Teachers or anyone really how ill do you have to be to stay off work?

[flouncerpoppedbackforadvice]

I am on my third nasty bug of the term, have had 2 days off so far and am home today.

On Thursday I had a headache and sore throat but went in. On Friday I went in to teach with no voice and genuinely thought I was going to pass out with exhuastion. My head was banging, there was not way I could teach but feeling guilty I went in.

This weekend I have been ill all weekend in bed, awful coughing fits which have left me very sore, real dizziness, complete exhaustion and awful headaches whicb i think are sinisitus. I have made my whole family ill as well. I think I am fine until I go to do something, if I get out of bed or even sit up the whole room spins. If I try to talk I get a mad coughing fit which leaves me in agony.

I wamted to go to work today but dp phoned up the teacher who I go in with an told he not to collect me and turned the alarm off so I slept through.

I just know I am going to get into trouble when I get back to work but I do feel awful and know if I went in to work I would just make others ill over Christmas.

If you're ill. you're ill.

Cautionary tale. Teacher at DH's school went in when she had a 'tummy bug'. It turned out to be a nasty gastric virus that swept through the school, resulting in the school being closed down for a day (too many staff off sick) and Environmental Health being called in.

Made the front page of the local paper.

FGS - there is no virtue in being a martyr and taking everyone down with you. I wish people who are ill would keep their germs to themselves and stay at home.

Also, heed my cautionary tale - I attempted to work through a bad flu and throat infection because I felt too pressured and guilty to take time off (thoughts of all the caseload piling up that no one would deal with etc.) It developed into a post viral syndrome - I was off work with complete debility and exhaustion for three months and was really quite ill for at least 2 years after that. That was in 2001. I've only been back to normal the last 3 years I'd say.

I am not being a martry but I could teach today and I had three exam classes who also missed me when I was off on Monday. There are loads of teachers off at the moment so people with a sniffle have to come in. I have to say that is at my school at the moment nobody came in who had germs there would be a few kids and that would be it.

My dd primary school was talking about combining classes to deal with absence today.

at £100 gift voucher.

Sorry, I wasn't aiming that at you specifically Twinset, it's the whole concept that irritates me.

You did not describe your illness as a sniffle in your OP. Of course I would go into work with a sniffle, as would anyone. But with the flu (proper flu I mean) you have to rest, or you could cause no end of problems for yourself. Take it from someone who knows.

I dont have a sniffle actually you are right and to be honest in any other job I would have taken the day off to completely rest. I did make it to the end if the day and think I now have a sniffle but I did not know that when I woke up.

It is so hard though to break the cycle or challenge the culture of a place that believes dedicated people dont take time off, particularly when new and when it is taxpayers money that funds you sitting under a duvet.

I agree it is very difficult to go against the grain where that's the culture. That's what led to my illness in fact. I'm not a teacher btw, but I am public sector so I get the whole taxpayer thing. In my old job my boss was seemingly always ill with one thing and another, yet always, always struggled into work. She also worked really really long hours. That made me, the only person working under her, feel really really guilty if I took any time off.

Now this place people tend to stay home if they're ill. You can phone in sick and say you expect to be off for 2 days, or 3 days. Previously I've always phoned in and said I'd try to make it in the afternoon - often did and then regretted it. And guess what - after getting all the new bugs out of the way (moved across the country) I hadn't had a sick day all year until two weeks ago with this bloody flu thing. I think there's a link - it's a healthier culture where I work now.

You are right twinkle, I have had bug after bug this term because everyone is like me and we keep coming in when we are ill and infecting each other. It is daft really but it does need someone senior to stand up and say this needs to stop.

I know of a school that was really badly hit by a flu bug and the head sent a letter home to families and told staff that they were to stay at home the moment they suspected flu and not to return.

I am hoping that I am doing all the new bugs having moved to the other end of the country and that next term will be much better,

I hope so too.

Investors in People is not a qualification that many non-educational businesses take very seriously. My husband was head of quality at a big PLC and regarded it as fairly unimportant.

Our school, having had it for two years, doesn't think it's worth the money (nine hundred pounds) and time involved.