Colleagues coming into work when they're not well

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liaconn

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A guy in work came in on Monday looking ashen and telling us he'd been up all night getting sick but had to come in because he's sooo busy.
As a result, I was out of work wednesday afternoon and all day yesterday with a stomach bug and two other people are out with it today. Therefore 3 people have now missed at least a day each at work because this idiot thought it was more important that he came in to work than avoided giving the bug to the rest of us. He is the kind of guy that loves telling people he's only had one sick day in the last ten years. I wonder how many sick day's he's been responsible for though.
Why do people come into work sneezing all over everyone, running out to the loo to throw up etc and think this somehow makes them employee of the year? All they're doing is being a nuisance.
 
It can often be management's fault. I worked in a place once where the boss never believed that anyone was sick ever. I actually thought she might be a solar-powered robot but that's a different story. The only time I was ever happy to call in sick was when I had a concussion with visible bruising and had been to hospital - she couldn't dispute it.
 
Lots of bosses frown on employees taking sick days and with most people worried about their jobs as it is, there will be more and more people coming in sick

Anyway, maybe you and the other 2 people who pulled a sickie should just "man it up" a bit more
 
I did not 'pull a sickie' I was genuinely ill. And bosses who make it difficult for ill employees to take sick leave are being very short sighted. They're just going to end up with more sick staff working below par, making mistakes and passing their illness on.
 
Liaconn - I totally agree with you. Especially with air conditioning, bugs get passed round our office so fast - it drives me mad, we had a spate of sinus infections last year, because the people wouldnt stay home and were sneezing their way through the day with the air con kindly distributing the sneeze droplets around the office!!!

Come in with something non contagious if you like, but if youve got something air transmissable - stay at home!!!
 
Employers have to get the balance right, if you have a policy that people shouldn't be in if they could be contagious then you will have a batch of people ringing in sick because the have the sniffles... probably on a monday morning!. If they make it known that you are expected in even when sick then you have everybody in office being exposed to germs.

It should really be up to the individual to use their heads, if they genuinely feel very unwell don't go in and be considerate towards your colleagues, particularly with stomach bugs etc. Employers as well should pay attention and if somebody looks unwell and is coughing/sneezing everywhere, send them home for the day.
 
I agree, Ney. There's a happy medium between, on the one hand, having chancers ringing in every second week with minor ailments and, on the other, employees being encouraged to think they're being great by dragging themselves in with infectious illnesses. Employers need to make it clear that while they don't appreciate people being constantly out sick, neither do they approve of staff coming in when they're obviously not fit for work and are just going to annoy their colleagues by spreading germs, making mistakes and so on.
 
Its partly the design of open plan offices. They are designed to spread bugs. What happened to 3 or 4 people in one office with a door and local air con?

Employers should have the right to send people home when the are an obvious threat. If one junior guy come sin sick he could put the entire operation at risk if he infects more critical people.
 
completely off topic but I've noticed more and more threads in this forum that really belong in Letting Off Steam - I thought Shooting The Breeze was for lighthearted topics!
 
Ceist Beag said:
completely off topic but I've noticed more and more threads in this forum that really belong in Letting Off Steam - I thought Shooting The Breeze was for lighthearted topics!
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Well now that we're getting all het up over where the post is or should be then maybe it's time to move it ! ( :D just kidding ) It's a bank holiday Friday , why are ye all still here ? I'm packing in soon , feel under the weather, cough cough. ( nothing at all to do with the BBQ planned for later of course )
 
Actually, I had meant to open this thread in Letting off Steam and thought I was doing so (I'm not the brightest on a bank holiday Friday). I agree though, it's not really appropriate to Shooting the Breeze.
 
Does not paying employees sick leave increase the occurence of them coming to work while sick, they can't afford to take the day off and miss pay? On the other hand not paying staff on sick leave may mean people are less likely to take advantage of having a slight cold to "pull a sickie", if the day off is going to cost you perhaps you don't want it...
 
Graham_07 said:
Well now that we're getting all het up over where the post is or should be then maybe it's time to move it ! ( :D just kidding )
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:D yeah only after I posted this I realised I was letting off steam about a post not being in letting off steam!!
 
As an aside, throughout my 20 odd year working life, I've noticed that those work colleagues who seem to be under the weather and of a weak constitution so often are the exact same ones who manage to muster up considerable energy and stamina otherwise in their enthusiasm for parties and clubbing etc.

I wonder if there is a link? :rolleyes:
 
its your duty to be sick at least 2 weeks every year otherwise employers will set the bar too high
 
liaconn, to get the message through, if you and the other two went into work while ill there was a possibility that lots more would get infected. Then the management might take heed and advise anyone bearing a bug to stay home. Hope there is no reccurence over the holiday weekend. And watch the barbie ;)
 
Employers should issue masks (the kind dentists wear) to staff coming in with colds & flu-like symptons and should consider having an isolation room for such dedicated members of staff.

Could also provide Olbas/eucalyptus oil and lots of medicated tissues and hand sanitisers.
 
full bio hazard medical insulation suits should be worn by ALL staff
 
I have been sick once this year and it was slow to develop into a viral infection - on the lowest day I called in sick, visited the doctor and received a course of antibiotics and a sick note. When I phoned work after the appointment to let them know I had a sick note to give on my return, it was implied to me that as it was "busy season" it would be expected to come in to work if I was capable of visiting a doctor. I went in for the afternoon (highly annoyed), they saw how sick I was and sent me home an hour early. The sick note had written me out of work for the rest of the working week.

The contained office space and aircon worked its magic and 3 other staff members were out sick with viral infections the following week.
 
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