Aibu to stay off work?

[Zombieof3]

Hi all,

I haven’t been in work this week as I have come down with what feels like the flu. I’ve had a high temperature, dry cough, exhaustion, diarrhoea. I know my manager wants me back in work tomorrow but I feel so unwell. I’m so drained and relying on lemsip just to get me through the day. If it just felt like a head cold I would work through it but I rang my work today and explained I’m still feeling really unwell, it didn’t sound as though my manager believed me and stated that I was off recently for my daughter who was sick. I apologised and explained that I know it lets the company and my clients down but I don’t think anyone would appreciate me passing this on to them. Manager just said ok, well we will see you tomorrow. Besides being off one day for my daughter, I’ve had no other sick days and I honestly feel like crying. I’m so wiped out and getting out of bed is really difficult. Now idk whether to force myself to work and risk making myself worse or just tell them that I’m not coming in until i feel well enough too.

If you are sick and unable to work stay home.
Let your manager know and deal with it when you are back.

Get plenty of rest. Wishing you well soon.

Thank you, it’s just difficult because I love my job but I also need to be well to do my job properly, I also see vulnerable clients day in and out, I wouldn’t want any of them to catch this.

You're the one that decides of you're well enough, not your manager. Stay off. Don't be swayed, if you're ill, you're ill. You're right - no one who gets your illness will thank you.

if you were my colleague and came in to a meeting whilst coughing and spluttering telling me just how ill you were I'd seethe at you and encourage our meeting be rescheduled, kindly advising you go home and get better knowing how you're spreading it to all, inside and outside the office, the people on the bus? the people in the coffee shop etc. It's how bugs spread. It's does no good, you're doing no one any favours.

Stay off work until you’re fully recovered. Don’t be bullied by your manager to go back before you’re well again. Discuss this incident at your back to work sickness review.

@Zombieof3 This happened to my daughter at her summer job. She called in sick, was told she had to come in, so she dragged herself in, and ended up vomiting in the foyer where she had a line up of tourists waiting to get tickets.

If you're feeling that unwell, stay home, you're to be commended for caring about spreading what sounds very nasty. Hope you feel better soon!

It's probably covid isn't it? I doubt anyone wants whatever it is.
Even ignoring the rest of the symptoms, NHS guidance says stay away from work for 48h if you've had diarrhoea.

Thank you all. I was wondering if I was just being a soft touch maybe but I’m so wiped out by whatever this is. I’ve tested for Covid and it’s negative.

I wouldn’t want to be responsible for spreading this around, it would only result in more people being off work but sometimes I don’t think organisations understand that and whilst I appreciate that I need to be in work to do my job, there’s no point going in if I’m only going to be able to do a very minimal effort tasks.

You've made the right decision to stay at home. Your manager is being short-sighted. As PPs have suggested, you could do the company more harm than good by going to work.

Stay at home at the very least until your temperature is back to normal.

Definitely stay at home until you have stopped being sock and your temperature has returned to normal. I have a pretty robust immune system however I'd not want to be sitting near someone whose is clearly unwell. Bet your manager would be spitting chips if they got what you have too

This attitude by some managers makes me sad - we are human beings not machines. I think we should try and look after ourselves as much as we can but everyone gets sick occasionally, especially if they have children. In that case we try and look after others by avoiding contact.