To be annoyed by what I call 'Workplace Martyrs'?

[SapphireSeptember]

Because I'm feeling rather cross right now! The ones who come in coughing and spluttering everywhere (for fuck's sake, cover your mouth!) and looking like death warmed up. "Oh, it's only a cold!"
Reasons this annoy me...

1. I work with two people with compromised immune systems. One of them is a WM herself, and made herself really ill by coming into work when she shouldn't have, resulting in a hospital stay. Still hasn't learnt, and still comes into work when she's really ill.
2. Someone I know is currently undergoing radiotherapy. If I get a cold I have to avoid them, because I don't want to pass my germs on.
3. Yes it's only a cold, but colds make me really ill for some reason, and I'm sick of taking time off work because they won't.
4. Where we work requires both handling food and dealing with customers, a lot of whom are elderly. They don't want your germs either.
5. This notion that they're the only reason the place is still running. I'm sure it won't fall down around our ears if you stay in bed for a couple of days. They also like to inform everyone that they haven't been off sick in ages, as though those of us who have are guilty of some moral failing.
6. I blame this lot for my current cough/sore throat. Flanges! If I get properly ill I am NOT going to be happy.

YABU that is not being a workplace martyr, that is feeling a bit rough but not wanting to let your colleagues and customers down. It could also mean they can't financially afford to take time off. Who takes time off for a cold in any case? If you had said d&v OP I would have agreed with you. I do however think you have a valid point about people spreading germs and wish to goodness people wpuld cover their mouthed, use tissues once and bin them and wash their hands!

YABU. Where I work we're not paid for the first three days of sickness, so people have to soldier on or lose money. Mind you it's the first place I've worked with this rule and I've still only taken time off work with a cold once in 30 years and that was when my boss was away and I knew it wasn't busy. There are so many different ways and places to catch a cold that unless you live alone, never go anywhere nor travel by public transport, you really can't say for sure who you've caught it from.

I never take time off for a cold.

I drink a lemsip, pack some tissues and it’s business as usual. I am a teacher and honest to god I get a cold or some sort of bug twice a term. If I took time off every time I’d be unemployed pretty quickly!

You can’t win with this. Half the people will think going in with a cold and spreading germs is evil and irresponsible and the other half will think that unless your head’s fallen off you should force yourself into work whatever

If I have a bad cold with fever rather than a simple runny nose then I take a day. Iv been ill and gone in previously and been massively under productive and cold will linger on and on. A day on the sofa or bed hot bath and generally I’m back to work running around at normal warp speed. Mind my workload doesn’t generally reduce if I’m off so it’s me self managing my time for maximum productivity.

Agree, no one can win on this one, if you call in sick, some will slag you off. If you go in, others will slag you off. I was one of the ones that went in, because I worked in a small company, and if I wasn't there, my role didn't get done (most of it very time sensitive). I only called in sick if I felt the need to be in bed. Luckily I USED to only get a few colds a year.

But, I have just adopted two children...and I've had a multitude of different cold bugs for the last 14 weeks solid...but, I'm sure my immune system is gonna be made of steel by Christmas!! But if I was still working...should I have been off work all of this time?

I really feel for those that don't get paid if they call in sick (especially if they have children that pick up every germ and bug going), it must be a constant worry.

This is what I felt was important in the OP:

"Where we work requires both handling food and dealing with customers, a lot of whom are elderly. They don't want your germs either."

"The ones who come in coughing and spluttering everywhere (for fuck's sake, cover your mouth!)"

You can't really take time off with 'just a cold' but a workplace should not be happy that germs are being spread far and wide, particularly to those who may be badly affected (elderly customers and the immuno-compromised colleagues).

I'd consider raising it with management in a 'what steps can we take to protect everyone' sort of way. For example, the coughing with the mouth uncovered - I used to work in a hospital, we were taught there that should we need to cough we were to pull our polo-top forward at the neck and direct our cough towards the sleeve. That way the droplets get trapped in the fabric, and go neither into the air nor on your hands. Perhaps an in-house training session? And if they're coughing over food, really, shouldn't masks be being worn in those circumstances?

As someone with an autoimmune disease, I can see both sides. For me a cold is never just a cold, it’s something that could end up in hospital stay. However I work in a large office. People tend to avoid me when they are ill, we also have hot desking, so I can stay away from ill people. However if someone is really ill and it’s not just a bit of runny nose and a bit of a cough, I think they should avoid the workplace, as it generally ends in more sick days for the employer. I think your temperature is the best way to tell, if you have a high temperature than stay away.

Completely agree with you and what @SpoonBlender said! When I managed a team I actively encouraged people not to come in with a cold - they make you feel like sh*t and a few team members had young kids/babies. I let people work from home if they wanted rather than take a sick day, as long as they were available on email throughout the day.

@GiddyGardener unless you are on a temporary contract or zero hours you should get paid sick, even if it’s just Gov statutory (can’t remem what that is now).

