First day back after mat leave and I’m ill

[Candle81]

WIBU to do call in sick? I’m due back at work tomorrow after 10 months off. But yesterday morning I started being ill, I think I’ve caught something from my baby who always has some sort of bug.

High fever, aches, coughing, headache, upset stomach and completely lost my voice. If I’m not better tomorrow AIBU to call in sick? I’ve worked at my company for 7 years and barely had a sick day!

What is your job?

WFH where you can log on and catch up with emails is different to being a nurse in ICU.

I do wfh however I don’t really feel well enough to do that! I’ll have to speak and I literally have no voice.

I wouldn't, they will have all the arrangements made by now. You are probably just feeling a bit apprehensive. Lig on and see how you go.

I'd at least log on and show my face. They'll probably see you're ill and tell you to log off.

Honestly it's awful timing Op but as you are WFH I think that you should log on and just try and get through it.

OP says:

High fever, aches, coughing, headache, upset stomach and completely lost my voice.

how is that just being “apprehensive”?

OP just call your boss, they’ll be able to tell you are unwell if you’re that bad. If you’re sick you’re sick, it can’t be helped.

I'd log on and wfh. I really wouldn't want to ring in sick on my first day back unless completely incapacitated.

You sound too ill to work if you have a fever. Definitely phone in sick and get some rest. The reality is you will be taking a lot of sick days during the nursery years, it's one bug after another. You've been there a long time so they know your character. Hope you feel better soon.

I suffer from stress PTSD and anxiety all the above are symptoms. It's a high stress situation, it's perfectly reasonable to feel this way.

There are a lot of martyrs on here! The OP sounds really sick and should be in bed resting. There are some nasty viruses going around at the moment. I had a similar one last week and even after a week of sick leave I’m still feeling poorly and only just managing to work.

Honestly if you're sick you're sick. My first day back my baby was ill. Had lots of people saying I couldn't possibly be off and to just give baby neurofen and send into nursery and thats what everyone does (if that's true thats how baby got ill!). By midday I was in A&E with a floppy high temp baby. That one day of work isn't worth it.

Can you log on for a bit and have a 'welcome back' chat with your manager first thing? Hopefully when they see/hear you are unwell they'll tell you to log off and go back to bed.

Rest up today and dose yourself up tomorrow. You almost always feel worse in the morning. Get some day and night nurse from the chemist.

Speak to your manager tomorrow as you may feel slightly better by then.

What was the plan for return to work? Most of the day is usually getting your IT restored so no need for high levels of interactions. Don't just phone in sick or send an email as that's not professional.

If you're sick, you're sick. An illness doesn't time itself around your return to work. It's awful timing, but if you're poorly you can't go in.

I once had a new starter call in sick on their first day. They were absolutely mortified, but can't be helped and tbh if they weren't really really ill they would not be calling in sick on their first day!

Just explain, work will understand if you have been there years and don't usually take the piss.
They won't want you there spreading to everyone else anyway!

I don’t have any of these problems, and although I can’t say I’m not slightly apprehensive, I’m confident that I’m poorly and it’s not just nerves!

Log on and battle through the day.

I think I’m going to be doing team and client introductions as I’m not going back into my old role and I have retained IT access. I have absolutely no voice at all so this is worrying me!

Oh my god just be off sick. They won't have anything important planned for your first day. I say this as both a manager and somebody who returned from maternity leave last year. It's just bad timing and you can't help being ill.

Is your first day back planned as WFH, or as coming in anf WFH would be a kind of backup?

Would it make sense to call in sick, but express you are willing to join one hour online so the most important part is over and doesn't need postponing?

However, with fever muddling through isn't a good idea. If there is any interaction, you would sound dumb.

It’s not about you though is it? Op said her baby had a bug and in the middle of winter, that’s a much more likely scenario. Most people without PTSD would not find going back to work after mat leave a high stress situation. A little nerve wracking maybe

I wouldn’t considering you WFH.

I am surprised that posters think wfh makes a lot of difference as when I wfh pre-baby I would be on calls/meetings a lot of the day and still not be able to just slack off if I was ill.

Wfh is real work. Don't listen to these miserable ghouls - let your boss know you're ill and get back to bed.

I think you need to at least log on and show your face if you're WFH!