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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

Sick hairdresser

89 replies

YorkshirePuddingsGreatestFan · 11/03/2018 08:21

I've been going to a hair salon for years. It's close to home and I know the owner quite well now.

I was booked in to have my roots done on Thursday. When I got there, the lady who put the colour on was very quiet and not chatty which isn't like her, but I just assumed she was having a rough day or something.

When she was washing my hair, she said "oh I feel wobbly again!" and explained she had a viral bug. She said she'd been in bed the previous day with a fever, aches and pains and vomiting and she still felt really unwell.

She felt wobbly again while blow drying my hair, so I just got her to blow it straight and not style it as I just wanted to get away from her.

I started feeling sick myself on Friday night. I had the fever and pains all day yesterday so I couldn't go on a family day out I'd planned with my children. I still feel ill this morning and I'll have to cancel a mothers day meal at my parents as my Dad is terminally ill so I don't want to pass my germs on to him.

AIBU to think she shouldn't have been in work if she was still ill? I'm just upset my weekend has been ruined as it seems like I've caught her bug. I'd rather have rescheduled the appointment than be ill.

Should I message the salon owner with a friendly complaint? I'm not going to rant or bad mouth him to others - just explain what has happened so he can stop his staff passing bugs onto other customers in future.

OP posts:
Sprinklesinmyelbow · 11/03/2018 15:00

GPs and hospitaks don’t BEG anyone not to come in. They ask people not to come in with Nuro, or winter vomiting virus. They certainly don’t tell people not to come in if they have vomited in the last 48 hours Hmm people vomit for all sorts stuff of reasons.

I guess they also appreciate that a small waiting room full of people who are there because they are sick is a pretty healthy breeding ground as opposed to say, anywhere erode.

Thelampshadelady · 11/03/2018 15:00

YABU. I don’t get paid if I don’t work and clients moan.
I’m having 3 months off for maternity leave this summer and already have clients moaning about it.
People like you just add to that stress.

Sprinklesinmyelbow · 11/03/2018 15:01

Exactly queen. When you start a new shitty job because it’s all you can get the employer won’t stop sacking you because you were kind enough to stay at home an extra 48 hours after recovering. Like they give a shit.

Lovesagin · 11/03/2018 15:01

The start of a cold/cough/flu etc where you feel just a bit grim and coughing etc is just as contagious as when its full blown surely? So are people supposed to stay off work if they just have the sniffles?

BumpowderSneezeonAndSnot · 11/03/2018 15:02

In which case I think clients should have the right to turn clearly unwell carers away at the door without financial penalty.

GlassHalfFullOfWee · 11/03/2018 15:02

There are so many bugs going round at this time of year. If you complained to the salon that the hairdresser had made you ill, they would think you were a complete loon.

Aren’t most hairdressers in salons self-employed anyway? Or have I got that wrong.

The poor woman probably couldn’t afford to lose a day’s wages. I’m sure she’d rather have been at home in bed. The bigger problem is that so many people are living hand to mouth they’re having to work sick because there is no safety buffer. I think that’s sad.

itsbetterthanabox · 11/03/2018 15:03

I'm a beauty therapist.
My bosses would not allow me not to come in if I had a cold.
I do tell customers I have something and ask them if they still want to have treatment. I also regularly wash and sanitise my hands and cough into tissues which I throw away.

Yogagirl123 · 11/03/2018 15:04

I wouldn’t be happy either OP, I have MS and try to avoid bugs wherever possible.

Bombardier25966 · 11/03/2018 15:08

I went to a gym class on Thursday night and haven't been to the supermarket or anywhere like that in the last few days.

Gyms are covered in all sorts of bugs.

You have no proof that the hairdresser passed on her illness to you.

YABU. Unless you lock yourself away from the world, it's inevitable that sometimes you will get ill. There are countless ways this might have occurred, which may or may not include the hairdresser.

cucaracha · 11/03/2018 15:09

Sprinklesinmyelbow
You are talking absolute nonsense. My local hospitals had big signs on all the doors telling visitors not to come in after vomiting - I never said they sent away patients who needed medical care. The recording message on all the hospital line repeated the same messages, and the same message was flagged on their website.

People coming in with no respect for the 48h rule is a big deal. Shame some are too selfish to realise that for others it's a much bigger problem to be infected than vomiting for a day and feeling a bit tired afterwards

JaneEyre70 · 11/03/2018 15:15

It makes me so angry that people knowingly and carelessly spread their germs around to inflict the misery of D & V on others. It's such a selfish and unnecessary thing to do. And for those "i can't afford a day off", do one. That is never going to be an acceptable excuse for infecting others. I'm t2 diabetic and really struggle to shift bugs if they hit.
I'd email the salon owner, to say that your special plans for this weekend were ruined, and you would have rather had your appointment changed than endure a weekend of misery that you are now in quarantine for. Just think of the circle of people she has infected.............. staff, their familes, clients and their families....

