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Spring is almost here...
1 of 1- MorningMia
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A vent: Sick people coming to work
I and four others work part-time in an 9-person organization, so we do not have paid sick days. We part-timers are also not allowed to work from home. BUT the head of our department, someone who does tend to be inconsiderate/oblivious, has come in sick every day since she came down with something last Wednesday--visibly, audibly sick. Then she insisted on holding a meeting. This is someone who can very easily work from home. She chose not to.
Since last week, one part-timer became very sick and has missed at least two days of (unpaid) work; a f/t employee had her weekend ruined because was sick by last Friday; another f/t person was terrified, as she starts her vacation today and didn't want that ruined; and now I am feeling under the weather (but fighting it).
It's very awkward to ask our boss to stay the hell home when she's sick. I think what I'm going to do next time someone rolls in the office hacking and sniffling and downing throat lozenges like candy is pack up, go home, and just tell them I'm working from home--I don't care what the "rules" are. My rules = Don't get everyone around you sick. Not sure how else to handle it as we head into cold and flu season. It's maddening.
When someone shows you who they are, believe them.
- WarMachine13-Mod
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Re: A vent: Sick people coming to work
People want to believe they're indispensable and/or worry about no pay. 
- Rags
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Re: A vent: Sick people coming to work
With the advent of COVID the paradigm has changed. Prior to the Rona, I would go to work if I had the sniffles or a cough. Historically my stuff is overwhelmingly allergy related so I did not think I was putting anyone at risk.
Since COVID... I am all in as team STAY THE HELL AT HOME IF YOU ARE SICK! With the advent of the age of the virus (Pick your flavor of flu, COVID, RSV, etc..) people need to have some respect for the health of others.
IMHO of course.
Last edited by Rags (9/04/2025 1:08 pm)
If you can't listen, learn, & think, you will have to feel. - WLR
- ESMOD
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Re: A vent: Sick people coming to work
I'm with you Mia.. I HATE.. DETEST when people come into work sick. In my job there is no real reason for it. We get AMPLE sick time.. like a total of 240 hours bank of sick leave (I mean.. some of it becomes partial pay at some point.. and you would be required to show dr's notes after a few days.. but we have plenty).
Plus, we have a 3 day in office schedule.. so we already have latitude to work remotely so you would think people would be more mindful of coming in when they are under the weather.
With everyone going back to school.. it seems that things have just ramped up. I went to the grocery story last week and there was a mom and a daughter and the girl was acting very snuffly.. well.. was it a coincidence that I was knocked out flat for my entire 4 day holiday weekend. I never got any real head cold.. but I had to take naps every day to get through.. and I never take naps. I felt fine by tuesday morning to go into the office.. but had a dentist appt that morning.. and had a surprise extraction!!! and have temporary bridge/crown work on all my top front teeth and immediately ended up going home that day.. and have worked from home since. I will start fresh next week
It gets me with travel too. I mean.. I get it.. you have a cruise planned.. and it's half ignore.. half wishful thinking that you go anyway.. but they ask you at the check in if you have had symptoms.. and people lie completely through their teeth.. We went on a 16 day cruise a couple years ago and so many people started out sick.. and just about everyone was sick by the end.. including US.
- Yesterdays
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Re: A vent: Sick people coming to work
Me and my son are sick with a bad cold. My husband picked it up from work where the people must be going to work sick. There's no excuse for his work... They can easily call in sick. And now we're all sick... Day 3 for me. Coughing, sore throat, sneezing and headache
- MorningMia
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Re: A vent: Sick people coming to work
Rags wrote:
With the advent of COVID the paradigm has changed. Prior to the Rona, I would go to work if I had the sniffles or a cough. Historically my stuff is overwhelmingly allergy related so I did not think I was putting anyone at risk.
Since COVID... I am all in as team STAY THE HELL AT HOME IF YOU ARE SICK! With the advent of the age of the virus (Pick your flavor of flu, COVID, RSV, etc..) people need to have some respect for the health of others.
IMHO of course.
Exactly. I used to do that, too. I'd bring disinfectant wipes and wipe down doorknobs, etc. (I still should have stayed the hell home!). But it's a different time we're living in. Even had this woman chosen to wear a mask, I would have felt somewhat differently/less annoyed. Instead, she sashayed around the building--even went to a 40-person workshop and luncheon outside of the office--hacking in everyone's air space & spreading her germs.
**I've been taking vitamin C, Tylenol, eating soup, using my trusty salt water nasal irrigation thing, and I'm feeling normal again today. 
When someone shows you who they are, believe them.
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