzy and sick.

I'm meant to be going to the office for 9am tomorrow.

I do already have my laptop here as it was couriered to me.

Options are:

1. Dose up on Lemsip and hope for the best

1. Call in sick

1. See if I can can WFH on my first day and try and do the inductions over Teams

None of these options seem like a great first impression.

WWYD?

I had someone starting with me who broke their leg the day before starting the job (and it was a job where WFH was not possible) so they couldn't travel in - we put their start date back.

I’m sorry this has happened to you OP. I hope you get on ok today.

Well Op did you stay off or did you go in?

Yes I'm in!

Messaged boss yesterday and he said he wasn't troubled by a cold as long as covid test is negative so had a capful of night nurse last night and 2 day nurse this morning and I'm powering through.

2.5 hour induction this morning, just on a break.

Thanks everyone for the advice.

Please let them know you're unwell, don't infect the office!

Day 1 done. Boss also has a cold.

The office layout is very spacious, I was 2m away from people at all times.

Day nurse got me through it. Off home to sleep.

Go in to work, its a cold.

i am an employer and if some called in sick with a cold, on day 1 - their card would be marked

Well if it was me I’d have been dosing up on day nurse or night nurse leading up to tomorrow olabas oil in bath but if I still felt dizzy sick and have a stinking cold I would not go in as wouldn’t want to pass that on to anyone

As bad as it is, I’d be tweaking the message to your manager on the basis that you’re aiming to come in but just FYI, you have a pretty bad cold and are letting them know out of courtesy. If the office culture is that where coming in with a cold is frowned upon, they will tell you to stay home. Sorry OP I know it’s not ideal and so many conflicting answers but I’d be panicking that I’d forever tarnished my reputation!

Aha sorry just realised a day has passed, glad you went in and were okay! Feel better

My first day at work was a Monday. The Sunday I'd gone for a dinner out and ended up with the worst stomach cramps and d+v I'd ever had - all night.

I was panicking and started getting ready for my first day but literally couldn't stand up straight for cramps and the sweat was pouring off me. I rang in sick. Was a bit better by the Tuesday so went in as planned.

Still there 12 years later. These things happen, just be honest with them and ask what they would prefer you do. I bet, in light of recent times with covid, they are more than happy for you to stay at home.

Should have read whole thread first. Sorry!

Option 1. Bring extra to take after the morning dose wears off. Good luck op

Well done! Glad your first day went okay. Hope you feel better really soon!

To be honest I would go in and show willing.

Well done!

This happened to me once - I went in. I had absolutely no voice and a hacking cough and I am a teacher. They actually sent me home, maybe they will do the same for you!

This. Great answer!!

Option 3 if you’re not feeling well enough to be in office but could sit and do things at home. No one wants a cold. Don’t spread it!

oops! Sorry. See you went in after all

I’m not a huge advocate of doing the following but based on how toxic my workplace (was)... I’ll tell you what I did when I was seriously unwell with a lower respiratory chest infection around Christmas time last year...NB I work in a school and was not my first day. Constant expectation to work throughout illness and I did so several times.

I woke up feeling absolutely horrific having already been ill for a week... drove into work, coughing up green gunk/my guts up, arrived, walked in and saw my line manager - took her to one side (all from a distance) and explained how ill I was, coughing, trying to speak and no voice...she said ‘it’s your call whether to go home or not’ - I said what would you do? She said ‘go home’ - she then spoke to deputy to explain and I went straight home.

I do not regret going in to show them how ill I was, and I’m glad it made them uncomfortable enough to realise that most of us in fact, do not take the piss - genuinely ill is genuinely ill.

Extra strength daytime flu remedy - they are good and will get you through the day.

If we were to be sensible here (God forbid 😆). It's really not going to matter if you postpone your starting day by one day. I think that's what I would do. You could also pretend that you hadn't taken a covid test yet and will do so tomorrow (so atm you don't know if it's covid in their eyes). You're going make a sh!t impression anyway if you go in sneezing all over the place..

Well done! :-)