people coming into work when they are ill

queenhiphop
queenhiphop Posts: 286 Member
in Chit-Chat
i am going to rant.. so yeah.

why do people insist on coming into work when they have a contagious illness? i find it horrific.. i have been at work for 11 hours today sitting next to someone who is coughing and sneezing CONSTANTLY.. i swear no joke.. and there doesn't seem to be any sanitary procedures in place if you get what i mean.

it has upset and bothered me all day as i do not want to get ill, and neither does anyone else around me (i'm sure)

i do understand that sometimes you have to go into work even if you are sick, but why not be more gracious and cough into a tissue or sneeze to the side?

we all have blackberries at my place and we can do the majority of our work from those. and the work that we can't do from a blackberry is not so urgent that we MUST be at our desks every minute of the day.

does anyone else have colleagues like this? am i overreacting? i probably am but hey. i like to be healthy.

/rant x
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Replies

  • dmkirk28
    dmkirk28 Posts: 75 Member
    I don't think you are over reacting!!! I have three kids, If someone gets me sick it runs through ALL three kids and I end up being out of work a lot!!! I tell it straight to them...."Hey if you're coming in sick and I get sick, I'm taking your vacation days !!!!"
  • Leeann1979
    Leeann1979 Posts: 1,090 Member
    I agree with you! I call in when I'm sick. I ended up deathly ill last year and wound up in the hospital and off work for 6 weeks so I don't chance it!
  • stepherzzzzz
    stepherzzzzz Posts: 469 Member
    If you have paid sick days where you work, then sure I agree with you. Where I work we don't get paid if we call in sick and not only that but we have to bring in doctor's notes, which in most cases aren't free. And I don't know about anybody else, but I would feel kinda stupid making a doctor's appointment for a cold.
  • TR0berts
    TR0berts Posts: 7,739 Member
    Just out of curiosity - are you sure it's a contagious illness? I have year-round allergies, so I have issues with sneezing and coughing pretty much all the time. Shots and meds don't help me. That being said, I always try to sneeze/cough into my armpit or elbow.
  • heypurdy
    heypurdy Posts: 196 Member
    I can understand if it is an hourly position and they really need the money, but other than that, stay home.
  • CherryOnionKiss
    CherryOnionKiss Posts: 376 Member
    if i would stay home everytime I am sick i would never be at work.
  • BamsieEkhaya
    BamsieEkhaya Posts: 657 Member
    I don't think you're overreacting but I have had tonsillitis, fever and lost my voice and still told I HAD to go to work ....3 hours into my shift I passed out ended up in hospital.... handed in my resignation when I was discharged from hospital
  • goforkissy
    goforkissy Posts: 157 Member
    Ohhhh, I have one of those right beside me too. Worst part is she insists on coughing and sneezing without covering her mouth. AND she answers my phone while doing it too. She also feels the need to cough and sneeze on the photocopier and fax machine. Not too mention in the staff kitchen area as well. Our VP once used a coffee filter as a mask while talking to her and she still did not get it. I don't understand why she insists on coming to the office while sick. We have paid sick days.... TAKE THEM!!!!!
  • mbk830
    mbk830 Posts: 164 Member
    The times are changing....but not completely. Not that long ago, it was completely unacceptable to call out sick. In the last few years, it has become more acceptable - even encouraged in some circumstances. I can say where I work, for some people it's encouraged and for others it's just lip service. So when I've got a cold, I'm generally there, going to as few meetings as I can, using ridiculous numbers of tissues and lots of hand sanitizer.
  • cwolfman13
    cwolfman13 Posts: 41,865 Member
    It really bothers me as well. If it's an hourly type position, it often cannot be helped...but barring that, it really bugs me. I have co-workers that do this often and it's absolutely ridiculous. I've asked them on occasion why they didn't just stay home or go home and the often answer is that they're actually trying to get brownie points for being such hard chargers. I have employees that I supervise and have told them that they will get the exact opposite of brownie points if they come in all sick as hell...I catch that and then bring it home to my wife and kids...no brownie points there, you're just going to piss me off.
  • nataliefamily3
    nataliefamily3 Posts: 189 Member
    Not only do I not get paid if im sick but sometimes there is no one to cover and or I get a lot of,**** for calling in, so I have to be half dead to get a day off.
  • vim_n_vigor
    vim_n_vigor Posts: 4,089 Member
    Meh, I keep a big bottle (actually, more than one bottle) of hand sanitizer at my desk and clorox wipes at my desk and wipe down my area a few times a day. Sometimes, I'll wipe down others that have colds or flus as well. It really depends on what your work compensates for illness. Some places, people can easily get fired over a few sick days.
  • krissielynn87
    krissielynn87 Posts: 214 Member
    Sorry, but I don't have sick days, nor do I get paid for missing. I need money, I'm here until they send me home.
  • vim_n_vigor
    vim_n_vigor Posts: 4,089 Member
    Sorry, but I don't have sick days, nor do I get paid for missing. I need money, I'm here until they send me home.

    Here is some sanitizer and Clorox wipes....:wink:
  • LauraMacNCheese
    LauraMacNCheese Posts: 7,173 Member
    You can thank the people that abuse sick time for that. We don’t have any here because of that…it’s either sacrifice a vacation day or take a day with no pay. Almost everyone here comes in when they’re sick. I’ve called in sick 2 times in the past 4 years. The last time I was sick towards the end of last year, I lost my voice & was here…and my job revolves around talking on the phone all day. I had no vacation time left & couldn’t afford to miss a day. I was able to stay off the phones unless we were totally slammed because my boss is cool like that…but I was still here. It sucks big hairy donkey balls working when you feel like crap; but you’ve gotta do what you’ve gotta do when it affects your paycheck :grumble:
  • dorianaldyn
    dorianaldyn Posts: 611 Member
    If I were you I would have contacted someone in HR and request that they send the person home.

