AIBU to take a sick day when I work from home?

[Livpool]

I work from home full time and usually work through any illnesses. I have severe/brittle asthma and had an asthma attack last night - attended an and e at tea time and home in time for bed with steroids. Had a nebuliser twice while there.

I haven’t slept at all - been coughing and wheezing all night and I feel exhausted (anyone with asthma will understand that you can feel bone tired as you aren’t getting enough oxygen).

Would I be unreasonable to take today off? I wouldn’t usually second guess myself but a friend text me and I replied saying I won’t be online today, and why. Had a rant back about lazy people who wfh (she doesn’t). AIBU?

Respecting WFH has to go both ways - it’s working. It’s not parenting or running errands or whatever else it can be sometimes for some people. Which means it’s also important to respect it enough to know it’s just as important to be well and productive as you would be in person.

i have asthma and being out of breath like that is terrible. It takes me a while to come back after a bad run of it.

Yes, absolutely take a sick day.
I remember when I started working from home and got COVID. I slept 22 hours a day for a week. I couldn't have worked for even a minute.

Get yourself back to bed and take care of yourself. Hope you're feeling better soon ❤️

It’s true (in our industry) that if you are feeling a bit under the weather it’s ok/perhaps expected to wfh on days when otherwise you’d be in. eg if you have a bad cold.

however if you’re ill you’re ill, wfh or not! Ignore the colleague

Take the time to rest and recover, OP. Don’t even think about work.

I always catch colds quite badly and it’s never just a sniffle. I get the whole thing and it can last for weeks.

I hope you feel better soon.

YANBU - tell your friend to sod off, find a better friend.

Thanks everyone - my manager was nicer than my friend!

My firm had this same approach which made it clear for everyone when we were WFH. It didn't stop some of the fee earners totally ignoring it if their PA was off sick; there were several instances of them ringing their PA asking if they could just log on and do something quickly.

I’ve made peace with my lot. The bitter folk about me wfh have been ditched.

If something like my situation would still make your friend be a cow … is she really a decent person?

Of course you’re not unreasonable. WFH doesn’t matter. I woke up poorly this morning and I called in sick - I WFH. I tend to power through if it was the commute that would have made the difference but I’ve barely slept, huge headache and can’t focus properly to read.

your “friend” is not your friend!

Your friend is an arsehole! Take the sick day.

Fellow asthmatic here. You are absolutely not being unreasonable, and your “friend” is way out of line. After a bad asthma attack I often get severe headaches too, which can be completely debilitating.
Unless someone has experienced the sheer panic of not being able to breathe, and then the awful after-effects once you’re technically “settled”, they really don’t understand what it’s like.
Your friend needs to have a word with themselves.

Of course its not unreasonable. You need to rest, and I would say your so-called 'friend' is very unsupportive and possibly a bit envious that you work from home

You should definitely take the day off sick. If you’re unwell you are unwell, it makes no difference whether you work from home or in an office.

YANBU and she is not your friend.

Good. I hope you’re feeling better soon. Going forward you should dial back on this “ friendship “. I am glad that the thread helped reassure you but the time you spent on it would have been better spent in bed asleep! Not to mention the anxiety she has caused you . That won’t have helped your recovery either.

That’s not how you should feel after a message from a friend is it?

I now wfh with occasional office days. I got a rare migraine a few weeks back. Could barely lift my head of pillow. WhatsApp to manager and the screen was so bright. Not even sure I was coherent. Back to sleep for two days! Felt exhausted on third day and it was Friday so took that day off as I knew I couldn’t look at computer screen even though I felt better. I couldn’t look at my phone. It was fine

i I rarely take sick days as I’m fairly robust.

my sister had asthma as a child so was taken to hospital etc and we would wake up with the neighbour on the sofa as parents at hospital if it happened in the night.

I was a teacher and I had the sad duty of attending the funeral of the mum of my 6 year old pupil. All her partner did was cut the grass in the summer. Air ambulance came out etc.

I would just stop speaking to your friend. It’s fine that it has run its course. Don’t have people that don’t support you in your life.

you don’t need mood hoovers

Don't make the mistake I did. I also WFH and spent the first month of 2026 with that absolutely rotten virus. I insisted on still working because I WFH, but as soon as people saw me online, they were calling, DM'ing, sending "urgent" messages. It made me feel even worse as I then felt pressured to perform for them all.

I now have a second bout of the flu because I didn't rest during the first.

Get well soon! Asthma is vile.

Take your sick day!

I WFH (and I am PT too) so I battle through most things but since we moved to WFH I have had to take a few sick days as I have been THAT poorly.

Your friend sounds bitter and she's taking it out on you and saying some pretty awful stuff. I'd ditch her! Hope you get some good rest today, I had childhood asthma and it was absolutely terrible. FWIW I've never been "sickly" 🙄she sounds like she's got some pretty archaic ideas for a 45 year old!

Is your friend a workhouse owner from 1880?

You are too unwell to work. Rest and recover. Mistakes are made when you work when you're unfit to. Take care of yourself.

Please prioritise your health

Goodness me, you need to take time off to recover.

My boss always says he knows when I'm fully down because I finally put in a sick day.

I work where possible, but if I'm struggling to stay awake/get out of bed, then it's a sick day.

Sounds like you need a couple of days to recover, definitely take today at least