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To expect people ill with Covid stay home?

795 replies

LakelandHiker · 12/10/2026 18:09

This week, my manager and a friend who goes to my exercise class are ill with Covid. I don't know if they've tested, but they've both said they have it. However one is still coming into the office and the other still attending the exercise class. AIBU or overreacting here... but why don't they stay home until clear? Even if 'feeling 95% better' wouldn't you wait until potentially exposing others? I can't help but feel mad at them both for being so selfish. I often look after an elderly relative and can't risk passing Covid on to her as she is frail. I get life can't be on pause forever but my manager can get paid sick leave and my friend can miss a class, it isn't like there's anything at stake...

OP posts:
ExpectMore · 13/10/2026 00:00

x2boys · 12/10/2026 23:49

Oh bless you , you have no idea have you ?

Correct. I’ve no idea why anyone should live in that situation where their outgoings are so at odds with their incomings. They need to cut their outgoings and / or increase incomings as being in a situation of not being able to afford a days sick (!) is not sustainable

Crikeyalmighty · 13/10/2026 00:01

LakelandHiker · 12/10/2026 18:55

I should add:

Manager can work remotely, we get sick pay too.
Friend has now told me she had tested positive. So yes, people do still test.

And yes they both announced they have it.

Well manager is indeed being a selfish arse - if he can work from home he doesn’t necessarily have to be off sick but should stay at home in my opinion - most of the people talking about having to go in have jobs I would think where they don’t get sick pay or are self employed in some way , so basically don’t work- don’t earn

x2boys · 13/10/2026 00:01

ExpectMore · 12/10/2026 23:52

Depends what you define as cosy wfh. If cosy wfh includes travelling and being away an average of 2+
nights a week no.

you seem to be missing the point that if everyone did the right thing and didn’t unecesssrily go into work / other activities to avoid spreading it then their own health would benefit…. As they’d not be picking it up from others.

But you wouldnt be working away from home if you got covid becsuse you have the option of WFH
Not everyone has that option
The job market is brutal out there at the moment my 19 has just strarted working in a warehouse its agency so the work isnt guranteed
Obviously as his mum im never going to chuck him out and let him starve if the work dries up

But there are men and women with families doing precarious agency work as there is no other option and you think they should stay at home every time they they feel unwell
You havent lived

ExpectMore · 13/10/2026 00:02

HappyLizard23 · 12/10/2026 23:57

Financial greed to keep the heating on in winter, buy my kids clothes for school, feed them, feed myself and my partner, buy basic hygiene items, fuel my car?
yes those things are more important than the lives of people I do not know and may never know incase they catch an illness from me going to work.

Your privilege and inability to think critically is showing. You ought to be embarrassed.

Wow. I’m shocked. No-one’s life should ever come second in the way you describe

HappyLizard23 · 13/10/2026 00:02

ExpectMore · 13/10/2026 00:00

Correct. I’ve no idea why anyone should live in that situation where their outgoings are so at odds with their incomings. They need to cut their outgoings and / or increase incomings as being in a situation of not being able to afford a days sick (!) is not sustainable

Yet another incredibly privileged and out of touch take from you. Open your eyes to the reality of the world outside of your bubble.

HappyLizard23 · 13/10/2026 00:03

ExpectMore · 13/10/2026 00:02

Wow. I’m shocked. No-one’s life should ever come second in the way you describe

You must be trolling because there’s no way you are this dense

x2boys · 13/10/2026 00:04

ExpectMore · 12/10/2026 23:53

Wow your financial greed at the expense of someone else’s health is bewildering

The irony 🙄

x2boys · 13/10/2026 00:06

HappyLizard23 · 13/10/2026 00:03

You must be trolling because there’s no way you are this dense

You would hope !

ExpectMore · 13/10/2026 00:07

x2boys · 13/10/2026 00:01

But you wouldnt be working away from home if you got covid becsuse you have the option of WFH
Not everyone has that option
The job market is brutal out there at the moment my 19 has just strarted working in a warehouse its agency so the work isnt guranteed
Obviously as his mum im never going to chuck him out and let him starve if the work dries up

But there are men and women with families doing precarious agency work as there is no other option and you think they should stay at home every time they they feel unwell
You havent lived

Yes of course they should. Agency hourly rates include an element for sick leave. Besides even if they didn’t, it’s the right thing to do, whether or not or how much your paid shouldn’t come into it.

Hmm I’ve had occasions where I’ve found myself unwell whilst travelling which is horrible being holed up in a hotel, sometimes in a different country, with no-one to get meds etc. not asking for sympathy, just explaining that your view of “cushy” isn’t all you might think it is.

edit to clarify: clearly I’ve become unwell whilst travelling rather than being unwell and travelled

x2boys · 13/10/2026 00:09

ExpectMore · 13/10/2026 00:07

Yes of course they should. Agency hourly rates include an element for sick leave. Besides even if they didn’t, it’s the right thing to do, whether or not or how much your paid shouldn’t come into it.

Hmm I’ve had occasions where I’ve found myself unwell whilst travelling which is horrible being holed up in a hotel, sometimes in a different country, with no-one to get meds etc. not asking for sympathy, just explaining that your view of “cushy” isn’t all you might think it is.

edit to clarify: clearly I’ve become unwell whilst travelling rather than being unwell and travelled

Edited

Agwncy hourly rates are NMW HTH.

