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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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Original poster

How would you feel about this?

47 replies

StormyLovesOdd · 18/02/2020 10:52

I work in a large open plan office, I have a bit of a cold and a really bad cough that I can't seem to shift. When I cough I know its loud in our quiet office but I can't help it and if I try and stifle the cough it just gets worse. Once I start coughing I find it hard to stop and I try and go to our kitchen and have a drink of water until I have it under control again.

My boss has just taken me to one side and said people are starting to complain about my coughing and saying they can't concentrate on their work. I know my coughing is loud and annoying, its not nice for me either but what am I supposed to do about it? Every time I have to cough now I feel like people are tutting and talking about me.

Boss suggested I sit somewhere else in the office until I feel better., am I right to feel really pissed off about this? Its just a cough not the corona virus, I catch it in a tissue and bin it. The more I think about it the more annoyed I feel.

OP posts:

FudgeBrownie2019 · 18/02/2020 10:55

You're not BU to feel put out, but incessant coughing in an office would drive me mad. Did your boss have a solution though, because telling you it's distracting others will clearly have zero effect?

AStarSoBright · 18/02/2020 10:56

I'm a bit on the fence here. I think if your cough is impacting on your ability to work, which it is if you have to go and get a drink to get it under control, then you should be at home, however I get that sick leave is frowned upon in many workplaces.
A person continually coughing is irritating and I would find it hard to concentrate too, perhaps you could ask your manager what they suggest you do?

UnloveableOddball · 18/02/2020 10:57

Take a cough suppresant, maybe some codeine. Always works for me.

LaurieFairyCake · 18/02/2020 10:57

Why wouldn't you want to go somewhere else to work?

I wouldn't like to distract everyone else and would appreciate the quiet

Brefugee · 18/02/2020 10:58

you can self-certify for 7 days in the UK right? (usually it takes me 3-4 weeks to get rid of a cough). Stay home?

it's awful for you and i hope you're better soon - but the coughing would also annoy me if i were trying to work.

Original poster

StormyLovesOdd · 18/02/2020 11:01

We have areas in the office for informal meetings and my boss suggested I maybe sit there and work with my laptop .

I would love to go home but I know from past experience that I will probably have this cough for weeks if not months as I always find them hard to shift, I can't stay off work for that long.

I've tried everything to stop the cough but nothing works.

OP posts:

RedskyAtnight · 18/02/2020 11:04

When I had a cough like that I asked to work from home. I was very aware that the noise was incredibly irritating.

If it's got so bad that your boss has spoken to you, I'd just accept his offer of sitting somewhere else until it's better. If nothing else it means you can cough freely and don't have to worry about disturbing others.

IceCreamFace · 18/02/2020 11:05

I'd probably just work in a separate area. I'd feel self conscious anyway knowing I was distracting everyone in the office.

Reginabambina · 18/02/2020 11:10

Why can’t you just sit where he told you? That way you’re not disturbing anyone and you don’t need to feel self conscious about coughing.

LaurieFairyCake · 18/02/2020 11:12

No chance you can work from home?

TheTrollFairy · 18/02/2020 11:13

I would sit elsewhere. I find having a cough makes me really self conscious so I would be pleased to move

HeartyGreenSalad · 18/02/2020 11:13

Go and talk to a pharmacist, make sure there's no underling problem

Cyberlibre · 18/02/2020 11:15

Is there any way that you are able to work from home? I realise this probably isn't am option, just suggesting it in case it is an option.

iklboo · 18/02/2020 11:17

Go and talk to a pharmacist, make sure there's no underling problem

Great typo

I had similar last year. Someone at the other end of the office asked my boss if I had TB! I went to the doctor who diagnosed bronchospasms - basically a very sensitive reaction to anything causing me to cough. She gave me an inhaler and it got much better.

Original poster

StormyLovesOdd · 18/02/2020 11:22

I thought I was doing the right thing coming into work rather than ringing in sick when its only a bit of a cold and I hate sitting elsewhere, it feels like I've been cast-out of the fold but it seems that IABU

OP posts:

DesLynamsMoustache · 18/02/2020 11:23

I don't think anyone is BU really. You can't help coughing, but constant coughing and hacking is incredibly off-putting and annoying when trying to work. It's just one of those things, really.

TSSDNCOP · 18/02/2020 11:24

I would:

-see a pharmacist/go to a walk in
-sit apart with a drink to hand
-work from home

I cannot bear coughing myself and wouldn’t inflict it on my colleagues.

One of my husbands colleagues asked him to work at home when he had a cough.

Damntheman · 18/02/2020 11:25

The only thing that ever stopped coughing for me is Bentasil pastiles. Sadly you can only get them in Canada these days but if you can source someone to send you some it might save you next time OP!

I'd go work in the meeting room, and I'd enjoy the peace while I was at it!

JustForTheTasteOfIt · 18/02/2020 11:26

It might be because you're already feeling rotten OP but you're taking this personally when I really don't think it is.

The noise is making it difficult for people to concentrate and it's not fair for multiple people to be uncomfortable at work if there is a compromise which is you being in another area for a little while until you're better.

They haven't told you to go home or to take sick days (either of which you could request but it sounds like you do want to be at work) so they aren't casting you out. It's a temporary measure to help the work environment be as productive as possible.

I really hope you feel better soon but try not to take it personally in the meantime

Daftodil · 18/02/2020 11:33

If you can work from your laptop in a meeting room space, surely you can work from your laptop at home?!

I personally hate it when colleagues come into the office coughing and sneezing. Regardless of Corona virus, there may be people in your office who have immune deficiencies (or regular contact with those who do) who don't want to catch and pass on your lurgies.

CalmdownJanet · 18/02/2020 11:38

Weeks if not months? Oh sorry op that would annoy the bejesus out of me

1forAll74 · 18/02/2020 11:46

You can buy various non drowsy cough mixtures and better quality cough tablets, but guess you may have tried them all. !

maddening · 18/02/2020 11:51

I am lucky in that I can work from home which is a blessing when I have a cold, it is a win win as I can get work done in comfort of home and I don't disturb others or pass on my germs.

maddening · 18/02/2020 11:53

Definitely sit elsewhere if you can! And get over the "hate it" and "feel like an outcast" crap, you are a grown up!

Ponoka7 · 18/02/2020 11:53

So to solve it all you have to do is to sit somewhere else? YABU for not doing that.

It's common courtesy.

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