To think my colleague is being a bit precious about people coming into work when they're not well?

[Cerseirys]

I'll start by saying that I hate it when people who are clearly ill come into work and infect everyone else. However, sometimes people will have a cold or cough that lingers, and it isn't really practical for them to stay at home for weeks on end.

However my colleague, who is about 20 weeks pregnant, has been getting quite confrontational with people who cough or sneeze, telling them they should go home as she can't afford to get sick because she can't take any medication. This would be fair enough if these people were severely ill with flu, for example, but I think that in the case of a run of the mill cough or cold, if they feel well enough to come to work after a few days at home, then it's up to them to make that decision.

For example, one colleague had taken a day or two off with a sore throat but came in on the third day, even though he wasn't completely 100% better, as he had a very important meeting that he couldn't move. She even had a go at me the other day when I had a sneezing fit, although that was down to allergies and not a cold!

Said pregnant colleague has also refused to get the flu jab and says she'll be turning down the whooping cough vaccine too because none of her friends with kids had them and they never contracted either illness. So is she BU to give people a hard time over coughing or sneezing at work?

Appreciate people can be scared of needles, but I found having two vaccinations while pregnant far easier than the endless bloodtests at midwife appointments, I also ended up needing a cannula for a drip in labour, an epidural, antibiotic injections and a spinal. Plus I had to inject myself with clexane for 7 days after I gave birth. Not much fun but what choice did I have.

OP's colleague can hardly moan at everyone else for things they can't even control while simultaneously not taking control of her own situation by taking recommended steps to protect her and her baby's health. She can't have it both ways.

OP's colleague can hardly moan at everyone else for things they can't even control while simultaneously not taking control of her own situation by taking recommended steps to protect her and her baby's health. She can't have it both ways.

These are my thoughts exactly.

Trust me. I have more reason than most to hate needles and injections. I still had and still have them, when needed.

tappity no one knows what causes it so I can't. I have physical reactions too like coming out in a huge rash, shortness of breath, vomiting for weeks afterwards.

I'm fine with cannulas and blood tests I seem to physically react to something being injected. I had a c section while awake but had a weird reaction to the spinal and weird reaction to the blood thinners.

Because it's so unpredictable I prefer not to have that when it's unnecessary!

Yanbu. I'd probably have a rota of coughing going on through the office to wind her up

DP has just had a really rotten cold, as have two of his staff to the point where one of them was off sick. I was convinced I was going to catch it, after all we live together, share a bed etc. But I didn't. I don't think you necessarily catch everything that's going around, it depends what it is.

How do you decide what is necessary though? Women die from complications of influenza during and postpartum and babies die of whooping cough which they contract before they are old enough for their first primary imms at 8 weeks.

The vast majority of women offered the imms can have them, Cat have you chased why you had these reactions? They are unusual and I would want answers.

Many woman I see don't like needles, don't know anyone who has died but take up the vaccination because they understand there is very real risk to theirs and their babies health.

Idefix been to the GP but no one can find out why.

I tend to do a risk assessment of myself and decide whether it's likely that I'll pick up the illness/or get unwell without it. I had the steroid injections when I had contractions at 34 weeks because there was a big chance DS would arrive and I was in a hospital so they could manage the reaction

Whooping cough while awful I believe only a few hundred cases happen so the risk isn't that severe when there's a risk of reaction

I vaccinate DS but he's also showing signs of unusual reactions unfortunately (massive swellings, rashes, vomiting). Doctor is stumped by it

I can't abide people who struggle in after suffering from illness and still are not 100% well let alone the people who come in ill!

It's irresponsible!

It's bad enough that the children come home with illnesses from school without your workmates coming into the office spreading their germs.

The environment in most offices is controlled now too so it is really easy for germs to spread themselves throughout the entire workforce.

You must have experienced a cold or the flu running amock in an office?
First one person is off then come back and before you know it another 2 or 3 people are off.
If that one person hadn't have stuggled back then everyone else may not have caught their illness saving the business both time an money.

If your sick, STAY AWAY. and if you do stuggle in then be prepared for a mouthful from me because you shouldn't be here infecting everyone!

In my last job the sickness policy was no pay for the first two days of illness - most people were on low to average pay. People can't afford to stay off work a lot of the time, even with sick pay, or they could face disciplinary action due to long absences every time they have a bit of a sniffle. A cold or flu can cling on for weeks!

Plus I think people spread germs around plenty of the time without being physically ill themselves or before their symptoms start to show, so maybe everyone should stay off work all the time just in case. And not have enough money to live on or just end up getting the sack.

YANBU

I absolutely cannot bear divaesque like this - they give the rest of us pregnants a bad name.

She may have had a prior trauma to do with being pregnant in the past which may go some way to explaining her extreme oversensitivity; either way her line manager needs to tell her to wind her friggin' neck in.

If your sick, STAY AWAY. and if you do stuggle in then be prepared for a mouthful from me because you shouldn't be here infecting everyone!

That isn't what is being said. The person in OP office wants people with the slightest hi the of a cough or sneeze to stay away.

Not going to happen.

Your colleague is a total fuckwit. Both for whinging about other people's coughs and colds,and especially for putting her baby at risk of WC by not getting the poxy vaccination.

I take immunosuppressants, but I would never expect someone not to come into work in case I catch something from them! Why should one persons health overrule another person earning a days pay whilst suffering a minor ailment?! 2

Anyone who's that bloody precious needs to get over themselves and get a job where they can work from home!!

And with regards to coming to work having been exposed to CP- if any of my staff were in this position and I had a pregnant staff member also, I would give the pregnant one the option to go home if she wanted to, but I wouldn't make the other stay at home, and have it effect their attendance. We have very tight thresholds for absence, and disciplinary measures are easily triggered unfortunately.

Any one could be exposed to contagious diseases at any time!

It sounds like colleague is trying to make others responsible for her health while not taking responsibility herself. Every time she starts complaining about other people I would be wanting to talk to her about vaccines to put the ball back in her court.

An Australian couple have recently started a campaign to raise awareness of Whooping Cough and the ability to get the vaccine during pregnancy. They lost their baby at 32 days old and it was absolutely preventable.

Here is a link to their story with a video you probably don't want to watch.
HORRIBLE LINK, POTENTIALLY TRIGGERING www.buzzfeed.com/stephaniemcneal/light-for-riley#.pjQz2GGgl

Colleague was at it again yesterday, telling people they should go home. If everyone stayed at home for the entire duration of a cough then offices around the country would be empty!

And she reiterated her stance on the two vaccines too . I asked her if she has some sort of needle phobia but she said no, she just doesn't want them as they're unnecessary.

I think if you constantly complain about sick people possibly infecting you but refuse to get a jab that offers you protection, then you lose some of your right to complain!