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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To think that going to work while unwell might become socially unacceptable

40 replies

Carbosug · 13/04/2020 13:36

Just wondering if sick leave policies that force people to struggle into work when unwell, and office martyrs who insist on coming in when they're sneezing and coughing all over the place will no longer be considered acceptable or responsible in a post pandemic world?

OP posts:
742ddx · 13/04/2020 13:59

I hope so!

Whatsnewpussyhat · 13/04/2020 14:04

Then employers would have to change sick leave policies so they don't punish people for doing so. Too many work days would be lost. How would you differentiate between illnesses?
I sneeze regularly because of allergies.

Most people with a cold or sore throat would just crack on with work.

TriangleBingoBongo · 13/04/2020 14:08

It should be socially unacceptable and employers should have been actively discouraging it anyway.

I remember being pregnant and inevitably got the bug that was slowly sent round the office and being annoyed given my vulnerability and the fact I couldn’t rely on cold and flu remedies etc. In reality once people are symptomatic there’s really no excuse to continue to pass it about, but it’s employers attitudes that will largely dictate this.

My old employers started cracking down on people WFH when they were ill and said they were either too ill to work and off sick, or well enough to work and should the therefore be in the office. IMO if they were ill and thus contagious but felt well enough to work then WFH was exactly what they should be doing.

I hope now more people have discovered they are able to WFH the good practise re infection prevention is able to continue.

TriangleBingoBongo · 13/04/2020 14:08

I sneeze regularly because of allergies.

Allergies aren’t contagious so you aren’t caught in this predicament?

Siameasy · 13/04/2020 14:08

Thing is as we have seen a lot of maladies are infectious before you know you have them. So it could be pointless.

Soubriquet · 13/04/2020 14:11

My work have a 3 sick leave policies in 12 months before you have a meeting

It’s hard because it’s a industry which is public, so high chance of catching something.

I’ve seen people come in with heavy colds because they are worried about getting penalised for having time off.

I do hope they over haul it but at the same time, it will give piss takers the excuse to take the piss more

Original poster
Carbosug · 13/04/2020 14:13

True but they more quickly passed around in many cases by infectious people sneezing and coughing. If those people stayed at home, working remotely where possible it might reduce the spread.

OP posts:
Verily1 · 13/04/2020 14:15

I hope so.

KylieKoKo · 13/04/2020 14:15

I think the responsibility for this with employers rather than employees. I have worked in places that hand out disciplinaries to people if they are sick too much. Also many places do not pay you your wages if you're sick and sickness is often treated with suspicion. This needs to change before people are able to call in sick for a cold.

Sparklesocks · 13/04/2020 14:16

It depends on whether or not businesses review their sickness policies. Most people who come into work ill do so because they won’t be paid/have exceeded the number of sick days allowed before a review is triggered. You do get a few martyrs of course who want to show dedicated they are, but most people wouldn’t come in if they weren’t afraid of the repercussions.

Thymelord · 13/04/2020 14:19

Employers have to change their policies. You can't blame the individual if they work somewhere that expects sick people to come in. Plenty of people don't get paid if they are off sick, of course they are going to carry on going in with a cold or bug or whatever.

IDefinitelyHaveFriends · 13/04/2020 14:27

I think a lot of workplaces will have got better at managing WFH, so for people with office jobs it will be more acceptable to say that you’re under the weather and not coming in.

In South East Asia it’s been normal for some time to wear a face mask out and about if you have a slight cold - I don’t see any sign of that catching on here.

StrictlyAFemaleFemale · 13/04/2020 14:29

Im not in the uk and honestly the fact that with some employers 3 periods of absence in a year triggers a disciplinary is mindboggling. Here if you have a chronic or long lasting illness you can get an agreement with the council that they pay all of your sick pay from day 1. So your sickness doesnt cost your employer as much.

gluteustothemaximus · 13/04/2020 14:30

Hope so.

Although my main bug bear is parents sending in sick kids to school. The amount of sickness we have is insane.

PicsInRed · 13/04/2020 14:32

Nah. Well just be expected to conceal that we're unwell.

Makeitgoaway · 13/04/2020 14:50

Most coughs, including this one, can last for several weeks after you've been "unwell", not being welcome at work with a cough would be a disaster.

Cockadoodledooo · 13/04/2020 14:54

Oh I bloody hope so!

HoffiCoffi13 · 13/04/2020 14:54

Although my main bug bear is parents sending in sick kids to school. The amount of sickness we have is insane

The main reason people send sick kids to school is because they are constantly told by the school to send their sick kids in.
DD2 is in reception, up until Christmas she had 2 days off for a sickness bug and 3 days off for scarlet fever. I got a letter telling me that her attendance level was unacceptable and required improvement. I asked if they’d rather I’d sent her in with the sickness bug or with scarlet fever, but they declined to answer.

megletthesecond · 13/04/2020 14:59

One can only hope so.
I can't stand sick people at work. I'd rather work above and beyond and keep myself healthy. Draconion HR policies have a lot to answer for.

cherrybunx0 · 13/04/2020 15:01

@TriangleBingoBongo this is the same where I work. currently all working from home, and we are talking hundreds of workers here, and the work hasnt slid - meetings are being done over Skype and the same amount if work and money demands being met.

think this kind of attitude is more about micro managing and having everyone where they can see them. I'm hoping my company reviews this a little once this is over

Luaa · 13/04/2020 15:13

I hope in places where you can work from home it becomes the norm to do so when you have a cold. I hate when I can see a coworker has a cold and I know at some point in the next few weeks I'll have that cold. It would be great if it was expected that you'd come in, pick up your laptop and go home again.

avocadotofu · 13/04/2020 15:15

I really hope so!

MyHipsDontLieUnfortunately · 13/04/2020 15:18

I don't think so. We're heading towards recession and high unemployment. Many employers will want to recoup their losses whatever it takes and will resort to any unscrupulous means to do so.

DGRossetti · 13/04/2020 15:28

The main reason people send sick kids to school is because they are constantly told by the school to send their sick kids in.

And having to arrange/pay for childcare because their employer won't recognise it as a reason to not come in ...

thunderthighsohwoe · 13/04/2020 15:30

I hope not - I’m a primary teacher and I get 3-5 full on colds each year, plus usually a DV bug when the season hits. Would cost us a fortune in supply teachers!