Work colleagues are ill and I don't want to be!!!

L121254

So I work in an office type environment and my employer does not pay sick pay. Being as were in the colder months of the year there are more cold symptoms going round than normal.
I have caught 2 REALLY bad colds in the past couple of months that have each resulted in me having to be off work for a couple of days. Coincidentally there have been a couple of workers who no matter how ill they are have insisted on coming in to work so they don't lose pay and in the mean time spread there viruses around. I know people handle colds/flu like symptoms differently but I really don't want it again.
Would it be totally unreasonable to say I'm going home because I don't want to be around ill people?? I would ask management to consider sending the ill people home but where I work that would never happen.
Good health is more important to me than the money but I understand some people work through because they have bills to pay etc so it's a tricky one but I hate how people would come into work knowing they have something that WILL spread to others,very selfish :mad:

iltisman

Invest in one of these and a flu jab.http://www.gasmask-respirators.co.uk/p3-virus--bacteria-filterpro2-full-face-mask-216-p.asp?gclid=CK6VufPyjNECFVUo0wodvCkKlQ

TELLIT01

Sadly that's just the way things are now. People get given warnings if they have too many periods of sickness so they have to come into work even when feeling awful. How long can you afford to be off work for? During the winter months it's likely that there will always be somebody in the office sneezing or coughing. Can you afford to go home every time that happens? If not I'm afraid you'll just have to get on with it like the rest of us.

agrinnall

You could say you're going home, but best case is that you won't be paid for the days that you're not in and worst case is that you'll be dismissed for unauthorised absence. You might get the best case result the first time but if you keep doing it I'm sure the worst case will happen.

daytona0

Luke2611 wrote: »

Good health is more important to me than the money but I understand some people work through because they have bills to pay etc so it's a tricky one but I hate how people would come into work knowing they have something that WILL spread to others,very selfish :mad:

You remind me of someone I work with! They are always bleaching down the workspaces and having a go at me for leaving rubbish on my desk (as long as I move it at the end of the shift, or before they use my desk, I don't give a monkeys).

"good health" and "very selfish" and all that. Yep I've heard those lines

The funny things are:

- Any sterilization or cleaning products you may use will have chemicals which seep into your body, and god knows what impact that has especially when used in excess!

- Some people don't wash their hands after using the toilets. Do you touch things like walls, doors, security locks, shared stationary etc?

- Catching colds may be more beneficial in the long run as it may help you to build up a more healthy immune system.

- You can catch colds from anyone and anywhere! To truly avoid it you'd have to live in an airtight bubble which was maintained by a pure source of oxygen.

- Be grateful that such illnesses aren't putting you on your death bed.

I would be "very selfish" and come into work with a cold, as it is just something which runs its course and never puts me in a state where I cannot do my job properly. I also do limit contact with colleagues as much as possible.

Ultimately disease is a fact of life and you can never truly escape from it. You can either embrace that fact or you can talk about walking out when someone is ill, or taking a few days off when you pick up a cold. That's your choice!

You just won't get much sympathy from your bosses, who only really care about the number of people who have turned up for their shift that day (including the sick ones).

Whilst good health IS more important than money, I always feel that this applies to issues much worse than the common cold!!! Like not drinking/smoking too much, getting enough exercise, wiping your hands after a deposit, not eating raw chicken, going to the doctors at the first sign of trouble and blowing off work for it, going to visit your dying mother even if work tell you that it will be marked as UA. That's when health is more important! Not stressing about the common cold which you can pick up anywhere!

FBaby

I have caught 2 REALLY bad colds in the past couple of months that have each resulted in me having to be off work for a couple of days.

This post really made me laugh. Do you know you are infectious days before you get bad symptoms, ie. you were most likely infectious before you took the days off and therefore you very well could have been the one passing on the virus to those you are accusing of making you ill!!

The reality is that during virus seasons, you are much more likely to catch on, whether in the office, or at home with your child suffering from a cold caught at school, or whilst doing the food shopping. That's how it is. Thankfully, most people, especially when working in an office, manage to get on with it rather than feel that they can only possibly be at home on the sofa if they have a bit of a sore throat or need to blow their nose a few times.

[Deleted User]

You can never tell what is the best thing to do with colds/flu/chest infections. I have asthma so totally dread any upper respiratory tract infection - I've had them last for weeks (cold/then chest infection that just won't clear). Have had times when run down and tired I get everything going. BUT the whole household went down with a really nasty virus, they were all quite ill (even my son's father who normally doesn't get colds) and I didn't get it at all.

