I often catch a cold when flying. Do sick day(s) immediately following vacation look suspicious?

Question

Anybody have any suggestions? I've heard that those "Airborne" pills are just a scam. Do they actually work for any of you?

If any answerers are managers, do you get suspicious if your employees take sick days immediately after a vacation?

Next time this happens, should I just go to work even though I'm sick? I don't want to infect my coworkers, but I also don't want my boss to think I'm lying and still at the beach or something.

In case it would affect anyone's answer, I am in a salaried position in the US.

Answer 1

Catching a cold while flying is not unusual.  Even on a short flight, ( say, Baltimore to Orlando)) that 's still 2  hours, of being closer to a stranger than you would ever be, anywhere else.

  Unless you have developed a reputration of being a "call in sick" artists, at work  I, as a supervisor, who has  been in tight airline cabin spaces  myself, , would not question you.

Answer 2

I don't think it would be too suspicious. If you explained to your boss, I'm sure he/she would understand. And even if you don't , they might think you have jet-lag.

:)

Answer 3

If you get sick often after flying (it's kind of understandable because of the air conditioning aboard), I'd consider wise to tell this to your boss BEFORE the trip.

I'm a manager in the IT area, and I prefer employees not to come to the office if they feel / are sick.

If you fly often, and most of the time get sick, then, again, tell this to your boss beforehand.

Answer 4

As a manager, it doesn't bother me if employees take a sick day after vacation as long as it doesn't happen all the time.  If it happens too often I get suspicious as to whether the person is really sick or just doesn't feel like coming in to work that day.

As for the "Airborne" scam, all I can tell you is it works for me and my wife.

Here's a suggestion:  When you go on vacation, you might consider returning the Saturday before you have to go back to work.  That'll give you an entire day to unpack, unwind, and (if you need to) recover from the air travel bug.

Answer 5

Airborne isn't a 'scam' - they got in trouble with the FTC/FDA for advertising it as one thing when it should have been advertised as another.