ExpectMore · 13/10/2026 00:09

HappyLizard23 · 13/10/2026 00:03

You must be trolling because there’s no way you are this dense

Eh? You accuse someone of trolling purely because they say someone’s life is more important than financial matters? Come on, that’s a new low

ExpectMore · 13/10/2026 00:10

x2boys · 13/10/2026 00:04

The irony 🙄

can you explain as your autocorrect to irony makes no sense

x2boys · 13/10/2026 00:11

ExpectMore · 13/10/2026 00:10

can you explain as your autocorrect to irony makes no sense

Work it out

Catpuss66 · 13/10/2026 00:14

Funnywonder · 12/10/2026 22:45

Oh dear …

Or I my dear got my experience looking after pregnant women with flu who were very poorly & had to be looked after in maternity HDU.

Catpuss66 · 13/10/2026 00:32

Nearly50omg · 12/10/2026 21:41

Where did you get the nonsense from they stop you from dying? 🤣 We have immune systems that do that and even when our immune systems are shot the Covid vaccine won’t protect us

Ask my 4 colleagues who died in the 1st wave no vaccinations available. The one was recently married only 30 yrs old.

ExpectMore · 13/10/2026 00:32

x2boys · 13/10/2026 00:04

The irony 🙄

I’m sure you wouldn’t be expressing these views in real life without the cloak of anonymity of an internet forum as no-one would have such rock bottom morals as to say the life of anyone, even a stranger, is worth less than a few pennies in their bank.

There is no-one (I hope) who would openly express such greed that they’d value (to use examples from previous) school clothing, basic hygiene products, or even a missed mortgage payment ahead of someone’s life.

i mean, there’s people literally sacrificing organs, donating bone marrow, and genuinely putting others first and you are saying you wouldn’t even spare a few pennies to save someone’s life. I genuinely don’t believe it and if it’s true, you should be thoroughly ashamed of yourself.

FunPartyIdeas · 13/10/2026 00:35

Yep, I'm going to work with a cold for sure - and why test for Covid? So yes, my cold might be Covid, who knows? There's no test for flu is there and that's contagious too.
No work, no pay in my case, I can't WFH, so I'm definitely going in so I can pay the rent.
A day off ill unpaid is a luxury I can't afford.
And those that say oh it's just a day - surely it isn't for Covid? How many days does one suggest to stay off?

FunPartyIdeas · 13/10/2026 00:37

ExpectMore · 13/10/2026 00:32

I’m sure you wouldn’t be expressing these views in real life without the cloak of anonymity of an internet forum as no-one would have such rock bottom morals as to say the life of anyone, even a stranger, is worth less than a few pennies in their bank.

There is no-one (I hope) who would openly express such greed that they’d value (to use examples from previous) school clothing, basic hygiene products, or even a missed mortgage payment ahead of someone’s life.

i mean, there’s people literally sacrificing organs, donating bone marrow, and genuinely putting others first and you are saying you wouldn’t even spare a few pennies to save someone’s life. I genuinely don’t believe it and if it’s true, you should be thoroughly ashamed of yourself.

"A few pennies in the bank".
Nope - a full day's pay. That's a lot for many of us "paupers" you know, it's not money we can afford to lose.

ExpectMore · 13/10/2026 03:51

FunPartyIdeas · 13/10/2026 00:37

"A few pennies in the bank".
Nope - a full day's pay. That's a lot for many of us "paupers" you know, it's not money we can afford to lose.

Another one who I’m sure is hiding behind internet forum anonymity as there’s no way anyone would devalue life (particularly of those vulnerable members of society) to the extent that their days pay is worth more.

Shame on you if you genuinely are so selfish. Pleading poverty and being a “Pauper” is no excuse for rock bottom morals. It’s shameful you imply it is giving the generosity of many who have so little.

maxslice · 13/10/2026 04:03

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Zanatdy · 13/10/2026 05:48

FlowerVases · 12/10/2026 22:03

I can't work from home. I work banking because of lack of jobs. I am not paid unless I work.

Good for you but we are not all that lucky.

of course they can’t all work from home, but those who can should. You wouldn’t be popular in our office if you showed up with anything infectious when you can work at home. Exercise classes etc are not compulsory. Some people don’t care if they make others sick. I’d always personally let someone know if I was due to see them and had any kind of illness. People are vulnerable or have vulnerable family members.

Mokel · 13/10/2026 05:59

Who gets tested still? I stopped testing when I ran out of free kits.

I WFH with one day in the office per week (at the moment) if we are full of cold, signs of a virus etc, we are asked to stay at home. As don’t want to infect the office

ExpectMore · 13/10/2026 07:14

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It’s incredible, and frightening.

The difference between a day of work at NMW and SSP is approximately £75. So in their world view, someone other than themselves life is worth less than £75.

Which makes you wonder:

  1. why do they think the nhs exists? If life is worth less than £75, why does the NHS even bother to preserve it given most interventions would cost more than £75
  2. if life is worth less than £75, what’s the value? £70? £60? £50? £20? Would they maybe spare a stranger their life if it only cost them £5…?

It’s genuinely frightening they have such little regard for others and that their world view is so them centric.

Imagine we all thought like that, the world would be a mess.

perhaps you can help us understand @x2boys

ExpectMore · 13/10/2026 07:21

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Funnywonder · 13/10/2026 08:00

Catpuss66 · 13/10/2026 00:14

Or I my dear got my experience looking after pregnant women with flu who were very poorly & had to be looked after in maternity HDU.

A basic Google will inform you that some people can have flu/Covid or any virus with NO symptoms. Facebook isn’t the only resource for information, nor indeed would it be any sensible person’s first primary source. I thought everyone had received a crash course in how viruses work during the pandemic. You must have missed that. It’s slightly concerning that you appear to be a healthcare worker and don’t know that a person can have symptomless flu, a flu that kills them or anything in between those two extremes. So yeah, oh dear.

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