DH was sent home from work today

[RUDisney]

He has shingles. They have crusted over and he is no longer contagious. The doctor says so but his HR department said that he can pass chickenpox on to those who've never had it before.

This is the second time that my DH has been sent home with a dreaded disease for which he was not an incubous for other people.

Aside from that, his shingles are all under his shirt. Even with uncrusted blisters, you can control spreading the disease by keeping the blisters covered. But, his are crusted. His HR department knows better than the doctor and won't accept a note from her.

He hasn't said yet how long he is required to stay home.

 

[phorsenuf]

I hope they are paying him and not taking away sick time or docking him. He has permission to go back to work. They are refusing to let him. He shouldn't be penalized for their paranoia.

Hope they clear up soon.

 

[java]

I hope they are paying him and not taking away sick time or docking him. He has permission to go back to work. They are refusing to let him. He shouldn't be penalized for their paranoia.

Hope they clear up soon.

I was thinking the same thing! Good luck and I hope he is feeling better, I hear shingles is very very painful!

 

[RUDisney]

They are paying him, but I'm sure that the grapevine has spread (by my DH's supervisor) that he came to work today knowing that he could make everyone sick. It's the embarassment that is worse than the actual disease. Especially since we know that he can't infect anyone.

Luckily, my DH has only been itchy and the blisters burned before they crusted. Hopefully, he won't develop the deep pains that can last for a year.

 

[Mkgaapril]

Last year DH had shingles..his work told him "no way .. go home." he was off for a few weeks. For DH it was very painful. I thought that once they scabed over that it was ok..I dunno though..I was freaked that I would get it from him . (so I WILLINGLY took the couch ) I do hope your DH gets sick pay.

 

[clgwli]

As an adult who hasn't has chicken pox I will say I am glad they sent him home. Why would you take the chance of getting anyone sick?

 

[RUDisney]

As an adult who hasn't has chicken pox I will say I am glad they sent him home. Why would you take the chance of getting anyone sick?

We wouldn't. But, when a doctor tells you that you're not contagious to anyone and your blisters have formed scabs and general knowledge (and the internet) says that you're not contagious, the company is just picking on my DH.

 

[Mkgaapril]

just like with school, when they scab over they can return to school...

 

[NMAmy]

As an adult who hasn't has chicken pox I will say I am glad they sent him home. Why would you take the chance of getting anyone sick?

I'm guessing that no one in the HR Department actually has a medical degree. It's ridiculous for them not to accept a doctor's note allowing him to return to work since the doctor says he is not contagious.

RUDisney--I'm keeping my fingers crossed that your DH doesn't develop any pain and that they allow him to return to work soon.

 

[DawnCt1]

As an adult who hasn't has chicken pox I will say I am glad they sent him home. Why would you take the chance of getting anyone sick?

First of all, its the fluid from the blisters that are contagious, which are under his shirt, which are completely scabbed over, so he isn't contagious. His supervisor violated the law by revealing his diagnosis. HR is just incompetent.

 

[DawnCt1]

We wouldn't. But, when a doctor tells you that you're not contagious to anyone and your blisters have formed scabs and general knowledge (and the internet) says that you're not contagious, the company is just picking on my DH.

Do they have a company nurse that examines him? If not, he can say that they have vanished. I doubt someone in HR would demand to examine him. At least I hope not!

 

[Mkgaapril]

and if they refuse a doctors orders it should be a paid leave..to where he shouldn't have to exhaust his sick days... he isn't sick...

 

[RUDisney]

Dh is a vice president, so he doesn't have a specific number of paid sick days, so that's a good thing.

The company does not have a nurse and no one in HR has a medical degree.