This has 100% been said but I’m going to say it again anyway. Throughout the year I’ll prob have minor cold or flu for at least a quarter of the year. I can’t afford that time off.

Im a nurse and work with the elderly and immuno compromised people all the time. I've had a day off work today due to a very bad cold. If I pass my germs on to my patients I could kill them.

If it's just a cold then no don't be off unless people you work with are at serious risk from colds due to their own issues that you are aware of then take time off if you can. If it's flu you need to be off. This all depends on whether you're lucky enough to get sick pay though. A lot of people who don't,have to come in regardless even if they have issues that mean they should be off but they can't afford to be off.

As to all companies supposedly meant to be giving sick pay, no I don't think so. There are those who find loopholes in the law to avoid doing this.

I am the most hated type of worker. I have an unseen disability, a lung condition and another chronic health condition. Plus severe migraines. I'm always in trouble at work because of my absence record, although I never just have a day off, and usually end up in hospital before I admit defeat. I don't mind what others do, my sickness record is so appalling - oh the guilt! I just don't want others to think I'm lazy!

There’s colds....& then there’s colds that make you feel like utter shite.

I can cope with working if I’ve got a sniffle, mild sore throat etc. But I can’t work when I’m constantly sneezing, shivering & aching all over - despite taking cold treatments. I’ve left work when I’ve felt like that, as I’m useless.

OP I'm not sure you need to be overly concerned about your colleague who's undergoing radiotherapy. I had a long list of things that could be problematic when I was having treatment.....getting a cold wasn't one of them.

This “you can’t win” situation will run forever.
If you call in sick with a cold (constant sneezing, runny nose, cough, looking like death etc.):
Resentful colleagues - “I bet they’re not that unwell”
Resentful manager
Feel guilty as you could have forced yourself to go in
If you go to work:
Resentful colleagues - “I bet I’ll catch their cold and will make damn sure they know I blame them if I do”
Really feeling shit but your manager seems to be blissfully unaware of the black bags under your eyes and dripping nose.

Remember once I called in work to say I had sinusitis - all encompassing, feeling sick, skull felt like it was going to explode from pressure etc. When I next came in to work, the assistant manager said “even when I had raging diarrhoea I still came in, I would only take a day off if I was on my death bed!” Great - spreading a diarrhoea bug around which could affect staff and customers is so appropriate, well done for being such a big girl and fighting through

I probably sound like a WM today as I've been coughing and wheezing. Oddly though I'm actually feeling like I'm over the worst of my cold now but it's more obvious especially when I'm coming in from the freezing cold (which I often do at work).

You don’t need to avoid someone having radiotherapy if you have a cold. Radiotherapy doesn’t affect the immune system in the slightest. I’m a therapy radiographer of 10+ years before anyone wants to post something contradictory to that they “heard”

Use "First Defence" or similar from Boots or other Pharmacy chains at the first hint of a cold. Use several times. I have not had a proper cold since I discovered this several years ago.
Strangely, Vicks (who make First Defence) no longer seem to advertise it. I suspect this is because it works so well that they were losing sales on more lucrative "Cold cures" etc. I have no connection with any pharmaceutical companies but this really is "the cure for the common cold"!

@Blackpoolforever I'm stocking up tomorrow, thanks for the tip!!

@AperolSprizting it has changed for the better since I was in such a role, so I get your point, but SSP is 4 days sick or more, might not apply to the length of a common cold. And it is only about £92 odd for the week, might be too much of a loss for those on minimum wage.

If only people bothered to learn and actually put into practice, basic hygiene. It’s not difficult to make sure to wash your hands after you cover your face/nose when you cough or sneeze. Or have tissues with you knowing you have a cold then disposing those tissues into a bin after use and then washing your hands thereafter. It’s pure laziness and general dirtiness to not be considerate to others when you’re ill and want to / have to be at work that’s how all theses viruses come about, of course it’s not as though you will eliminate the virus but at least by being clean the time of the illness is lessened. It is disgusting the amount of adults who just “cough out” without covering there mouths. I’ve also been in ladies toilets where women have come out of the loo cubicles and not washed their hands - so disgusting. I then have to wash my hands and use a piece of toilet paper to cover the handle of the door to avoid my clean hands from touching a germ handle - enough to make one OCD

Yep I hate workplace martyrs. Completely agree with the you SapphireSeptember. One of my work places was full of them (I left and had a lot to do with the martyrs)

The one I hated was people who harp on about how many unpaid they do " oh I didn't leave until 7 and then was back in at 6 this morning, did I see you leave on time"
In the end the answer has to be " yes, I do leave on time as I'm not going to fall into a role that is for 2 people and become a work horse as I, believe it or not, have a life outside this place. My family and friends are more important than a payslip, so shove your job !! And I pity you all who stay here competing for the most unpaid work award and no one to share it with who gives a shit"
Sorry little rant over but totally agree with you