Taking day off with a cold

[worriedatthemoment]

Currently in a ling term temo role and few weeks ago dh developed covid symptoms as it was then isollating time i had to have a day off whilst we awaited his test ( negative), I then developed a cough about 2 weeks later and had to have a few days off ( negative pcr) but had 3 days off in total 2 awaiting pcr and 2 to make sure coughing was a lot less.
Last week my son developed a heavy cold , checked they were fine me coming in and they said yes if a negative lvt - which we had .
Yesterday at work I had 2 coughing episodes so said to my boss who said I was fine to stay and only leave if have temp and coughing a lot more.
Went home and as evening progressed developed a blocked snotty nose and sneezing ( haven't coughed again since)
So called in today ( was only doing half day)to say I wouldn't be in as feel a bit groggy and constantly sneezing / blowing my nose.
Work have been really funny about it and I think may get rid of me
Yes I appreciate i have had time off but it wasn't for covid I wouldn't of
They haven't set me up wfh yet as promised when I took the job as i would of been able to do this
I really didn't think going in the office today was a good idea was I wrong and should I have just gone in as its only a cold ?

It’s difficult isn’t it, two of my family members tested positive a few weeks ago. Both only had cold symptoms and had positive LFts followed by PcR s.

The official guidance doesn’t list your current symptoms as Covid symptoms, nor do your symptoms qualify for a PCR. (Unless your food is continuous)

I think in your situation, I would’ve done a LFT and depending on how I felt, I would’ve gone to work.

Normal colds are still around (we all have an awful one a few weeks ago)

cough - not food 🙄

I didn't go in as i am sneezing constantly at moment and very snotty one nostril but blocked up in the other , and actually feel a bit groggy in myself,

In your shoes I'd have done an LFT and if negative and feeling up to it would have gone in
I get that it's a pandemic but generally speaking when you have coughs and colds you need to go in. No harm in getting a PCR but go after work.

When/if somebody gets covid and starts spreading it round the office then hopefully at that point they will be a bit more serious about letting people WFH if feeling slightly poorly.

Am not sure why getting a PCR means 'a few days off' though. We've had several here and they've always come back within 24h.

In normal circumstances it would be pretty much expected that you go to work with a cold regardless of how groggy you feel. People can catch multiple colds a year can you imagine if we all took days off for all of them?

In the current situation they should really set you up to wfh because I'm sure no one will want someone full of cold in the office. But are you saying you feel too 'groggy' to work at all? Because in that case with all your absences then yeah they probably will get rid of you.

Employers will be all too aware that there will be people using covid to take the piss (not saying you are but they will be on watch for it).

@Usual2usual i feel a little groggy but would happily of worked from home and I was told it was a wfh job mostly but they haven't set me uo yet to wfh, its not something i can do as need there specific programmes. I said today if I have any training still or materials to read if they can be sent to me then i would happily complete at home as I have laptop

@Frazzled2207 it was one day off for husband pcr as came back in time
Mine took 2 days to come back thats out of my control and you can't chase unless its 5 days

@Frazzled2207 if I am getting a pcr its impossible to go after work our testing site last appt is 2.30 the one that is later is 1 hr away and wouldn't make that after work either.
Plus if I think I need a pcr then i also need to isolate , as it happens coughing a little more now
Tbh in the office Most are wfh but some come in all men , and there has been a fair amount of coughing / sniffling going on.
I also had an urgent referral today which I have had to cancel ( had 1/2 day booked holiday) as won't see me with cold symptoms

If they had even called up and said actually come in we don't care about the cold symptoms then fine I would of , but the company guidelines seem to differ from what my dept/ boss
Several of them have had covid in their households but my other colleagues work from home all the time so have been able to continue , my boss comes in the office but during that period he was able to wfh
Otherwise they would of had to all have time off for covid and coughs etc
Never in my life have I had a cough then 3 weeks later a cold.
If I have one or the other a year then that is a lot for me .

Last week my son developed a heavy cold , checked they were fine me coming in and they said yes if a negative lvt - which we had
This was very bad advice from them.
They might not want staff of sick, but letting the office be full of people coughing and sneezing is going to maximise the potential for this! You need to find out what is going on with the wfh.

@Popitdontstopit yes I have chased it up
I feel i should of lied now and said I had a temp as truth doesn't seem to get you anywhere .
The thing is its a cold so I know I will develop a cough as always do and then will have pcr
Supposed to be going away tomorrow ( annual leave booked ) looks like that won't happen now either
The ones not happy are all wfh and the occasions I had off i could of worked from home no problem and did say after cough if we can set wfh up asap as i could of worked as I felt ok apart from one day but could of managed something at least .
As it happens with my ds he got a little worse over the weekend so we took him for a pcr test which was negative and he is fine now, guessing I have just picked up what he had most likely.

OP couldn't you get a pcr today so that your trip was still possible if it's negative? Though maybe you won't feel up to it anyway.

@Popitdontstopit I am thinking of pcr today , holiday is for a week so even if I missed first couple days if Negative and I feel better could go for some of it
Going with friends so if cold symptoms still present i wouldn't go and affect them