The last time they did this was after we adopted our kids. DH developed a staph infection when we were in Russia (from our DS). Both were hospitalized with it... DS in Russia and DH in the US. When it went away, they passed it back and forth 2 more times. DH's employer forced him to take a month off while he waited for an infectious disease dr in Philadelphia to examine him. They wouldn't take the word (written) of a local ID dr that the only way this infection would be passed to someone is through intimate contact. Basically, as long as no one sat on my DH's lap at work or nuzzled him, they wouldn't catch it. Again, it was an incompetant HR not accepting medical advice. The same advice was given by the local dr and the "big city" doctor.

We remodeled our basement bathroom while he was home that time, so all wasn't lost.

 

[Mkgaapril]

Dh is a vice president, so he doesn't have a specific number of paid sick days, so that's a good thing.

The company does not have a nurse and no one in HR has a medical degree.

The last time they did this was after we adopted our kids. DH developed a staph infection when we were in Russia (from our DS). Both were hospitalized with it... DS in Russia and DH in the US. When it went away, they passed it back and forth 2 more times. DH's employer forced him to take a month off while he waited for an infectious disease dr in Philadelphia to examine him. They wouldn't take the word (written) of a local ID dr that the only way this infection would be passed to someone is through intimate contact. Basically, as long as no one sat on my DH's lap at work or nuzzled him, they wouldn't catch it. Again, it was an incompetant HR not accepting medical advice. The same advice was given by the local dr and the "big city" doctor.

We remodeled our basement bathroom while he was home that time, so all wasn't lost.

yes but what if they did that to an hourly employee? so many people need to save the sick days .. you know for when they have sick children etc...he is very lucky..maybe with him being a vp he can look into this and see to it that the little guy won't lose their sick days over a thing like this ya know...

 

[Mkgaapril]

are they having him work remotely?

 

[RUDisney]

Non-exempt staff get 5 paid vacation days. I don't know what they'd do in that case. I'd imagine that they'd exhaust the 5-days and then continue to pay them if it was their decision to keep them away from the office since otherwise they could have a lawsuit on their hands since the employee has a doctor's note saying that he could return to work.

DH is a workaholic. I told him to go golfing today if he could find someone, or at least hang out at the driving range. He's in our room now with papers spread across the bed working out loan deals with his customers. So, even though they didn't tell him to work from home, they know he will anyway.

 

[Mkgaapril]

Non-exempt staff get 5 paid vacation days. I don't know what they'd do in that case. I'd imagine that they'd exhaust the 5-days and then continue to pay them if it was their decision to keep them away from the office since otherwise they could have a lawsuit on their hands since the employee has a doctor's note saying that he could return to work.

DH is a workaholic. I told him to go golfing today if he could find someone, or at least hang out at the driving range. He's in our room now with papers spread across the bed working out loan deals with his customers. So, even though they didn't tell him to work from home, they know he will anyway.

go figure...my sister works for a company that hires people for other companies. even on our vacation they called her every 5 mins. She finally turned off her phone. He should go golf..then he won't be in your space I tell DH when he is off on a strange day that from this time to that time this is my space...you can't mess up my schedule...

making them exhaust their sick days is garbage...I would refuse...

 

[ozarkmom]

We wouldn't. But, when a doctor tells you that you're not contagious to anyone and your blisters have formed scabs and general knowledge (and the internet) says that you're not contagious, the company is just picking on my DH.

My DS had them at 3yrs old (yeah doc said it was the youngest he'd seen). He was allowed to return to pre-school when they scabbed over just like chicken pox.

 

[C.Ann]

Do you know if anyone in your DH's company is being treated with chemo? If so, that may be where the actual "fear" is coming from - even though he is no longer contagious..

As long as he's being paid, I'd enjoy it and not worry about the "embarrassment" aspect..

 

[Hillbeans]

or if someone is pregnant? Similar thing happened at my workplace a few years ago when there were 3 of us who were Pregnant who sat next to a woman who had them. Unfortunately hers weren't crusted over yet and was lifting up the back of her shirt showing them to us when I freaked out and pretty much got my boss to tell her to go home.

Obviously this case is different. Did he have a drs note to return?