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?

Option 1. 100%

I would not contact him today, presumably this is his day off. I’d be opting for one, there is plenty of time to start to feel better, touch wood.

I’d definitely email the boss and see if you can do your online training from home. That’s probably all you’ll be doing in the office anyway. They’ve probably got an induction timetable with you meeting people and I’m sure those people can meet you over teams.

So, option 3.

By the way, I find a proper hot toddy with really honey and lemon to be the best way to get rid of a cold quickly.

I'd be spending all day today in bed, taking Lemsip and trying to get myself as well as possible.

Tomorrow I would contact the boss and tell him that I had a cold, but that I want to come in and feel well enough to come in (even if I didn't) in order to give him the opportunity to say if they prefer people to stay away and WFH.

HAS to be 1. I can't even imagine calling in sick on the first day.

My company now has a policy that people aren’t allowed to work on the office with cold symptoms, they have to wfh in that situation.

There isn’t a written policy for your first day though. I would contact your line manager and ask them to advise. This is one situation where if possible, a phone call or even video chat is preferred. You want to be sure that there is no misinterpretation of tone and that you are taking this problem very seriously.

3
No one wants to catch your cold.
Introduce yourself to team members on Zoom.
Do your induction/onboarding from home.

Maybe give your new boss a message and find out what preference they have, as my workplace would definitely say work from home with a cold. I’d make it clear your happy to do option 1 though and if that is what they’d like you’ll have to suck it up.

Id spend the rest of today in bed, and taking all the drugs tomorrow. Alternate between paracetamol/ibuprofen maybe so your only 2hrs away from your next dose of relief?

I was the same as you starting a new job - awful cold and felt shocking. I went into work on my first day and explained to the manager that I wasn't well but had turned up as I didn't want to call
In sick. She was really understanding and thanked me for making the effort to turn in. My start date was delayed until I felt better.

Please don't go into work and infect everyone else there!

I'm a manager and we take a very dim view of staff turning up ill - especially if they have the capability to work from home.

Option 3
They will not thank you for making everyone else in the office sick.

Your note is not write though. You are not looking forward to going ( you do not feel well enough) . Heavy cold underplays how you are feeling. Some people have a heavy cold but feel fine. See how today goes

dear Boss,
sorry to disturb you on a Sunday afternoon. I am excited about starting my new role but unfortunately have come down with a dreadful cold with headache and dizziness. Covid test neg but will repeat.
I feel awful as this is my first day and considered coming in as I don’t want new colleagues to think I am not keen. if well enough later in the day I would wfh for a few hours.
Could you let me know if this is ok. Apologies.
OP

I never miss my work, but even I don't think you should go in. It's going to create a worse impression if you spread it around.
Good luck with the new job.

Option 1 for sure.

Depends on the company - my company would want you to WFH. Get in contact with your line manager and explain you have a cold - you're ok to dose up and come in but just want to check what the protocol is as all companies are different now after Covid.x

What's wrong with the world that you even have to think about about this!!. An ill person needs to stay in bed and sleep and give the body the chance to heal. Working through being ill only makes the body weaker and more prone to illnesses in the long run.

Thank you I like this.

I wouldn't usually message a new manager on a Sunday but we have been in regular contact since he offered me the job and he has sent me quite a few texts and emails so I don't think he would mind.

Still a bit early though isn't it.

Wow opinion is really divided!

It's hard to gauge the culture without having started but i know they are v flexible about people WFH.

Test again tomorrow. I felt really ill for days, several negative tests but I knew it was covid. After 4 or 5 days it turned positive.

I’d wait til the afternoon to message - 12ish?

Gosh, rubbish situation but I would have hoped the culture of presenteeism would have stopped due to Covid

I missed my first day in a new job because my grandad died and the only day my mum could arrange the funeral for was my first day. Shit happens.

I’d go for the teams route and maybe tell a white lie that you’ve tested positive for Covid as workplaces are used to this now

I'd do my absolute upmost to try and go in if you possibly can. It would create a bad impression if you didn't. I mean, on the face of it, they'll understand that people get sick and it can't be helped. But they're also human and will eye-roll and think to themselves that they've got themselves a snowflake who can't handle a sniffle.

Definitely send the message and ask what they would prefer. My company would 100% prefer you to stay home.

Don’t understand all the people saying ‘it will create a terrible impression’ if you call in sick in the first day. Presumably if someone calls in sick it’s because they’re …. sick? Not ideal timing but you’re as likely to be ill on your first day as any other day. Is the assumption that someone’s lying or that most sick days are unjustified ? Don’t get it.

agree with 1
i have strong memories of a colleague who wasnt around on her first expected day!
doesnt bode well

Day nurse capsules! And night nurse for tonight so you sleep. They are magic. Better than anything else. You won't even remember you're ill