Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. A phone that grows with your child.

Meet the Other Phone.
A phone that grows with your child.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

to think that someone who's been off work for the last two days with sickness shouldn't be in work today..

37 replies

harassedinherpants · 14/04/2011 12:26

Especially when they're still looking decidedly ropey?? She hasn't eaten a thing and not even a cuppa as normal, just very weak mint tea.

Although her family haven't come down with it (yet!) she has the same symptoms as one of her friends who she was with at the weekend. She must have been rough as she hardly ever takes time off and soldiers on normally.

I really don't want it! Can't afford the time off work, dd doesn't need another bug and dh is self employed.

AIBU in think that the 48 hour rule should apply in work as it does in school?

I'm cringing every time she hands me something and sneakily using antibac gel.

OP posts:
ednurse · 14/04/2011 12:27

Maybe she doesn't want to use too much sickness allowance..

BettySwollocksandaCrustyRack · 14/04/2011 12:27

sounds like she shouldnt be there but what are your company like on taking sick days?? Maybe she felt she had to come in??

Keep applying that gel!

Paintinmyhair · 14/04/2011 12:28

Maybe she can't afford to take another day off? It is far from ideal, but a missed mortgage payment is a strong incentive to get back to work.

Hammy02 · 14/04/2011 12:29

I agree she shouldn't be in work if still poorly but people are often under alot of stress to keep the number of days sick they take down to a minimum. Many employers ask how many days sick you have taken on application forms so it is an issue. Personally though I can't stand it when people go to work when ill and act like martyrs! They get f*ck all done anyway.

Original poster
harassedinherpants · 14/04/2011 12:29

We don't have any sickness allowance! We get paid for what we work, or we take it as holiday. I've taken a couple of days as hols this year.

She didn't have to come in, I can cover her job - I used to do it.

OP posts:
BettySwollocksandaCrustyRack · 14/04/2011 12:31

She obv doesnt want to use her holiday allowance up then....dont blame her really, what a crap policy Hmm

squeakytoy · 14/04/2011 12:32

Maybe it is food poisoning, which isnt contagious.

bubblecoral · 14/04/2011 12:32

I agree with you. People who do this are incredibly selfish.

I couldn't give a flying f**k if they don't want to use up sickness allowance, neither does my dh, especially if he has caugt somthing from a colleague that should have stayed at home after catching somthing at an optional social gathering.

My dh is contract, so doesn't get paid if he's not at work, but he works with lots of people who are staff and do get sickness pay. The fact that they still come in knowing that they could give an illness to someone who doesn't get sickness pay is so self centred, rude and inconsiderate it makes my blood boil!

Original poster
harassedinherpants · 14/04/2011 12:41

It is a very crap policy, but it's a small and established company. Not very pc, prob behind on lots of things.......

I can't afford, nor have the time, to be sick. Just worried that if I get then so will dd and dh and it'll cost us a flaming fortune. Plus my cm won't have dd back until 48 clear hours, but I'll still have to pay her plus myself or dh will have to take time off.

I just think if it's good enough for schools etc, then workplaces should be the same.

OP posts:
Megatron · 14/04/2011 12:47

YANBU. Drives me mad. I don't get paid if I'm not at work, I think it's incredibly selfish to be honest. I work with children and one of the other staff members came in last Monday saying they had been up being sick all night but only said after she'd been there for an hour and everyone kept asking her what was wrong with her. As a result we had about 5 children off and 2 staff members by the Friday.

jeckadeck · 14/04/2011 12:50

YANBU. I hate sickness martyrs. I used to work with a woman who used to come into work when she had a cough so loud that you literally couldn't hear yourself speaking either to others in the office or on the phone. She sat there shiving, sneezing, coughing and then occasionally would mutter something about "toughing it out." Its beyond selfish. Not only are you inflicting your germs on others just to prove a point you're usually making it very difficult for anyone to get any work done.

dearyme · 14/04/2011 12:52

my husband works in a place where if you take sick days three times in a set period, regardless of its three days or ten weeks, you are disciplined so therefore he goes to work when he is sick/infectious and passes it around the office

blame the employer not the employee

HipHopopotomus · 14/04/2011 12:56

Are you in the UK - seems very odd not to have sick days? Isn't it a legal requirement in the UK??

I sympathise with you all really - sure you don't want to get ill, but if you don't get paid sick days then your employer is really encouraging people to come in when they are ill - some people can't afford to go without pay and might not have the holidays to use. Personally I think using holidays to cover sick days is short sighted and stupid of your employers too.

culturemulcher · 14/04/2011 12:59

YABU if you're going to get it, you probably already caught it before she went off sick. Try some sympathy instead.

bubblecoral · 14/04/2011 13:15

I can see why some people would try and pass the blame onto their employer, but it is an arguement that really doesn't cut it for me.

The fact that you would rather make a colleague ill and face discipline rather than take the discipline yourself still makes you incredibly selfish.

What if the person you infect has already had up to the limit of time off to prevent you from becoming ill? Do you really think it's ok to just blame your employer for the fact that you have chosen not to show this person the same courtesy?

jeckadeck · 14/04/2011 13:21

dearyme that is harsh. But I've never worked anywhere like that and I've still come across a lot of people who are prepared to inflict their germs left, right and centre.

ShirleyKnot · 14/04/2011 13:26

Well, if she doesn't get paid for her sick pay then she probably can't afford another day off. What's hard to understand about that?

mitochondria · 14/04/2011 13:42

My husband works for a company where they don't get paid if they don't come in. So his colleagues go to work with all sorts.

ShirleyKnot · 14/04/2011 13:44

licquorice ones?

marmaladetwatkins · 14/04/2011 13:47

Shirley. If I haven't said this before, I fahkin' lahv you, gal.

marmaladetwatkins · 14/04/2011 13:48

p.s wash your hands before eating, you'll be fine. When did this country turn into a nation of weeds?

ShirleyKnot · 14/04/2011 13:51

Oh hello marmalade

The thing is that girl caught it off someone (PROBABLY THE OP IS A CARRIER) poor cow. Sad

marmaladetwatkins · 14/04/2011 13:51

Carriers are the ones, aren't they?

ShirleyKnot · 14/04/2011 13:54

Sometimes I don't wash my hands before eating and I lick the doornobs in the toilet and I'm JUST FINE.

Original poster
harassedinherpants · 14/04/2011 13:56

Thanks, Shirley! No I'm not the carrier, no tummy bugs in our house. Well not yet anyway... As I said in my op, she was with someone over the weekend who has had the same.

We've worked together for a long time and know each other well, and I would think she could afford another day or take it as holiday as everyone else does. She very rarely takes time off sick, as I said in my op, and she really does look awful still! I've suggested she go home, but she wants to carry on....

We do get paid if off for longer than 5 working days, with a doctors note. To discourage sickies I presume it doesn't work.

OP posts:
Swipe left for the next trending thread