Mummyoflittledragon · 11/03/2018 15:16

Being chronically ill, vomiting bugs are the ones I fear the most. Even before being chronically ill, I was blacking out with these bugs. I’d be extremely pissed off if someone gave one to me. I fear I may be very or dangerously unwell.

Whatshallidonowpeople · 11/03/2018 15:21

It's a big jump to assume that she doesn't wash her hands! And the 48 hour "rule" is for people who work with food, children, the elderly or sick people.

rosieposies · 11/03/2018 15:31

I find calling the hairdresser 'selfish' absolutely bizarre - she hardly woke up that morning and said to herself 'Oh I can't wait to drag myself into work today even though I feel like shit, but I just love to infect other people!'. She probably thought she was over the contagious part of the illness, and, like others have said, has no choice but to go into work due to not being paid as she is self-employed.

Viruses are everywhere, you will unfortunately not make it through life without getting sick a few times.

MIngerDynasty · 11/03/2018 15:31

The op has no evidence she caught it from the woamn no.. but the woman was unreasonable to not tell her she was ill and let the Op make a decision. Very real risk to people with compromised immune systems.

cucaracha · 11/03/2018 15:40

And the 48 hour "rule" is for people who work with food, children, the elderly or sick people.

You really need to educate yourself, it's actually scary.

YearOfYouRemember · 11/03/2018 15:40

Yes, the OP could have caught it from someone else but is highly likely she caught it from the hairdresser given they weee in close proximity and they were ill. So ridiculous when posters constantly try and dismiss the OP thoughts.

Sprinklesinmyelbow · 11/03/2018 15:42

I’m sorry Cucaracha but that’s nonsense. Call me pedantic but hospitals do not tell people not to come in if they have vomitted in the last 48 hours, they ask people not to come in with a vomiting virus. Obviously someone who had food poisoning or a hangover 48 hours ago is as welcome as anyone else Hmm

cucaracha · 11/03/2018 15:45

hospitals do not tell people not to come in if they have vomitted in the last 48 hours, they ask people not to come in with a vomiting virus.

How the heck do people know for sure they had food poisoning and not a vomiting virus? I won't even go into the fact that morons need to be told not to visit hospital after vomiting (again, not talking about going to hospital because of medical emergency!)

Sprinklesinmyelbow · 11/03/2018 15:47

You seem to be assuming most people are very stupid, when that is in fact the minority. I feel pleased that most medical professionals I’ve dealt with don’t have that attitude

OutyMcOutface · 11/03/2018 15:50

Well it depends on just how I’ll she was. If she was still running a fever then YANBU. She should have at least warned you before your appointment so that you could reschedule if need be. But if she was just feelings but week after the illness then she had no reason to believe that she was still infectious.

AlmostAJillSandwich · 11/03/2018 15:57

It shouldn't happen that people can't afford to take an unpaid sick day, but the bottom line, it is not OK to not tell clients beforehand that you are ill and give them the option to reschedule.
The hair dresser should have called OP and all other clients with plenty of warning (in case op was say, taking a taxi and would incur costs to get to the salon) and inform her of the illness so she could make an informed decision not to expose herself to the bug.

I'm sorry but it IS completely selfish to go to work when you are ill, if you will come in to contact with other people you can also make ill. You have no idea what the impact of them catching your illness could be, be it they are immunocompromised, care for/live with someone who is, or work a job where it would be dangerous to go in ill. If you're self employed you should have a plan B and if you're not you should take sick leave or even a day or two of annual leave if you have to.

Yes, it sucks, massively, but we all are responsible for being considerate, and should ideally, if/when possible, try to cut back a little here and there to have a back up plan for these things. Easier said than done in todays climate, but for a good majority of people, still actually doable, even if difficult.

Sprinklesinmyelbow · 11/03/2018 16:00

When I worked in a hairdressers we used to say we were ill when we had raging hangovers. I remember a friend apparently pushing aside a clients hair whilst shampooing to vomit down the sink. NB this may be a urban legend

Lovesagin · 11/03/2018 16:00

So are we talking about not going in to work with a general cough or cold? They can be passed around. Id never be in work!

Some employers don't allow employees to transfer sick leave into annual leave.

StealthPolarBear · 11/03/2018 18:20

@TheQueenOfWands very good points. It's shit.

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