Working when sick

CrazyRabbit · 06-09-2011 01:07AM #1

I had an engineer from UP out the other day and he spent about 90 mins (finally) fixing my broadband. He had a really bad cold and I think he's now passed it on to me.
I imagine he might also pass it on to other customers or his work colleagues.

For people who work in jobs where they are in contact with customers, do you think they should be banned from working when they have a contagious illness (cold, flu etc)?

Or what about people who don't interact directly with customers, but who do have contact with their colleagues in an office etc?

If you have a cold/flu, and were 'quarantined' at home for the duration of the illness, it would drastically slow the spread & reduce overall infections....right?

starbelgrade · 06-09-2011 01:08AM

CrazyRabbit wrote: »

For people who work in jobs where they are in contact with customers, do you think they should be banned from working when they have a contagious illness (cold, flu etc)?

Some people should be banned from working, full stop.

cena · 06-09-2011 01:12AM

Well I wasn't sick at work but injured. Was told by my now former boss too lock up the store room and night club after I cut my hand open with blood all over the place, while waiting too be brought to the hospitial. He was just an ass.

hondasam · 06-09-2011 01:14AM

Majority of people don't get paid sick pay, no choice but work.

Hasmunch · 06-09-2011 01:14AM

What if you work on a casual basis, or are a contractor and dont get paid to work when you are sick.
If you are sick but are willing to work should you lose out financially?
Or shouls your employer supply you with a mask so you dont breath your germs on other people and a bell to ring, going around shouting, UNCLEAN, UNCLEAN :pac:

Ben Moore · 06-09-2011 01:17AM

In todays market some people simply cannot afford to be sick. They will drag themselves into work until they drop.

I have met many workers who have such a good work ethic that a few snuffles will not put them off.

This is not a generalisation as yes there are other who take as many liberties as possible.

But at least the sick ones who do work for whatever reason should warn you when they introduce themselves.

don ramo · 06-09-2011 01:18AM

yeah but when you get over it and are feeling a lot better your still contagious for an few more days, some say your more contagious when your better,

x in the city · 06-09-2011 01:20AM

hondasam wrote: »

Majority of people don't get paid sick pay, no choice but work.

i have 20 sick days left and not used any up

hondasam · 06-09-2011 01:28AM

x in the city wrote: »

i have 20 sick days left and not used any up

20 sick days, that's some job. I get sick pay but never use it.

Son Of A Vidic · 06-09-2011 01:29AM

Fair play to the guy for working, there are too many nancy fúcks in this country ringing in sick with any little excuse. We are not talking about the Ebola virus here, but merely the common cold.

epgc3fyqirnbsx · 06-09-2011 01:32AM

Depends on the job. If you have a job where work piles up, even when you are on holidays, you may feel better off just to go in and get it done regardless of how bad you feel
You should relish the chance to catch a cold anyway, strenghtens the aul immune system :pac:

Pompey Magnus · 06-09-2011 01:36AM

CrazyRabbit wrote: »

He had a really bad cold

You sure it wasn't a bad case of hayfever he had?

ShooterSF · 06-09-2011 01:36AM

Corvus Maximus wrote: »

Fair play to the guy for working, there are too many nancy fúcks in this country ringing in sick with any little excuse. We are not talking about the Ebola virus here, but merely the common cold.

It' not about being a nancy it's about having some decency to fellow workers or customers. I don't want to be sneezing for the next week and if it means putting in a bit more work for a few days while you sit at home and recover I'm quite happy to do so.

epgc3fyqirnbsx · 06-09-2011 01:44AM

Well regarding the spreading of germs, I work in a pretty big company, around 2,500, all under the same roof where there are hand santizers everywhere and signs up about how to disinfect yi=our area and not to sneeze all over everything etc etc
But I, and my workmates, would be of the opinion that whilst you always wash your hands you can't hide away from a few feckin germs for your whole life. If you do you become a weakling. There's always someone coughiing or sneezing in the office, if it terrified you we'd never get anything done.
If the colds going around it's going around, unless you're unlucky it shouldn't give you too much grief

Hate to sound macho but TAKE A TEASPOON OF CONCRETE AND HARDEN THE FUCK UP

Son Of A Vidic · 06-09-2011 01:46AM

ShooterSF wrote: »

It' not about being a nancy it's about having some decency to fellow workers or customers.

That's why these were invented, you keep your bugs to yourself and it keeps everyone happy.

Mike 1972 · 06-09-2011 01:51AM

CrazyRabbit wrote: »

he spent about 90 mins (finally) fixing my broadband.

Maybe the reason it took so long to fix your broadband was because his coworkers were taking so much sick time off ?

CrazyRabbit · 06-09-2011 02:23AM

Mike 1972 wrote: »

Maybe the reason it took so long to fix your broadband was because his coworkers were taking so much sick time off ?

I didn't mean to imply the guy was slow. Only that the broadband issue had been ongoing for months.

Despite getting a cold out of this, I'm glad that this was the engineer that came out. He's the first one that really knew what he was doing, and he fixed the issue.

I'm not too bothered about the cold. I can work from home, so no biggie for me.

AgileMyth · 06-09-2011 02:37AM

I've never been sick, ever. Is that normal or am I some sort of freak who should be experimented on?

epgc3fyqirnbsx · 06-09-2011 02:40AM

AgileMyth wrote: »

I've never been sick, ever. Is that normal or am I some sort of freak who should be experimented on?

