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?

Well she did moan to when someone on her team (she is a manager) was sighed off with depression. I told her off!

Asthma is no joke,. take the time to recover.
Your friend sounds like a prat.

Normally if I have an asthma attack that leads me to a&e I have a week off work as minimum. But I am up and down off the floor treating patients in my job.... I have been signed off for 3 weeks with my last flare up. Normally I am not well enough to walk from the sofa to the toilet (3m) without stopping once or twice to catch my breath (and normally I can do two hours of cardio). Personally I would be taking several days off it's exhausting....

Oh poor you, take a sick day.

WFH sick days to me are when I am recovering or just on the edge.

Yikes. It sounds like she should be nowhere near people management - or people in general.

Of course you can take a sick day. Your “friend” is nuts.

I WFH and completely agree - that sounds awful and you need a day to recover. I haven't been off ill for over a year as yes, it is less stressful to wfh when you feel crap but your scenario sounds like you need a good break and some sleep. Hope you feel much better soon!

Take a sick day to actually rest and let the steroids settle in.

YANBU.

Learnt the hard way, mistakes aren't wiped and can get out of control when you chose to attend work 'sick'. Mind not on the job.

I wfh and often used to work through instead of taking a sick day. It does me no favours, and I just make mistakes and am ineffective.

You really need to reevaluate this friendship. I hope you feel better soon, asthma is so serious!

Of course you can take a sick day if you work from home.

I don't take a sick day if I've just got a cold or something at home, but I would if I had anything that you'd typically want to sleep off or stay in bed with, eg flu or a sickness bug. If you were so unwell that you needed A&E and steroids for severe asthma, it makes perfect sense to be taking it about as easy as you possibly can and getting complete rest. You're really, really ill at the moment.

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)

Why on earth are you friends with her? She's fucking vile.

I appreciate all the replies and do feel a bit better but definitely not 100%. My manager said if I do log on tomorrow to just do e learning and go on do not disturb on Teams.

I didn’t bother replying to my ‘friend’ - I think you have all made me realise that she has become quite bitter and toxic. She hasn’t messaged to see how I am either ha!

Glad you’re feeling a bit better and have a good manager. It is easy to feel you “should” be working if you can wfh. I made the mistake of doing it with a bad cough because it was “just” a cough. Ended up flexi afternoon first day. The relief of just letting myself just call in sick on day was incredible. The pressure was off. I actually felt better but that was only because I wasn’t pushing my body beyond what it could handle. Take tomorrow and more if you need them.

Thanks - and glad being off helped you