Do you go into work when feeling like this?

[Christmasmagic2025]

I am off work luckily for the holidays but feeling really poorly due to a nasty cold. My sickness absence at work is really bad, just sitting here thinking that if today was a normal working day… would I go in? Situation is I am pregnant so not much I can take apart from paracetamol. The issue is I never ever just catch a normal cold, every time it is horrendous. I am talking snot constantly streaming and dripping down my face, sore swollen throat, banging headache, earache and sinus pain. Last night I literally couldn’t sleep as my nose wouldn’t stop. I am really going into 2026 trying to make a big effort to keep my absence down. I work as a receptionist in the NHS, my role is both patient facing and in the office within our clinic. In the circumstances above would you go in? It’s funny though because I get so bunged up I can barely pronounce words properly so speaking with patients is not going to be fun while constantly blowing my nose. Although technically I COULD survive… I think when it comes to me again, as we are only in December it probably will be passed around again this winter, I am going to try and go in. Just wondering what everyone else does with a nasty cold, not just the odd sniffle?

In your position, I’d assume that even if I dragged myself into work in that state I’d get sent straight back home. Especially if you’re patient facing.

I mainly WFH now but when we did have to go into the office every day, the colleague who sat next to me came in with a cold like that, croaking about how rotten she felt. There were eight of us in a fairly small room.

I objected. The manager sent her home. And none of us were vulnerable as far as I know.

No, I’d work from home but appreciate that’s not an option for you so I’d call in sick. No one patient or customer facing should be streaming in snot!!

I wouldn’t because I can wfh so would do that. I only take time off work sick if I really can’t work. If I couldn’t wfh and was patient facing like you then I’d probably wouldn’t go in on the worst days of what you have.

I'm a teacher and I would probably go sadly. It's difficult when you can't work from home. I've gone to work with no voice at times.

That’s the thing I could definitely go in, use hand gel, ask if there is any way I can be sat as far away from other colleagues and wear a mask. I really want to make the effort in future, right now I am shocked at how my nose can produce so much liquid, I have used a whole box of tissues since waking up this morning. It’s so easy to just call in sick when feeling horrendous but I wonder if other people drag themselves in, the expectation is that we all do the same. I will see how I go but next time I may head in and then if I do need to leave at least they can see I have tried to make an effort. Does anyone have any thoughts on how to boost my immune system? I have never really had a normal cold… always feel so ill. I can’t even hold a conversation without having to blow my nose so in this state there is no way I could speak to patients face to face, over the phone I might just have to keep putting them on hold. I feel really guilty about my sickness score, but really I do think it is unfair, the whole system.

If you feel really unwell and you have something contagious, you should stay at home. That goes double for someone who works in the NHS in a patient-facing role. You may well encounter people in your job who are clinically extremely vulnerable and who may become significantly more unwell than you with 'just' a cold. If you are immune-suppressed or have a serious underlying condition a cold can land you in hospital. Staying at home is the responsible thing to do and also the right thing for you.

I wonder if other people drag themselves in

Yes, some people do, and generally speaking their fellow commuters and colleagues wish they'd bloody stayed at home with their germs, rather than spreading them around everyone else!!

I wouldn't go in feeling like that as I wouldn't be able to do my job - dripping snot over composite material will probably have a negative effect on its strength properties which could cause serious issues. Even if I did go in I'd probably be sent home.
I would not want you to be in work either if I was a patient there, so in your shoes I would not go in.

I have the same lurgy at the moment , I'm on leave anyway but I certainly wouldn't be going into work with this. I work mainly from home so I would continue doing the work. Last year I was off work completely for 6 weeks with acute sinusitis. To be honest if you're pregnant they just have to accept any additional sick leave anyway.

No, I would not go into work. I don’t work in a hospital where I may be in close quarters with clinically vulnerable people like you are. You definitely should not go in. The English culture of presenteeism isn’t going to change unless people just stop going in to work when they are sick. I’ve even used my annual holiday allowance instead of sick allowance when sick if my employer has some stupid rule like 3 sick days in 6 mos = a performance meeting.

I can… wear a mask… I am shocked at how my nose can produce so much liquid, I have used a whole box of tissues since waking up this morning.

These two bits really don’t go well together.

Absolutely not! If you work in the NHS and are patient facing, there are lots of clinically vulnerable people that could get really ill.
I agree with the poster that says we should stop doing this. My daughter lives in Australia, did the " British" thing of turning up to her work with a heavy cold, and wasn't allowed to work and was IMMEDIATELY sent home by her manager, and they paid her.
They don't believe in people coming to work ill ( maybe not every company), they don't want everyone off ill.

The difference in the nhs though is that although they’ll send you home if you come in haemorrhaging snot, you’ll also get into trouble for being sent home. There’s been a few posts on MN recently about how cushy nhs sick leave policies are but in reality large chunks of the nhs are actually pretty toxic and needing time off sick can be really difficult.

I can't comment on improving your immune system but I swear by this 4 times a day at this time of year. https://www.boots.com/boots-dual-defence-nasal-spray-20ml-10220406

I used it routinely all last winter and avoided getting any colds (despite being in an office full of them) and so far so good this year too. It specifically says safe for pregnancy.

There are mixed reviews but reading them the people who say it doesn't work tried to use it to cure a cold that is already in full swing whereas it works best to prevent.

Used to work in a school and then a college, so felt like I only had 3 weeks between October - March without some virus or another.

I’ll +1 the recommendation for Boots’ dual defence nasal spray. I also swear by Boots’ anti-viral hand foam, which a former colleague introduced me to over 10 years ago. As it says on the label, it’s anti-viral as well as anti-bacterial and with it being a foam, it’s not as drying on the skin as anti-bacterial hand sanitizer gels are.
I don’t get anywhere near as many colds as I used to using both and I always use them before going on aeroplanes/public transport this time of year.
You have to remember to use them regularly throughout the day.

Echinacea supplements are worth trying to boost your immune system too. I’ve been using the A. Vogel Echinaceaforce brand - tablet form these days - which I buy from Tesco. Start taking it lat summer and then throughout the cold/flu season.

Yes but if I was pregnant no I wouldn’t but I’d tell them it was pregnancy related.

I recommend taking Echinacea drops a day to boost your immune system. Also drink ginger and lemon tea (pukka do nice bags) or stew a piece of ginger, turmeric and lemon in a tea pot then drink the water . Plenty of green veg. Get outside as much as possible. I went to work with the shitty cold you describe but I am in an office on my own and my colleagues had the choice to avoid me

I probably would go. I work for the NHS too & considering their businesses, they are highly intolerant to sickness from employees. It’s absolutely not right & I feel their approach is punitive.

I would go in but not if I was pregnant. When you are pregnant you are tired enough as it is. Working when sick and pregnant is too much and most people understand this. Also I think your sickness record when pregnant is treated differently than it normally is.

If you weren’t pregnant I would recommend using Kaloba tablets, which are very effective at stopping cold symptoms, but I don’t think you can use them if you’re pregnant.

I would not. When I am in the grip of a heavy cold like that, with a high temp, my head hurts so much I just need peace and dim lights. Paracetamol and two days on the sofa are my usual cure.

NHS so yes no choice not to go in.

We relocate after Christmas. It will be interesting to see a nee work culture. Maybe.

You probably know this @Christmasmagic2025 but be warned that pregnancy related sickness in the last 4 weeks of the pregnancy can trigger your mat leave early so I wouldn't say the sickness absence is pregnancy related unless it genuinely is (a cold is not).

https://maternityaction.org.uk/advice/sickness-during-pregnancy-and-maternity-leave/