Should you go to the office or work from home with a cold? Snotty Brits are divided

Brits are torn on whether to soldier through their cold or work from home (Picture: Shutterstock / PeopleImages) Is dragging yourself into the office with a cold a sign of true dedication, or an inconsiderate move that puts your colleagues at risk? As working from home has become a standard part of modern employment, office culture is facing a new clash of opinions. While some cling to the ‘tough it out’ mindset, others argue that spreading germs when you have the option to work remotely and get ahead of the cold before it worsens is completely unnecessary. According to data from the Office for National Statistics, the average UK worker took roughly 4.4 sick days in 2025. This resulted in an estimated 148.8 million working days being lost because of sickness or injury, down 0.1 million from 2024, but a stark increase of 9.8 million working days from the pre-pandemic 2019 level. The highest rates of sickness involve women, older workers, those with long-term health conditions, people working part-time, and people working in the public sector and process, plant and machine operative occupations. Should you still come into the office? (Picture: Getty Images) What do people think? On TikTok, @tempzz00 said: ‘If I ain’t nauseous, and physically I’m able to get out of bed, then I’m healthy enough to work. It’ll feel like I’m lying to myself.’ In a similar vein @000_mentallyunstable_000 said: ‘I refuse to stay home while sick. It’s called pop a pill and go to work.’ On Reddit, a cold wasn’t enough to miss the commute for @katrivers, who added they would rather ‘go to work with a mask on’ than work from home, ‘unless I’m feeling really unwell or have a fever.’ Ask Metro Use AI to go deeper into the stories you care about – powered by Metro and trusted publications. @ice-mirrors_97 wrote: ‘I am a pretty dedicated person, so unless I’m throwing up, have a fever or a major headache, I will usually just toughen it out and go anyways.’ While @fernX02 simply argued: ‘Go to work and suffer.’ But not everyone agreed with this. ‘As someone with an autoimmune disorder, I get pretty upset when coworkers come into work contagious,’ wrote @sapphic.spaghetti on TikTok. @imkeeleyknight exclaimed,: ‘There is no reason for people to come and spread their illness to others,’ which @brookefilippini_ agreed with, calling it ‘disrespectful.’ On Reddit, @peachneuman said it’s best to work remotely if unwell, writing: ‘As a manager, this is what I tell my team to do. Do not come into the office sick.’ What do health experts say? ‘Having a cold does not necessarily mean you are too unwell to work, but it is worth thinking about the people around you,’ health expert Thorrun Govind tells Metro. ‘Colds are caused by viruses and can spread quite easily. Especially in shared indoor spaces. If you have the option to work from home, why expose your colleagues to an infection unnecessarily? Being considerate of other people’s health is just as important as getting through your to-do list.’ The health expert adds: ‘There is sometimes an unhelpful culture around presenteeism, where people feel they have to demonstrate commitment by physically turning up. But coming into the office with a cold is not necessarily a sign of dedication. Sometimes the more responsible decision is to stay at home.’ Many say, keep your feet up and rest rather than going into the office (Picture: Getty Images) But she notes working from home should not become an expectation when somebody is genuinely unwell. ‘If you need rest and recovery, take the time to do that.’ What do managers and employers think? James Ryan, CEO of Compare Builders, thinks it’s ‘an outdated attitude’ the being physically present in the office demonstrates commitment. ‘I don’t subscribe to that,’ he says. ‘What might start as one employee having a bit of a cold can turn into several people being ill over the following week. From a business point of view, that’s counterproductive.’ If you need to stay at home, it protects your colleagues, too (Picture: Shutterstock / Photoroyalty) This is a sentiment Chartered Management Institute’s Director of Policy and External Affairs, Petra Wilton, echoes. ‘Dragging a streaming cold into an open-plan office isn’t a badge of honour — it risks knocking out your colleagues and damaging the wider team’s productivity,’ she says. However, she warns flexibility shouldn’t be exploited in order to maintain mutual trust. ‘Using the lingering tail end of a minor cold as an excuse to avoid the office impacts in-person collaboration and team connection,’ she says. Petra also warns of the dangers of riding out the illness, saying, ‘Being able to log on from the sofa shouldn’t mean feeling pressured to never switch off.’ Ultimately, this comes down to good leadership and management. That means having the common sense to stay away when you’re genuinely infectious, the integrity to return once you’re on the mend, and the confidence to take real time off when you simply need to rest.’ What should you do if you have a cold and the option to work from home? Stay home and work remotely.Check Go to the office with precautions.Check Take a sick day and rest.Check Do you have a story you’d like to share? Get in touch by emailing MetroLifestyleTeam@metro.co.uk Arrow MORE: Christmas holiday dates to book now for 16 days off with just 6 days’ annual leave Arrow MORE: Job adverts to be legally required to include salary information Arrow MORE: The rare but treatable disorder Euphoria’s Eric Dane’s ALS was mistaken for