Told school I can't come in tomorrow

[Clarabellawilliamson]

And my god the guilt!! I am not well, no fever or dry cough but muscle aches, headache and sinus so most likely a cold rather than covid but i think I should stay at home until I either get better or worse either way!

Only trouble is, my husband also works in my school and we have said he will be doing the same. I really don't want them to think we are just skiving, as I genuinely think this is in the best interest for public health!!

Are we over reacting? School have asked all teaching and support staff to be in on Monday, and we are expecting approx 50 kids out of 1500 so they shouldn't be short of bodies on the ground....

The guilt got to me too! We're having to self-isolate because of a family member with symptoms (which has since turned out to be a cold) but I can't get the idea that Headteacher will think I'm skiving. I also worry that if either myself or one of my family get it in the near future she definitely won't believe me then!

I’ve had to do the same, and it felt awful. But you ARE doing the right think, and you ARE following the guidelines. And tbh after this over I don’t think this sort of think will be remembered. And just think how much worse you’d feel when your colleagues make it clear that they’d rather you hadn’t come in if you did!

You’re allowed to be ill. You’re allowed to take time off.

Teachers are generally very bad at phoning in sick, less likely to than the general population.

Time to get over that. Even if you haven’t got CV, don’t go in and spread other illnesses. We need healthy staff in only.

Thanks all, I know that this is what I would be saying to anyone else in this situation but its all just so unnatural isn't it!

@looloo247 so now that it's clear it is just a cold, are you finishing the 14 days?

Same. We're isolating because of a cough dd2 developed. School were 100% clear I was doing the right thing but I've felt awful lounging around at home while there was chaos last week. I'm not a teacher but can only imagine what it was like in the office. I feel so useless.

@Clarabellawilliamson my son is still coughing a lot so to be on the safe side we're doing the 14 days, my HT has sorted a total to cover key worker and vulnerable children until Easter and hasn't included me on it. I'll be getting on with other tasks and planning as and when I can though

@noblegiraffe You're right about teachers being awful at phoning in sick - under normal circumstances there's always staff in when they should probably be at home recovering!

Same. I started with a persistent dry cough on Friday. No temperature but it’s uncomfortable to breathe. Other than that, I feel totally fine so it’s hard to stay off work when I don’t really feel ill. The guilt is horrendous as we will have lots of children in school tomorrow.
I read something today that said unless you 100% know it’s not CV, treat it like it is, so that’s what I am doing.
I’m locked away in my room away from DH and the DC, with a walkie talkie so they can tell me what they are up to

Thanks everyone, obviously I'd rather no one was ill- but it's nice to know that I'm not the only one who feels like this! Take it easy everyone, and keep smiling!

There is no way they should be asking all staff to be in for 100nkids anyway, that is ridiculous! It's meant to be closed to help stop the spread, that's just making it worse!
We've been told no coming in unless you're on the the rota of 5 staff a day for up to 30 kids, then after that they will see.
You're following guidelines, as you should be, I'm doing the same, both my kids are coughing, I have a tight chest, so that's us for 14 days.
The teacher guilt is real but just ignore it, nothing you can do!

Yup, I'm asthmatic and I've had to tell them I will be off for at least 8 weeks or until I've had it. Oh the guilt, especially for something like asthma. We have such good medication we feel asthma isn't serious, but it is. I really had to battle with myself.

I am support staff in a large inner city secondary school. I have been asked to report for work as usual tomorrow. I don't know what is expected of me or how many students we are expecting.
This is filling me with anxiety. I wasn't expecting to be front line staff and we don't have any ppe to use. As my job is school based and I can't work remotely I am worried that I will be exposed more than those who can. This is such a nightmare and I feel like hiding under a stone.

You're only supposed to stay off if you have a cough and/or fever, so you're not following the guidelines. Most of the workforce would be out if whole families self-isolated at every runny nose.