People being ill at work

I would not feel upset if colleagues suffering from a cold, having had Covid/flu tests to verify that, came to work in my office if they felt well enough to function effectively.

I would want an open window and no shared coffee cups nor Sicky sitting within a metre of me though.
I would also consider wearing a mask and would wash my hands regularly.

Did the fellow worker wear a mask and stay more at his own desk?
Do you wear a mask in crowded public areas such as supermarkets, railway stations etc.?

You can’t be sure you picked up the virus from him.
He might find it difficult to WFH - not everyone has the facilities such as a quiet room, heating etc.
The Trust where I worked was very strict about sick leave and people were disciplined for taking odd days off , he may be at risk of a disciplinary if he went off sick.
Without knowing his reasoning for coming in, I can’t answer the question - and that is aside from your wording being unclear to me.

I don’t know why people are giving you a hard time, OP. It’s very inconsiderate to go into work with a virus when you have the option to work remotely. It’s just playing the martyr.

I used to work with someone like that, sitting all day at his desk sneezing and spreading his germs 🤢. I actually ended up with the worst cold I’ve ever experienced and had to call in sick during my probation period because of him. YANBU

I work in a factory. Unless you are physically too ill to work, you work.
We've all had the coughing/flu bug in the last month or so.

The problem is you can lose your job for going off sick. And it goes on your record and new employers can get it. I have a terrible immune system and catch everything going. I get a cold every 2-3 weeks and have for almost 10 years. I can't afford to go sick at work. That's the way the laws work and I have bills to pay. I wish it worked differently, I really do!

a) you don't know where you got the virus from and b) are you his manager? Do you know why he came in? are you privy to his contract details? I WFH half the week and can easily WFH fully but there is a lot of pressure to do the office days in the office regardless of having a virus or not. He may not have much of a choice?

I work in retail so there’s no such thing as WFH. In this circumstance we would be expected to come to work.

You don't know where it came from

YANBU given he already WFH. In 2024 it beggars belief that some come into work whilst sick when they have the ability to WFH. We have to get the approval from management to WFH (not because of piss takers but some of us were WFH whilst extremely ill) but no one comes in unless its a sniffle or have mostly recovered.

You work in a hospital, people get sick! Maybe he didn't want to let his team down, maybe his manager pressured him to come in, maybe he was unwell but felt well enough in himself to work.

People catch colds this time of year, it's normal

But some people have very little choice if they want to keep their job.

Agree. It’s a sad reality for a lot of people. I have a health condition which means I can have more sickness than the average person. (I have already had 3 operations and weeks of sick leave this calendar year). I’m currently on sickness monitoring and categorically cannot afford anymore sick days. That means turning up to work with colds, shivers, fevers. It’s depressing as fuck.

Sorry OP, I appreciate this isn’t helpful.

On the fence whether he was being reasonable or not, so cant really say whether you are or not.

People definitely shouldn't come into work with a contagious illness.

But some people have very little choice if they want to keep their job. Their managers make them - even if it's not directly said, there can be an absolute air of "sick time is not accepted" at various jobs.

I don’t know how you can be 100% sure where you picked up your virus.

And I haven’t picked either of your choices because the wording you provided didn’t work for me.