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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To call in sick for my first day of work?

290 replies

SicklyWorker · 21/08/2022 07:06

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?

OP posts:
Snowraingain · 21/08/2022 07:22

Such bad luck. Sorry OP I would go in. They don’t know you yet and calling in sick would give a terrible impression.

Endofanera22 · 21/08/2022 07:23

1....they'll send you home or be super lovely to you. 1 really is your only option.

WaveyHair · 21/08/2022 07:23

Option 3 - your line manager will not thank you for passing this on. Or ask him what he prefers.

Hidingawaytoday · 21/08/2022 07:25

SicklyWorker · 21/08/2022 07:17

My line manager is friendly and I have his number so I could potentially message him today.

Started feeling ill on Friday. I keep hoping I will wake up feeling better but this morning I feel truly shit.

I have already met the team F2F during the interview process.

If you still feel bad later this afternoon message him and see - it might be he usually wfh on a Monday and only going in tomorrow for your first day so might be grateful!

Original poster
SicklyWorker · 21/08/2022 07:26

Okay I will drop him a message later and ask him what he would prefer.

Thank you for the advice.

OP posts:
MumUndone · 21/08/2022 07:27

I would not be impressed if someone called in sick on their first day.

Blinkingheckythump · 21/08/2022 07:28

As you're in a position to contact your manager I would do that later today, explain the situation and ask if they prefer you to wfh or go in. But you can't call in sick on your first day, not with a cold.

fannyfan · 21/08/2022 07:28

@MumUndone even if they vomited at work?

20viona · 21/08/2022 07:28

No way not for a cold. Battle through OP.

Carrotzen · 21/08/2022 07:31

If your actually being sick or can't get out of bed then you need to call in sick.

But if its something that you can manage but just feel like crap then I would take regular lemsip today and tomorrow, drink plenty water today and push through. Only you know how ill you are, but I don't think calling in sick with a cold is going to impress many people on your first day

Anewdayanewdawn · 21/08/2022 07:33

Go in. If you’re really unwell you can go home after a couple of hours
theres nO WAY I would call in sick in my first day. Cause of a cold.

Greenandcabbagelooking · 21/08/2022 07:38

Another person who wouldn’t thank you for coming in sick. If you do go in, please wear a mask.

Milkand2sugarsplease · 21/08/2022 07:38

I wish I could find one of these jobs that supports employees staying off when they have a cold....

I don't think I have a bad employer actually but if everyone with a cold called in sick with a cold we'd have no staff to open school

Chesneyhawkes1 · 21/08/2022 07:41

@Milkand2sugarsplease me too!

And we aren't even allowed to take stuff like Night nurse and lemsip max, wouldn't be as bad then.

I'd have to go in. I couldn't call in sick on the first day of a new job.

blindedbythefright · 21/08/2022 07:44

I manage 30 people and would not be impressed with you coming into the office visibly ill, even on your first day. We work in very different times now and I'd appreciate your honesty - tell him exactly what's going on and offer to do your induction via Teams

FeelingwearyFeeelingsmall · 21/08/2022 07:45

Take a CoVid test before you contact him. Whether it's just a cold or actually CoVid might change his response.

Tortycats · 21/08/2022 07:47

Why are you debating calling in sick 24 hours ahead of time? You could feel significantly better by tomorrow.

1 is my suggestion and definitely not calling in sick ffs

Greenandcabbagelooking · 21/08/2022 07:47

Milkand2sugarsplease · 21/08/2022 07:38

I wish I could find one of these jobs that supports employees staying off when they have a cold....

I don't think I have a bad employer actually but if everyone with a cold called in sick with a cold we'd have no staff to open school

But if the one person, most likely a kid, stayed off, they wouldn’t infect 5 others. Who wouldn’t infect 5 more, and so on. You’d break the chain of transmission, and have fewer people off.

For example, 4 people share an office Person A came in, with a cold he caught from his boyfriend. He spread it person B and C. Person D escaped. Person B then had a meeting with E. E got sick, but have first aid to child F. F spread it round his class, including to teacher. And so on. If A had just stayed at home, there would have been far fewer sick people.

LaChatte · 21/08/2022 07:48

If you do go in you could wear a mask to reduce the risk of spreading germs.

PuppyMonkey · 21/08/2022 07:48

I’d go back to bed for a few hours now, try and get some sleep and see if it helps you feel better. Then if your boss is friendly as you say, message later if you really need to. And do another covid test.

Original poster
SicklyWorker · 21/08/2022 07:50

How about this for a message:

Hi boss,

Looking forward to starting tomorrow. Apologies to message on a Sunday but wanted to check something with you. I have a heavy cold and wondering what the office etiquette is? Happy to come in but don't want to spread my germs around the office so equally happy to do the inductions over Teams. Let me know what you would prefer?

Thanks and see you tomorrow.

Sickly

OP posts:
TypeMite · 21/08/2022 07:50

I'd be doing number 3!

fufflecake · 21/08/2022 07:51

Perfect

BarrelOfOtters · 21/08/2022 07:52

As a manager I would much rather you said you were I’ll. if there’s a full day of formal meet and greet put on it would be annoying. But if it’s just here’s your computer, the loo, and do this on line induction….stay home.

Milkand2sugarsplease · 21/08/2022 07:53

@Greenandcabbagelooking but it's a cold. School would not function if anybody with a cold didn't come in - staff or children.

Along with the fact that some a lot of our residential children have to come in as part of their routine. Keeping them off school with a cold is far more disruptive to them than the cold itself.

Then, in a mainstream school (I'm SEN) there is no way on earth you're going to get parents keeping their child off school with a cold because of their work commitments. You're honestly telling me that you, and your whole family, batten down the hatches and stop all responsibilities for a cold?