To not push through illness to please people

[spicedonion]

I've had a chest infection for two weeks. Called in sick for one day, but have been getting worse the more I'm in work. The work is physical.
Due to having a baby that contracts everything I have had family leave on top of this so don't want to take anymore time off.
I have got a doctors note saying I'm not fit for normal duties and to go on to amended duties that requires sitting.
My boss wasn't happy and said they are short staffed.
My work colleague also wasn't happy. She is a bit of a push through type of person and has covered my days off and ends up with double the work. However, she takes this on herself and isn't obliged to do over time, she can leave it if she likes.
Work colleagues friend has said she will cover me tomorrow because she feels bad for poor colleague (her words) the friend has an injury and shouldn't be working to cover me, she should be on amended duties also...but has decided to do her friend a favour.
It makes me look like a snowflake, that other people are suffering because I'm not pushing through my illness.
It's my day off today and I have felt awful all day, due to being in work yesterday.
Colleague is blanking my texts because she's clearly in a huff about me leaving her in the lurch again.

Are you in the UK? I don't recognise what 'family leave' is, unless this is a contractual benefit. Do you mean maternity leave.

Presuming you are in the UK: the amount of leave you have already taken (for whatever reason) is irrelevant here. If you have a fit note confirming you are not fit for normal duties then your employer should accept that as they have a duty of care towards you. They need to try to accommodate any amended duties indicated on the fit note - if they can't then you need to stay off sick.

So your boss is wrong to try to pressure you into work. If they are short staffed it is your manager's responsibility to sort that out not yours. They need to accept employee sickness absences happens and have contingency plans - nothing to do with you.

Did your colleague contact you to complain about you being off sick? That is inappropriate too & could constitute bullying. She shouldn't be working either if she is sick, and her boss shouldn't be expecting her to work either if she is not well enough. Again not your problem - your colleague needs to take it up with their boss. I hope colleagues are not harassing you when you are sick and trying to recover.

It does sound like a toxic working culture tbh so you may want to decide what to do about this once you are better.

It's basically unpaid emergency leave you can take if there is an emergency or if your kids are ill and can't go to childcare, allowing ylou time to make other arrangements.

You are entitled to emergency leave to take time off to deal with a family emergency, that is a statutory right. It is a completely separate right which is not relevant to the need to take sick leave when you are unfit to work.

Performative presenteeism is bad for everyone.

Prioritise your health, no one else will.
Their own health is their own responsibility.

Don't push through when you're not fit.

Return when you're better.