Sick co-worker rant...

[Dodie]

I have a co-worker with low morale who has been sick for about two months. She's had one cold/cough/sore throat after another - due in large part (I think) because she hates her job and isn't happy so her defenses are down. Not that she's not legitimately sick - she is. I just think that's why she can't fight anything off.

Well, this week she's been across the aisle coughing and complaining and moaning and groaning (like usual) and we ALL have begged her to go home and take care of herself. There was no reason for her to be here. She has a laptop and external access. She could work from home. However, she thinks our boss "hates her" (not true), so she felt she "had to be here."

She finally stayed home today. She just called in. She has the flu. 103 degree tempature and everything. Which means that she has very kindly exposed everyone she works with during the past few days!

AARRRGGGHH! I got a flu shot - but they weren't available here at work until last week. I know that it takes awhile for them to take effect.

WHY DO PEOPLE DO THIS?!!!

 

[Jasminesmommy]

Because PEOPLE AR RUDE.

 

[Doug123]

In general, people show up to work sick because they don't want to get fired. I'm sure if she felt comfortable with her position she would stay home while sick (who wants to be at work while sick, anyway?).

It sounds like she shouldn't have been at work. Employers, however, don't look at whether you "should" or "should not have been" at work due to illness so much as they look at how many days the employee was absent during the year. Just the unfortunate reality of the work world.

 

[caitycaity]

i have to agree with doug123. from now til march if i want to stay home sick i have to do so without pay and it would have a negative impact on my reputation in the office. my rule of thumb is if i don't have a fever, i come to work.

if people want to think that's rude, fine. someone pay me the money i will lose and i will stay home.

i hate it when people complain about people coming to work sick. do you really think people LIKE to go to work sick?

 

[doxdogy]

I have gone to work sick myself. I had a boss that claimed she was never sick. So her thinking was that none of us should get sick. She would complain if we were sick and didn't come to work. The kicker was one day, she had the nerve to fuss at me for coming to work sick. Luckily, I now have two bosses that actually care if I am sick or not. They even sent me home a couple of weeks ago when I came work with a cold. Like CaityCaity, I have had jobs that didn't pay me if I stayed home sick from work. Though, it may seem rude that she may have made her co-workers sick, consider that she does have low self-morale and try talking to her when she comes back to work and ask her if she feels better.

 

[larry's girl]

I have gone to work sick, either because I didn't have any sick time left or I had been told management was unhappy with my time out of work (that happened when my daughter was small and I had to be out of work for her illnesses as well as mine). I just took Lysol and hand sanitizer with me and tried to minimize the chances of infecting others at work. I would agree with a previous poster, though, I didn't want to be at work sick, I just didn't feel I had any choice.