    When the flu started to reach "epidemic" levels a couple of weeks ago, our CEO sent out a broadcast message that people should stay home if they're sick. That was nice. I actually stayed home sick on Friday because I was feeling like crud. It wasn't the flu, but I still didn't think I should be sharing my mystery virus all over the office!
  • _Timmeh_
    _Timmeh_ Posts: 2,096 Member
    I despise those people. At my work we get a generous amount of sick time...I was just out for 3 days on sick time with a sinus infection.
    But we still have people that think our place of work won't survive without them.
    They had to send out an email pretty much telling people if you are sick stay home....we don't want you here.
  • rockerbabyy
    rockerbabyy Posts: 2,258 Member
    sorry, i dont get paid sick time, and even if i called in i would have to get a doctors note. im not gonna go to the dr for a cold. if i have a fever ill try to stay home, but its usually not an option. if my kids are throwing up or have a fever ill keep them home from school but other than that, theyre out the door.
  • ladynica
    ladynica Posts: 329 Member
    As soon as I read the title I wanted to high five you. I get that people feel obligated to work sick for financial or responsibility reasons, but really, giving the entire workplace full exposure to your illness is just not helping. When I'm sick, I stay home (and it's not like I don't need the money when I'm not working). I just feel like it's a courtesy. If I were in a position where I had a staff, I would send a person who was noticeably sick home without pay (unless they had paid time off accumulated). It's just not right to work sick in my opinion.
  • sissiluv
    sissiluv Posts: 2,205 Member
    To me it depends. If you can a) Afford it and b) get paid sick time then sure, it's not a good idea to go into work. Take advantage of it and get better.
    However if a person CANNOT afford it and doesn't get much in the way of sick time then just avoid them. All they're doing is trying to make a living. Hell I can't count the number of times mom's had to go into work feeling like utter **** because she couldn't afford to stay home and wait it out, just to provide for us.
    Might be why this topic grates on me just a tad lol.
  • sher80bear
    sher80bear Posts: 22 Member
    If you have paid sick days where you work, then sure I agree with you. Where I work we don't get paid if we call in sick and not only that but we have to bring in doctor's notes, which in most cases aren't free. And I don't know about anybody else, but I would feel kinda stupid making a doctor's appointment for a cold.

    Same where I work. We don't have sick days. If we call in sick (less than 24 hours notice) we have to bring in a doctor note. I think it is stupid to waste the doctor's time and my money because I had a cold and needed to stay home for day. I go to work with a cold and use lots of sanitizer. I also try to avoid everyone else and make sure I cover my mouth when I cough. Once I am feeling better, I wipe down my whole work station (especially the keyboard and the phone) with Clorox wipes so I don't re-infect myself. It sucks working when you are sick but some of us don't have an option.
  • krissielynn87
    krissielynn87 Posts: 214 Member
    Sorry, but I don't have sick days, nor do I get paid for missing. I need money, I'm here until they send me home.

    Here is some sanitizer and Clorox wipes....:wink:

    Thanks! :laugh:
    I have sanitizer on my desk, I'm going to invest in clorox wipes soon lol
  • queenhiphop
    queenhiphop Posts: 286 Member
    Interesting. I work in a bank, we have paid sick days. I don't get why is woman has come in so ill. I had norovirus a couple of weeks ago. I stayed the hell at home til I felt better. I am considerate like that :)
  • nc805397
    nc805397 Posts: 223 Member
    I stayed home because I am sick today and i am sure everyone at work appreciated it!
  • SteveJWatson
    SteveJWatson Posts: 1,225 Member
    This thread makes me glad I do not live in your country.

    There is no such thing as 'no sick pay' over here, employers have no choice.


    sadly, I am self employed....
  • queenhiphop
    queenhiphop Posts: 286 Member
    I think most things about the UK should make you feel glad that you don't live in this country.................
  • TraciStivers
    TraciStivers Posts: 116 Member
    Do you have paid sick day? This person may not be able to afford to take off.

    Personally, I do not get paid sick days so I work even when I am sick. However, I also sit alone in an office for eight hours a day. Literally, I am the only person in the building. I have employees that come in and out periodically through the day. But if I am sick I usually sent those 3-4 people a text early in the morning and say "I feel like crap, stay away today!" or something like that, because they do not need to come into the ofice to do their work.
  • TraciStivers
    TraciStivers Posts: 116 Member
    This thread makes me glad I do not live in your country.

    There is no such thing as 'no sick pay' over here, employers have no choice.


    sadly, I am self employed....

    Tell that to the government office I work for! 40 hours a week for the last eight months and I still have no sick pay. I even had surgery the first week of the year and had to miss two days (Yes I came back after two days because I couldn't afford to miss more) and I mentioned it to them then. They were less than sympathetic.
  • abrewer563
    abrewer563 Posts: 122
    We get sick time at my job and people do the same thing. This one guy was sick for like 2 weeks and all I heard all day was him hacking up a lung, sneezing, snorting his snot back in his nose and clearing his throat. I ended up taking the afternoon off because it making me sick to my stomach just hearing it.
  • LMT2012
    LMT2012 Posts: 697 Member
    Anything that does not involve active fever or vomiting ain't all that contagious and a person can work (or kid can go to school) if necessary.
    Take vitamins and use the hand sanitizer.

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