Money Moral Dilemma: Should you risk spreading the lurgy to colleagues?

Music_man_5

I had this dilemma this week - after a weekend of coughing + expectorating went in because I have lots to do but a colleague felt it was endangering his health and I felt he was right and went home.Fortunately I get sick pay but always feel guilty when I'm not at my desk when I shud be.I was born in an age when you went to work whatever.Too many people take the opportunity for a day off without good reason.

aurion22

I'd get paid anyway but I don't want to face the inevitable chaos caused by other people covering my lessons. I usually just take something to dry up the cold so I can function. Luckily I only teach part-time so I don't have to struggle through a whole day. I know I'm not 100% but there's now a system of being "called in" by Senior Management to account for yourself if you're off for more than a specified number of days in a set period. It's gross the number of kids who come in sniffling, sneezing & coughing .. without even a tissue!

martin2410

Well, I would be fuming if someone came in to work with a stomach bug. I have an illness that means, any stomach bug, winter vomiting bug or anything else stomach illness related would mean I WOULD get that illness. This is not me making things sound worse than they are-it is true facts straight from a consultants mouth. If I am ill, I take time off. I dont care about sickness records, bradford factors or any other rubbish statistics, if Im ill, dont expect me in. I would love to be sent to a company doctor, then perhaps he/she can find out whats wrong with me-because nobody else can. If your ill, your ill, stay at home and puke in your own toilet, not the comunal ones at work.

Paddington

englishmac wrote: »

If you are well enough to debate whether you should go to work or not, you are well enough to work.

That depends on how responsible your job is and what the impact of your decision-making will be. Fine if it's a routine task but what if you have other people's lives in your hands? You'd need to be alert enough to cope with events that you can't necessarily plan for. It changes the picture somewhat.

ajd3

Hmmm, lots of interesting replies.
I had 'flu 7 (nearly 8) years ago, took 4 days off work (+ w/end) then went back to work. I lasted less than an hour, went home and within 12 hours I was in hospital with meningitis. I had 9 weeks off work (should have been much, much longer but my GP didn't know anything about recovery from meningitis) and needed lots of time off as my immune system was wrecked and I got every cough & splutter that was going. My incompetent line manager, despite being told by Occupational Health doctor that I had suffered a brain injury and was making good progress and main recovery would happen in the first 5 years after illness, managed to get me transferred out of the job I had done since leaving college (in the career I had wanted since I was 13) and into one where I was potentially going to take a £10k pay cut (prior to meningitis I'd barely had a day off sick in 14 years). Luckily the line manager I now work for did all he could to help and the pay cut was 'only' £6k. I still feel very aggrieved and though my heath is a lot better, I still have days when I am suffering the after effects of the disease and can't work.
During the period of acute illness and recovery, I was well aware of people within the organisation who were 'swinging the lead' even within the department I worked in but I was an easy target for the incompetent line manager as I was to ill to stand up for myself.
My point is that flu (or very bad cold) can develop into other things with a lot worse consequences.

englishmac

Paddington wrote: »

That depends on how responsible your job is and what the impact of your decision-making will be. Fine if it's a routine task but what if you have other people's lives in your hands? You'd need to be alert enough to cope with events that you can't necessarily plan for. It changes the picture somewhat.

The level of responsibility would be part and parcel of the decision. If you are not fit to meet your responsibilities including health and safety aspects then there is no debate - you are not fit for work. And your employer should not be stupid enough to coerce you to work if you are putting others at risk.

englishmac

ajd3 wrote: »

Hmmm, lots of interesting replies.
I had 'flu 7 (nearly 8) years ago, took 4 days off work (+ w/end) then went back to work. I lasted less than an hour, went home and within 12 hours I was in hospital with meningitis. I had 9 weeks off work (should have been much, much longer but my GP didn't know anything about recovery from meningitis) and needed lots of time off as my immune system was wrecked and I got every cough & splutter that was going. My incompetent line manager, despite being told by Occupational Health doctor that I had suffered a brain injury and was making good progress and main recovery would happen in the first 5 years after illness, managed to get me transferred out of the job I had done since leaving college (in the career I had wanted since I was 13) and into one where I was potentially going to take a £10k pay cut (prior to meningitis I'd barely had a day off sick in 14 years). Luckily the line manager I now work for did all he could to help and the pay cut was 'only' £6k. I still feel very aggrieved and though my heath is a lot better, I still have days when I am suffering the after effects of the disease and can't work.
During the period of acute illness and recovery, I was well aware of people within the organisation who were 'swinging the lead' even within the department I worked in but I was an easy target for the incompetent line manager as I was to ill to stand up for myself.
My point is that flu (or very bad cold) can develop into other things with a lot worse consequences.

I have every sympathy for you. This is a genuine case of someone needing (and deserving) the support of a good employer to help them through a difficult and sustained period, in return for the proof of good long term service. Luckily most people will not experience worse consequences. Unfortunately the skivers spoil it for everyone else.

amberjet_2

It would depend on a lot of things.

Weather I could avoid my collegues.
How my manager would react ... I have had some who refused to re-hire freelancers who took a day off.
If it was possible it could gert worse through my not resting ... somethings you take two days off and get better but if you carry on working and get rest you end up flat on your back for a week.
Most of the time I'd be able to talk to my boss and ask if I could delay the work for a few days/work from home/switch shifts ect

I have been displined in one job because I refused to do cover when I had a sprained ankle. Even though I continued to do my contracted hours. But I was a lot happier with the less money I got in the subsequent employment than I had ever been since that boss took over.

mr-tom_2

Hi,
I know this will seem like a strong opinion to some, but I think it is totally wrong to show up at work and infect your colleagues.
If you punched them it would be considered assault, even if they weren't badly hurt, but if you send them to bed for a week, that's somehow OK?
I once worked next to a chap who came in with viral tonsillitis. By the time the outbreak ended, 70 staff had been signed off sick, all likely from this first idiot.

I think employers have a duty to be more responsible about sick time too. It is short-sighted to expect people to come in to work when sick because they will infect others and have a far bigger negative effect than their absence would. Even with temps etc, I would simply pay them to stay away. And I'm a manager so I can do that.

I'm also fortunate enough to be able to work from home sometimes, so if I've got man flu, I stay home, still get all the work done and nobody else gets sick. Surely this can be the norm nowadays unless one is in a manufacturing job where you can't have a small factory in your garage?

Cotku

I have bills and I am forking out for medicine - I need the money.

I might try a mask to reduce the chance of infecting people but if I don't work, I don't get paid. It's what I have been told at work myself. I will need to apply for SSP but this will not cover my bills.

I took an afternoon off three weeks ago but I have been battling a virus that culminated in a chest infection and I am still suffering, albeit far less now than then.

The only time I am off work is if I am physically incapable of driving myself to work as it indicates I am not fit to operate machinery.