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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To not go into the office

74 replies

GodblessHookyStreet · 03/10/2023 05:56

We have just started returning to the office twice weekly and have been given anchor days for which we can not deviate from one of mine is today.

They are quite strict that we need to go in or if we are unable to due to sickness ,child care issues we simply just can't work from home we need to take it as a day's sickness or emergency holiday.

Yesterday while home working I had severe diarrhoea to the point I shat myself twiceBlush. Don't know if something I eat or a bug but was still able to work as long as I could access a toilet.

I am totally panicking about going into the office and potentially shitting myself but then again I might be ok and better.

I honestly don't know what to do as they are being strict but scared in case of above .

Would IBU to not go in but explain I could still work from home or be honest? I obviously do not want to tell my colleagues I shat myself .

OP posts:
Possimpible · 03/10/2023 07:20

JFC have people actually lost their minds? In 2019 if you were ill like this you'd have phoned in sick. You would not (and should not!) consider going in. What if it's noro? This is exactly the problem with WFH, it's blurred the boundaries.

ilovesooty · 03/10/2023 07:21

You call in sick. I don't really see what the problem is. You can't attend work as you are ill.

MajesticWhine · 03/10/2023 07:24

Call in sick, you are not well enough for work.

Mummyoflittledragon · 03/10/2023 07:26

You call in sick. You probably have a bug and don’t want to pass it on. It could also be covid. I know someone, who said the kids had it big time in their school starting last week. Do not take Imodium / loperamide. That will stop your body from evacuating it and last longer in your system.

Mummyoflittledragon · 03/10/2023 07:26

… or if they’ll let you and you’re well enough, you wfh.

RampantIvy · 03/10/2023 07:28

I think your employer is being very unreasonable. When I had covid I was well enough to work from home. My line manager absolutely didn't want me to come into the office and share the virus with my more vulnerable colleagues.

LoobyDop · 03/10/2023 07:30

What a stupid, shortsighted policy. I wouldn’t hesitate to call in sick.

Ginmonkeyagain · 03/10/2023 07:33

I am always clear with my team if they are sick they should not work either in the office or at home.

Ourshoddyhouse · 03/10/2023 07:34

If you think it's a bug please don't take loperamide, your body wants that shit out of you for a reason.

If they won't let you WFH if you're feeling ill (what a bizarre decision from them) I think you'll have to take a sick day.

Beseen22 · 03/10/2023 07:35

How are there people advising taking loperamide and going to work when you have diarrhea so bad it has caused multiple episodes of faecal incontinence? Please STOP doing this, do you really think you are that important you need to be in the office and spread this? I've had norovirus 3 times as an adult and no one around me has been sick so I'm pretty sure it's come from touching a contaminated door handle on the way out of the bathroom after washing my hands thoroughly. And just FYI hand sanitiser doesn't kill norovirus, it has to be soap and warm water which is another reason it spreads so violently.

Call in sick and when speaking to your boss by all means offer to work from home but absolutely do not go in to your office?

BernadetteRostankowskiWolowitz · 03/10/2023 07:37

"Boss, I have a stomach bug so won't be able to attend the office today as I imagine I'm fairly contagious. Please mark me down as being on a days sick leave, unless you are able to agree any flexibility in the work from home situation. I'm happy to work from home with your approval. Let me know which option you note me as using"

Just push this silly rule back onto them to reflect on.

Original poster
GodblessHookyStreet · 03/10/2023 07:41

Thank you all, yep think it's a bug just had more, sorry TMI Blush.
Messaged my boss and told him I can WFH if they let me or give me a sickness day .

OP posts:
IrresponsiblyCertainAboutSexualDimorphism · 03/10/2023 07:42

BernadetteRostankowskiWolowitz · 03/10/2023 07:37

"Boss, I have a stomach bug so won't be able to attend the office today as I imagine I'm fairly contagious. Please mark me down as being on a days sick leave, unless you are able to agree any flexibility in the work from home situation. I'm happy to work from home with your approval. Let me know which option you note me as using"

Just push this silly rule back onto them to reflect on.

This.

And no to loperamide. It won’t do you any good, and going in and spreading it to your colleagues is a terrible thing to do. You should isolate for 48h from the last symptoms.

Ourshoddyhouse · 03/10/2023 07:44

Hope you feel better soon

Aprilx · 03/10/2023 07:48

I also don’t understand the issue. They are being strict about what days people WFH, which is reasonable. This is a separate issue, you are sick so you call in sick and spend the day at home watching TV.

Livelovebehappy · 03/10/2023 07:54

Assuming you’re being truthful here, and not just tentatively running the hypothetical scenario by us to get opinion as you don’t want to go into the office, then just message your manager to say you have a stomach bug, you dont want to pass round the office, but feel well enough to work. Let them make the call on sick day, or happy for you to wfh.

AnImaginaryCat · 03/10/2023 08:02

If you've a stomach bug so severe that you are shitting yourself then you are not fit to work, regardless of whether you are working in the office or your own home.

Unless the work policy is it's acceptable to shit yourself during a phone call or meeting.

Sensoria · 03/10/2023 08:04

Your OP says if you’re too sick to go in, you take a sick day. What’s confusing about that?

Ellie1015 · 03/10/2023 08:06

Yanbu to not go into office if you may shit yourself. You don't have to go to that detail with work though.

Agree with PP. Tell boss you are too ill to come in and offer to wfh and see if any flexibility. Tbh unless you will get less pay if off sick I think you should be taking the day sick.

Skipthisstep82 · 03/10/2023 08:09

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This has been deleted by MNHQ for breaking our Talk Guidelines.

Newestname002 · 03/10/2023 08:12

GodblessHookyStreet · 03/10/2023 07:41

Thank you all, yep think it's a bug just had more, sorry TMI Blush.
Messaged my boss and told him I can WFH if they let me or give me a sickness day .

Remember if they insist you take an official sickness day that you also should shut down any work provided devices you've been issued with and out an out of office message on. They can't have it both ways...

also ignore attempts to contact you on your personal smartphone/email for the same reason. 🌹

rookiemere · 03/10/2023 08:13

Sensoria · 03/10/2023 08:04

Your OP says if you’re too sick to go in, you take a sick day. What’s confusing about that?

Well it's a silly policy then and means company will lose out on working days from employees and people will end up with needlessly high sick days.

Surely the whole point of the ability to wfh is circumstances like this where you're not able to do the commute, but should be able to knock out a few emails and meetings if at home.

EvilElsa · 03/10/2023 08:18

Well done OP, you really can't go in and spread around a stomach bug. Nobody wants to share a loo with someone with severe diarrhea!

ColdPizzaBreakfast · 03/10/2023 08:25

Why on earth are some people suggesting someone with a nasty tummy bug should go into the office?

The rest of the office don't want to get ill!

LadyMacbethWasMisunderstood · 03/10/2023 08:27

Why would you not have just done what your boss has requested? You’ve been told that if you are sick on a mandated office day then you have to take a sick day or emergency leave. Why did you just not do as asked? Why make it complicated? It may be that you don’t agree with the policy (and there are arguments for and against it). But it’s easy to understand. It’s up to the managers to decide the policy. You just need to adhere to it. Or work somewhere else.