AIBU by pre corona work colleagues with colds/blowing noses at work?

[Ihatecoldsgrrrr]

I’ve recently found this website so apologies for the topic.

However when we were in the office I was so annoyed by colleagues blowing their nose loudly in the office, or sniffing up snot.

If people don’t want to take full pay sick leave (our department isn’t busy) than fair enough. However your big noisy nose blowing is disgusting. So is sniffing up snot.

I’m sure people will have a different opinion to colds this season, but it’s always annoyed me.

I wouldn’t take sick leave for a basic cold.

You think people ought to go on sick leave because they have a cold? Honestly? That's ridiculous.

I do agree on the sniffing thing - just blow your bloody nose! Can't stand a sniffer.

You don’t take sick leave for a common cold

Not sure what “pre corona work colleagues means either” a snotty nose has noting to do with the virus

This doesn't make any sense. You want people to take time off sick every time they need to blow their noses??

What do people do who suffer from hayfever or chronic catarrh? I get a bunged-up nose every time the air is dry- happens a lot in an office environment as you can imagine. Should I just give up work?

Headphones & a music subscription service are your friends, OP.

Your work would think it reasonable to take sick leave for a runny nose?

YABU. Wait til winter

It's allergy season, some people suffer for weeks. Are you saying they should be off dick for months because you have an issue with their sniffing?

Ask to move to another room if the noise is do disturbing or ask putting the radio on to drown the noise.

You can’t take a sick day for a normal cold - half the workforce would be out at any given time! I do think after this pandemic, however, office workers will be more inclined to work from home if they are not feeling 100 percent.

Hmmmm im not sure how I can make it clearer, let me try.

It annoys me when people go to work with colds, because they are passing it to everyone. Sure you can pass on a cold a few days before symptoms, but being next to someone when they are blowing their nose and sneezing is gross.

Some people blow their nose subtlety, but some sound like a steam train. How can that be good for your nose?

A lot of people are living with people with compromised immunity - such as cancer treatment, or breathing issues (asthma etc). So when people go to work with their colds, it has a knock on affect.

People die from the flu every year, so someone going to work with flu like symptoms can easily pass it on to your relative.

Am I saying that people with “just a cold” should stay at home. No. But your “just a cold” leaves me tired for a few weeks and I have went to work with a cold, it’s terrible for me.

Why can’t those with cold/flu symptoms have separate work rooms - or be encouraged not to work next to ‘healthy’ people? Why was hand sanitiser never a thing at work, or Anti bacterial wipes?

Noise cancelling headphones?

@VideographybyLouBloom I didn’t have a cold last winter. The year before I had an awful two month cold and I ended up going home on Friday and not going back to work for two weeks. I felt very pressured to go to work, because it’s “just a cold”. Well I was bed bound.

You can go to work, but perhaps treat it like we are corona? Stay 2 metres apart, wash hands, don’t touch surfaces etc?

@Waveysnail not allowed to use them.

Does your office have space for people with colds to sit in separate rooms?

@drivingdownthe101 we have space, yes.

@Napqueen1234 only 1/3 of our workforce can come back to the office.

Well, we work collaboratively so sending someone to sit on their own for the day because they have the sniffles would be quite counter productive for us.

Good. I’ve never worked in an office that does. Or to stay 2m apart from people when all staff are in. But then my last office had 20,000 employees!

Hmmm - I think it's called the 'common cold' for a reason. And people cannot take time off sick every time they have a cold or hayfever.

You are being unreasonable.

The vast majority of people I have ever worked with have sort of done that OP. While not as strict as 2m, people tend to keep their distance, not shake hands, wash hands regularly, sneeze into tissues etc.

We've always had loads of hand sanitizer about in our offices.

If everyone took leave every time they had a cold/the sniffles they'd be sacked.

It's impossible.

Hay fever ?

Also, as a new suffered of hay fever, I couldn't take time off sick for that...

You can't be off work every time you've got the sneezes!

However I do think this winter incidences of normal colds and flu will be lower that ever before. 1) because more people will likely have the flu jab 2) social distancing measures will likely still be in force in some way, with Perspex screens in places like bars etc probably here to stay 3) peoples general hygiene will hopefully have improved (more hand washing etc!)

So, OP, maybe you won't have to put up with as many germs flying around your office this winter as you did last!