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?

This ^^

Where I worked I’d have been really annoyed if you came into work sick and passed on that bug.

Better to be one person down than almost the entire team.

I'd turn up, apologise for the cold and ask if they'd prefer me to log back in at home. Atleast they have then seen you are unwell, not just taking the piss.

You can't not go in on day one because you have a cold. As a line manager, I would take an extremely dim view of that.

As a line manager you would be fine then if 5 other people called in sick later in the week?? 😳

Don’t message them, call them.

I was a manager and if I still was a manager I[d think you were setting a bad precedent if you called in sick on your first day with a cold. Let alone email for advice on a Sunday. I would think you a liability.

It is 24 hours away.

Wear a mask when you go in, take it easy today and go to your first day at your new job.

I've been in the same situation as you. Everyone on mumsnet said to go in. I didn't. My manager was completely understanding and happy for me to not work at all given how ill I was.

Sorry but get a life. It’s so weird you’ve gone and searched OP’s history.

… and are (embarrassingly) gleeful that the OP had stomach issues almost a year ago and was wondering whether to speak to her manager about how it was affecting her during work (ie needing proximity to a loo).

You seem pretty excited though so I assume it’s a thrilling day ahead for you.

I had a migraine the day before I started a job once. Still felt sick, dizzy etc the day I was due to go in. I remember zoning out whilst having my induction and my manager being like 'are you ok, do you need to go home?'

I would email/call early and explain the situation and see what they say

Interesting though, isn[t it?

I would call and again ask what to do before going in.

We have someone in our office who has had a transplant and so is susceptible to colds - which could be dangerous for them to catch - so it's not just you that you need to consider.

Hope you feel better soon.

Option 1, definitely.

My last bout of covid (July) started as a heavily congested cold; didn't test positive until day 3.

No, not really.

I would message them and ask their preference. I would hate for someone to come in with a bad cold and pass it around. But I know some offices dont care while some do.

I understand the posts saying don't go in and spread it around the office as colleagues wont thank you for it, totally agree. However, from the numerous offices I have worked in, I am pretty sure calling in sick on your first day will also not go down well with management / colleagues, especially just for a cold. So I'm afraid there is no right answer here, its just really bad timing.
My plan would be; rest today, take any medication you can to help, steam, hot shower/bath, early night and hopefully you will feel a bit better tomorrow.

Good luck

Yes I’m the same! Not in the UK, all workplaces and schools have a strict no cold/flu symptoms policy.

DH & DD would be reprimanded for going in to work with symptoms and we’d get a bollocking from the principal if we sent the DC in to school!!
Neither are in jobs that are able to be done from home either.

My poor DS has had covid once and influenza A twice this year so far so his attendance isn’t great but the school are absolutely fine with it.

I think sending your text this afternoon is the best option OP, to find out their policy.

Hope you feel better soon and good luck with the new job!

Sorry but for a first day in a new job I’d crawl in with a broken leg if necessary. It gives an unbelievably bad impression to phone in sick on your first day.

You go in. You try and muddle through the day with a smile. If you look as awful as you feel they will notice and respect you for carrying on.

Anything else will give a bad impression.

It's a cold! Go to work, you'll survive. I get tired of people using covid as an excuse, nobody believes it anymore.

It is entirely relevant. I find it incredible and very interesting that someone is so worried about their cold on a Sunday morning that a) they are considering contacting a new manager and 24 hours in advance b) they are considering calling in sick and c) posting about it on mumsnet d) posted about this situation with a new job before.

It just spells trouble.

I would call the line manager and explain. At our work we now have a policy that if you have any kind of cold or anything you must WFH. Everyone is able to post covid so now if anyone turns up with a cold they get sent home straight away. Going into the office while ill is v old fashioned. Work from home tomorrow. It will be reading the HR policies and checking your email address works anyway.

It's just a cold my work wouldn't be impressed if I called in sick over a cold especially on the first day.

what a crappy situation!!
as long as it’s just a cold, I’d go for option 1, I’ve always gone in with a cold as long as my manager was ok with it, and then I’ve just kept my distance from everyone whilst there. Give your manager a call in the morning to make sure they’re ok with it-you never know, they might not want you in if ill, they may well suggest you either take the day off or work from home.
Hope you feel much better soon!

I don’t think you grasp what the word interesting means.