To refuse to work with a sick person

[Sweetbutpsychotic]

I work in a pub. The woman I work with(she’s the manager) has asked if anyone else can cover her shift as she is ill. Described as a ‘cold/sicky thing’... if she can’t get cover, I suspect she may come in anyway. Good on her, but not so good for me, who’ll have to work with her!
I can’t afford to get anything like that at the mo. I have young kids who’d inevitably catch it, I’m starting up a business next week too.
WIBU to say I can’t work with you if you’re ill??

In the nicest possible way and I do get where you're coming from, YABU. You could catch an illness from anyone- at least one of your customers and probably a load of them will come in whilst contagious with something or other. Be really careful about hygiene and hope for the best.

it's your job until your business is thriving and comes first before your plans for next week.
If you get ill, it's a bit tough, but happens to us all when things are going round work.

Wear one of those face masks that I see tourists wearing all the time.
Actually a lot of people wearing face masks are wearing them because they themselves are ill and they want to avoid passing the germs on so showing a level of consideration that the OPs manager isn't!! I do think that the OP IBU if it is just a cold but I can also see where she's coming from...it's not great being in a public facing role even if it is just a cold.

I'm loving the helpful posts suggesting you remind your boss of the 48 hour rule. Managers love being told what to do by their staff

@FamilyofAliens I actually am fairly nice but I genuinely can't understand why someone would expect it to be ok to take a day off to avoid a cold - and thus inconvenience everyone else.

ALL of us could do without getting ill but we all have to get on with normal day to day stuff.

Not sure why you've picked me out of all the other posters, most people seem to think the OP is being a bit precious.

Not a day goes by when one of my colleagues is not sick with something or other. We are customer facing so are constantly faced with people with colds, sickness and god knows what else. It’s life.

Just keep your distance you'll be fine

I picked you out because of the tone of your post.

The OP said cold / sicky thing and plenty of other posters have actually said if she’s been vomiting, she should not come in at all, but with a cold it’s fine and to be expected at this time of year.

I heard somebody say once your body comes into contact with 68 viruses a day and we fight off almost all of them. I'd actually guess it was far more than 68 ... close proximity will not help but I think you need to get a bit of a grip and crack on

Good hand hygiene and make sure you don’t get into any clinches.

Colds are so common, most of us go into work (unless really bad) as you can't be off a couple of times a year with one on top of other reasons. Just try and keep your distance as much as possible and wash your hands on a regular basis.

However, if she's actually been sick within the last 48 hours, she shouldn't be serving drinks/food.

I had to work with someone who was sick a couple weeks ago, I work as a support worker. I did extra shifts as others didn’t want to be around it but it’s my job, stupidly I didn’t have my flu jab and I came down with it, it’s now cost me money as I had to have time off work (I don’t get paid sick pay as I am self employed). Sadly it’s just one of those things. You work in a pub, chances are you are surrounded by people carrying various illnesses anyway.

i sympathise with you - you obviously don't want to be ill and yes, sick people should stay at home and not spread illness. However, you can't change your behaviour because she won't act responsibly and as people have pointed out lots of customers will be ill too. Good hand hygiene will work wonders. Buy some hand gel and use it frequently.

And be thankful you don't work in a GP surgery. Imagine how staff there must feel!