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

Depends on how bad you feel tomorrow. I hate presenteeism, but for the first day of your job it's tricky. I'd probably do option 1 if I could manage it. Obviously if too ill, just say so.

Wfh when you have a cold maybe ok if you were a few weeks into your job but this is day one.
Do not contact your manager on a Sunday, again a few weeks in this may be ok but not the day before you start, you will come across as unprofessional and needy.
Drop the drama and go to work tomorrow with a cold.

1 - Dose up and assume you are going in. You will likely be fine by the AM.

Don't send any message today, if you really feel like death warmed up tomorrow, send something like this at 7.30 - so it's clear you are assuming you will come in - don't give them any reason to think you are shirking. Also tweak so it's clear it may be Covid (it might be).

Don't use 'happy' as a pp suggestion 'I'm happy to come in' - it's your bloody job.

Apologies for the early text but wanted to check in -

I’ve had flu-like symptoms since Friday - have tested and am negative for Covid so far, so it does appear to be a heavy cold.

I hoped it would have cleared by this morning but annoyingly it hasn't. I'm planning to come in of course, but wanted to check there is no company policy stating people shouldn't come in with symptoms like this, and should instead WFH.

Look forward to seeing you later either way -

Don't kid yourself that not coming in will create a bad impression - it will.

So if their response is in anyway ambiguous - go in. If they say - ' hello no - the boss hates anyone coming in with a cold', then dose up and hopefully , but make sure you are very very very present online, write emails thanking anyone who has helped you at the end of your first day.

This is a good message and good advice.

There's no way on God's earth I'd call in sick on my first day of a new job, especially for a cold, however bad. That gives a really, really bad impression .

Short of being in a coma, I'd go in. If It's that bad they send you home, that's a different matter

You say you know it's not COVID, but if you're worried about the impression it makes, you can say you're not sure it isn't; I'm sure they'll understand you being off then. If you've taken 1 test and it's negative, that doesn't mean it's not COVID - I had it a few weeks ago and only tested + on the 4th day of symptoms.

I would walk over hot coals to get to day one of a new job otherwise they might sack you immediately!

Can’t believe people would call in sick for a cold on day 1 of a job. I would personally only call in sick for D&V type illness (or worse!) you must have understanding bosses. Now considering a career change…

I also wouldn’t text them on a Sunday.

It’s tricky because day one. Normally I would say WFH if not feeling well or not at all if bad.

however day one is tricky. While I don’t think it’s right the action would be let manager know today, let them know you have taken a covid test (please do check and not just think it’s not covid)

meantion that while you feel awful you wil dose yourself up with lemsip and come in.

that way they may tell you to wfh and if you are made to come in they might have some sympathy and tell you from day 2 to wfh for rest of induction

No, if you are sick absolutely no one is going to appreciate you going in. As your colleague I would be annoyed. Phone them and explain. Take the day off or WFH.

I think first day you dose yourself up and go in.

I once attended a meeting with a guy who was pitching to us hoping that we'd use his company for a particular aspect of our business. Part way through the presentation he went white as a sheet and started sweating and then he had to run out and be sick. He clearly had some kind of vomiting bug and should have rescheduled. Needless to say, he did not get the contract.

To be honest if you just have a cold, even a bad one, I would just go in. It’s your first day.

I cant believe the amount of people here saying option number 1. If you are sick and not fit for work then you shouldn't go in - especially in these days with covid strains and reduced immunity to other colds etc.

I have seen where people have been unable to commence on the first day and, once they explain their situation, it is accepted. And I dont remember it being a predictor of someone that was disinterested in their job.

As advised here, try and get in touch with your manager if at all possible and prewarn them as to your situation.

There is such a polar split of opinions, it’s clear that it’s entirely dependent on your workplace culture. Many saying go in at any cost, many others saying this would piss off colleagues and also lots of line managers answering saying if it was me I’d tell you not to come in.

You’ve already been hired which means you made a good impression. I would contact your line manager this afternoon and let him know that it’s possible you won’t make it in and ask if your first day could be moved to Tuesday or Wednesday.

The trouble is that lots of workplaces clearly don’t think like this.

I’m with you by the way. So annoying when someone makes a big song and dance of coming in to demonstrate what a trouper they are and exposes everyone else to their germs in the process rather than taking the hit and staying home.

They’ll usually barely get anything done anyway and bang on all day about never resting when they’re sick. It’s selfish and all about performative presenteeism – rather than contributing to overall productivity.

It's just a cold. By Monday you'll be on Day 4 of it. I'd go in. I hate it when people message me to ask whether they should come in or not too - I feel duty bound to say 'oh you poor thing you must stay at home to recover' but they really just want the decision taken out of their hands. A grown adult should be able to make that call for themselves. If you are well enough to work, go in. If you can't work, stay at home. Advice to lie about covid is particularly grating and usually transparent, since you can predict which employees would do that already.

You need to keep testing for Covid, too.

I was ill a few weeks ago, tested neg on the evening then positive the next morning. If it's Covid you can't go in because the entire office will be down with it.

Hope you're feeling better soon!

Do a covid test on your throat (just swab the back instead of sticking it up your nose) many of the new round of infections are more throat focussed and only trigger the lft if you swab there

Option 1

Adrenalin will get you through

On the other hand from a lot of these replies though - how does it look if she soldiers on, goes in then in a day or so tests positive. To then have to let them know that would be very awkward!!