To go to work with a positive test

[Pleaseletmesleepin]

I am a teacher in a secondary school and the Head is very strict about attendance and the work piles up very quickly if you miss any time at all . Today I woke up with a sore throat and a cough . Did a test and it is positive. Technically I feel well enough to work and I am scared to phone in sick but it feels wrong to be so close to all of the pupils . Please help me with the right thing to do .

Wonder what the op does

So ask the head and let her decide.

@Pleaseletmesleepin

She hasn’t issued any guidance. I am genuinely scared of the backlash of not going in .

Literally ask her herself and ask her to decide what you should do. Mind you, under section 7 of the H&S at Work Act you could then be liable if someone got sick from COVID, but it could be your boss who takes that flack if they decide you should come in. I wouldn't go in though because I would fear a criminal record over losing my job.

so what happened op

Shes went in

What?!
That’s just wrong, OP.

I was guessing, based on the fact she's not came back

Hi everyone , I didn’t go in. The reply asking for cover was very abrupt and I will eat it with extra cover when I go back , but I feel that I did the right thing after listening to you all .I do , however , appreciate that I am privileged to have sick pay .

Well done @Pleaseletmesleepin

Good. Just found out a neighbour of mine (late 40s) has had a brain aneurysm and is in hospital. She had covid the week before. Don’t know if it’s linked but the person who gave covid to her is feeling pretty bad about it.

You would think workplaces would be following public health guidance, and that managers would be issuing guidance to staff in teams- but this really isn't happening everywhere. I'm a nurse and employed by the NHS, our guidance is clear that we isolate if positive. However, I work in the community and am kind of sub contracted into children's social services. Non of the social workers in the team have been issued with guidance on what to do if they test positive, and most ( when discussing yesterday ), presumed they come into work if feeling well enough whether positive or not.

@Pleaseletmesleepin

I will eat it with extra cover when I go back ,

What does this even mean?

@Blogblogblogblog

That’s a ridiculous way to think of it, we never tried to work out who gave us the flu, or a vomming bug.

Ridiculous it may be but the person knows they gave the hospitalised one covid and now feels awful.

[quote OnceuponaRainbow18]@Pleaseletmesleepin

I will eat it with extra cover when I go back ,

What does this even mean?[/quote]
That she'll be punished with all of her legally mandated prep time (a whopping 10% of teaching time ie. a couple of hours a week) being used to cover lessons. There are some very spiteful and very short sighted HTs out there. Some good ones too obviously.