I can only assume the offending virus was similiar to something I've had during one of my bad periods.

This happened to me with the last one as well, I just didn't get anything.

Or perhaps my immune system is just stronger now.

You can't avoid them if 'it has your name on it' as has been pointed out - you can get it in so many ways, or from a friend (not work), touching something that's been touched by someone half an hour ago who's just sneezed.., absolutely any way at all.

Stop worrying and just deal with it if it happens. Even with me, I've learned what symptom relief remedies actually help to minimize the effect of a cold, or even a chest infection. It won't really harm you unless you have an underlying condition, just feels awful.

spadoosh

Get over it, you shouldnt be going off work with a 'cold', sniffling, coughing, runny nose and a sore throat are pretty poor reasons to not go in to work (unless theres underlying issues). Its an even worse excuse when youre considering time off because someone else has those symptoms (of which its likely too late for you).

I used to work in retail. I came across 1000's of people a day, over winter many wouldve been ill and been contagious. I wouldve first felt so ashamed to say i m not going in today because other people are ill and wouldve been laughed off the site had i suggested it.

You are supposed to get ill. This is how the body works, you get bacterial and viral infections. Go to the library (or order online if youre worried about germs) and pick up a ks1 science book, should provide you with all the necessary information regarding colds. KS2 and KS3 will provide further detail should you need it.

HardCoreProgrammer

I strongly disagree with the comments above.

Passing lurgies on unknowingly before symptoms develop is one thing, coming to work coughing and spreading the germs/viruses around in the whole office is another thing. I certainly do not want to sit next to somebody doing that all day. With my job, fortunately I can make up some excuse, go home and work from there.

Regardless of what your management thinks of these "excuses", I, as I customer do not want to be served by a shop assistant who is sneezing/coughing in my face, thank you very much.

And I would not dismiss anything as "just a cold". In the news today, a 6 year old boy is in a critical condition after contracting flu and the virus got into his brain.

To the OP, does the person's manager sit close to the person? I suspect the answer is no? Try to create opportunities for the two to talk together. Management will suddenly care when their own health is threatened.

Faith177

HardCoreProgrammer wrote: »

I strongly disagree with the comments above.

Passing lurgies on unknowingly before symptoms develop is one thing, coming to work coughing and spreading the germs/viruses around in the whole office is another thing. I certainly do not want to sit next to somebody doing that all day. With my job, fortunately I can make up some excuse, go home and work from there.

Regardless of what your management thinks of these "excuses", I, as I customer do not want to be served by a shop assistant who is sneezing/coughing in my face, thank you very much.

And I would not dismiss anything as "just a cold". In the news today, a 6 year old boy is in a critical condition after contracting flu and the virus got into his brain.

To the OP, does the person's manager sit close to the person? I suspect the answer is no? Try to create opportunities for the two to talk together. Management will suddenly care when their own health is threatened.

Unfortunately most people in retail do not get paid for the first 3 days of being off sick so for most people they don't have the option to not go into work

In my office people come in when they are poorly because we have the bradford factor scheme so having 1 or 2 days off willy nilly for a basic cold is heavily penalised.

As long as the person isn't leaving gross tissues about and covering their mouth and using antibac handwash then as we are all adults in my office we just get on with it and get the person hot drinks ect or offer paracetamol when needed or go to the shops for them

Upper management who are the ones who make the decisions about sick pay ect are bothered if someone has a cold. They don't seat near the commoners and often have their own office so they don't get subjected to the various bugs in the main office

DigForVictory

I've got a boss at present who has a really strong "ick" response to folk with colds, so she'll send people away from her (if not home) at a sniffle.

A previous incumbent "felt she had to be in" as a subordinate had a major day & brought her stinking cold in with her. The subordinate did just fine, four of the other 7 of us were off sick in the next week with Herself's cold.

Me, I combine multivite with compulsive handwashing &, so far, I've only had minor snuffles this season. When the lads go back to school, I have no doubt they'll brew something horrific that'll deck me, but til then...

I wouldn't take a day off to avoid getting sick. I would play hopscotch around desks (swabbing as I went) & seek to politely avoid them, but I both need the money & face disciplinary for absence even sick. How are you for multivite & for mediation/mindfulness/stress resilience OP, as stress does a number on the immune system?