Chances are you have everything, every diesease going, but they are all balancing each other out. Should you ever take one remedy you will destroy their natural balance and they will consume you. Kepp going as you are. And never have sex.

Jesus Wept · 06-09-2011 02:44AM

don ramo wrote: »

yeah but when you get over it and are feeling a lot better your still contagious for an few more days, some say your more contagious when your better,

Some may say it but they are probably talking sh1te.

AgileMyth · 06-09-2011 02:47AM

Johanna Uptight Table wrote: »

And never have sex.

Yeah thats why I haven't been having any..

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citizen_p · 06-09-2011 03:16AM

I would stilll go in, if it dosn't effect my ability to function I'll still go in.

I hate when I hear somone is "in bed all day with a cold"... get the feck up ya lazy piece a sh... maybe I'm being harsh but cold/flus have never had that sevre effect on me apart from a runny nose.

BostonB · 06-09-2011 03:47AM

AgileMyth wrote: »

I've never been sick, ever. Is that normal or am I some sort of freak who should be experimented on?

Count how many immortals you meet.

Das Kitty · 06-09-2011 08:58AM

I never used to get sick until I had a kid. Maybe once every 2 years I'd get a cold bad enough to consider taking a day off, but I rarely did. Since my son started creche I have never been so sick, virus after virus after virus, loads of secondary infections and tummy bugs.

I felt so guilty at work for missing time that two weeks ago I came in, in spite of hardly being able to stand up or talk. Yeah, I won't be doing that again, what good am I to my employers if I can't function?

ShooterSF · 06-09-2011 09:04AM

Corvus Maximus wrote: »

That's why these were invented, you keep your bugs to yourself and it keeps everyone happy.

If you're one of the few who actually do use them and washes their hands regularly with a cold then fair play. I know many that aren't so considerate. I'm not by any means phobic of germs or colds I just wouldn't like been given one so I do my best to return the favour, which may mean staying quarantined at home.

Mousey- wrote: »

I would stilll go in, if it dosn't effect my ability to function I'll still go in.

I hate when I hear somone is "in bed all day with a cold"... get the feck up ya lazy piece a sh... maybe I'm being harsh but cold/flus have never had that sevre effect on me apart from a runny nose.

Then you've never had a flu. One thing I do hate (and my gender are plenty guilty of it) is people calling a cold the flu. You get the flu and you WILL be in bed all day (unless it's vomit flavoured).

Das Kitty · 06-09-2011 09:14AM

ShooterSF wrote: »

If you're one of the few who actually do use them and washes their hands regularly with a cold then fair play. I know many that aren't so considerate. I'm not by any means phobic of germs or colds I just wouldn't like been given one so I do my best to return the favour, which may mean staying quarantined at home.

Then you've never had a flu. One thing I do hate (and my gender are plenty guilty of it) is people calling a cold the flu. You get the flu and you WILL be in bed all day (unless it's vomit flavoured).

The difference is, if someone told you there was a €50 note outside the front door you wouldn't get up to get it if you have the flu.

barbiegirl · 06-09-2011 10:05AM

I'm in work today with a cold, it's stuck in my sinus' and I'm currently sipping a lemsip. In my last job we got 3 months sick leave per year at full pay, and whilst there I had two miscarriages, for each I took 3 days to cover the op.
One I could work from home a lot.
Two I work in sales so if I'm not in work I'm not selling.
Three I'd just be bored.
In this job I get 3 days per annum sick leave

I need to find another multi-national.

LisaLee · 06-09-2011 10:07AM

I don't get paid sick days. My employers would rather I came in and worked when ill as opposed to finding someone to cover me. Any time I have called in sick it has been punctuated with: *sigh* "Really? OK, well how sick are you? Are you sure you can't some in?" *tut* *sigh* "FINE!" *They hang up*

So then I'm expected to lie in bed sick and now guilty? :mad:

Orando Broom · 06-09-2011 10:10AM

When you get a culture of knobheads ringing in with hangovers it leads to people coming in with colds because they don't want to be lumped in with the hangover brigade.

Sick leave is seven uncertified (correct me if wrong, it may be five), anyways take four of those days away and replace them with two 'duvet days'. Two sick days that can be used for hangovers/unforeseen emergency/a.n other complaint where no questions are asked. I guarantee you absenteeism would be cut significantly.

Lollipops23 · 06-09-2011 10:30AM

I had that dose that was doing the rounds recently and worked through it. Used hand sanitizer and tried not to cough anywhere near anyone, ie did my best to be hygenic about it. But I'll be damned if I'm taking unpaid time off despite feeling well enough to work. I'd be laughed out of it if I rang in sick with a sniffle.
You'd probably be exposed to more germs on the bus/train on a day to day basis anyway.

Calibos · 06-09-2011 11:28AM

I'm glad someone else made the point about the Flu because I was going to pull the OP up on the fact that he used the term Cold/Flu like as if they were in anyway comparable. Theres a very good reason why Cold epidemics don't make the news but Flu epidemics do. One can give ye a bit of a headache, blocked/runny nose, sore throat and make you feel a bit under the weather. The other puts you in bed with Pounding Headaches, Fever, Nausea, every joint/muscle and fibre of your being aching and makes you feel.....like you want to die!!

Seems like the engineer couldn't win. Go to work with his cold and have customers moaning about him spreading germs. Take a sick day and have his Co-Workers/Bosses calling him a dosser for taking time off for a poxy little cold.

Working when sick

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