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.

@CatandtheFiddle

I wouldn’t take sick leave for a basic cold

Bully for you! but you know what? Someone coming in to work with a basic cold puts me in danger of getting a "basic cold" which affects me so badly I may need to spend at least 3 days in bed & a week off work, if I don't get a debilitating lung infection (bronchitis, pluerisy, take your pick).

A 'basic cold' usually makes me quite ill for about 2 weeks in all.

What do you want people to do about that? Your health conditions are unfortunate but the world cant revolve around you. A lot of people can cope with a common cold and work. They shouldn't have to stay home nor should employers lose a large portion of workforce temporarily to keep one staff member from getting the common cold badly.

I work on a production line, so not sure how being in a separate workroom would work there. Also I don't get full pay sick leave just ssp, so will go to work with anything short of proper flu, a limb hanging off or death.

Are you suggesting people with hayfever take time off sick

Not at all. But I can’t see that it makes a great deal of sense to object to people who are ill taking a day off to prevent the spread of an illness while also being fine with people being in work but not doing any.

If it is that bad, it’s probably worth going back to your GP as whatever they’ve given you or suggested so far isn’t working. (Obviously a bit tricky at the moment though).

CatandtheFiddle Bully for you too.

I still wouldn’t be taking time off work for a common cold. You can’t expect people to realistically do that.

I agree with you OP. No of course everyone can't take time off for a mild cold but I'd like to see people with active infectious respiratory diseases wearing masks at work. Not everyone gets colds mildly, mine always ends up with a chest infection. A colleague of mine who is a complete martyr gave me the flu after coming into work whilst very ill and I ended up seriously ill in hospital with pneumonia which took me 6 weeks to recover from and hit me financially to boot.

I have perennial rhinitis, which is basically hay fever all year round, and I sneeze and need to blow my nose a lot. I can't help it. Nearly 50 years of me trying to find medication to stop it hasn't found the solution either.

I DON'T HAVE A COLD.

I don't sneeze or blow my nose on bloody purpose.

It's a lose-lose situation.

You go in with a cold and you're accused by your colleagues of spreading your germs.

You stay home with a cold and your management think you're taking the piss.

Everyone's right. Everyone's wrong.

If you were bed bound it was the flu. I would take myself off to the loo to blow my nose but of course I would still go to work.

No of course everyone can't take time off for a mild cold but I'd like to see people with active infectious respiratory diseases wearing masks at work.

Yes that is the answer. And use tissues and wash hands.

Not everyone gets colds mildly, mine always ends up with a chest infection. A colleague of mine who is a complete martyr gave me the flu after coming into work whilst very ill and I ended up seriously ill in hospital with pneumonia which took me 6 weeks to recover from and hit me financially to boot.

Sympathies from a fellow sufferer this way. What gets me about this is the hostility (some posts on this thread are a good example) I sometimes face when I explain how ill I can be with a so-called "just a cold" - it's rarely "just" a cold for me. And people can be quite unbelieving and unsympathetic. I hate being ill, I would rather suffer strong pain than a cold, but some people (luck things who don't suffer badly) just think you're taking the mick.

If you were bed bound it was the flu

No, the flu is quite different. Believe me, I've had both over the years.

No, the flu is quite different. Believe me, I've had both over the years.

Flus and colds affect everyone differently. Did you get a diagnosis from a doctor! Fair enough if you did and they said it's not flu but you can't just assume it wasn't unles you are medically qualified

Sorry meant a ? Not a !

I have allergies which make me sniff. I’m not going to blow my nose every two seconds so sorry but I will sniff. You get these people ‘ew blow your nose sniffing is disgusting’ I just blew my nose and would you rather I sniffed or dripped snot?

I find these threads odd. Given free choice everyone would choose to stay at home when they had a cold. However a lot of people can't work from home and work for places where people are unsympathetic about sick leave and they lose money.

Op would you be happy to cover your colleagues work every time they have a sniffle?

What needs to happen is working from home becoming mainstream and proper hygiene in the workplace.

YABU, I don’t expect otherwise healthy but snotty people to take time off work and I have a serious lung disease. A cold has progressed to pneumonia 4x in the last year and seen me admitted to intensive care. Still, as long as they wash their hands and don’t sit next to me, other peoples lives go on. Colleagues move away from me for distance which I do appreciate.
I do expect family and friends to let me know before social engagements though. They’re not necessarily required.

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?

I think some people go to work with cold in fear of getting a warning from work for sickness. When we phone in you get asked lots of questions like they dont believe you! The people who are constantly off sick dont care and always seem to get away with it.

You can’t be getting much work done even though you are present.

What? I'm not a professional knitter so bringing a hand to my face every few minutes doesn't render me incompetent.

Well I work in a college for people with learning and physical disabilities. Our residents and staff have never been healthier than they have been during coronavirus. Ever since we got a whiff of it, we've been sending home anyone with ANY symptoms - because no-one could be sure what the symptoms of COVID-19 were.

Whereas previously people would come in really ill, coughing and spluttering over staff and residents/students.

Instead of the constant colds and tummy bugs going around, everyone has been really healthy. I'd be very interested to see the rates of staff sickness absence, because I suspect it is extremely low. Our residents are vulnerable, and their health has never been better. I think there is a real possibility that we could bring in these measures permanently.

YABU, people can't sniff or blow nose? What are people supposed to do then? I'm a blower not a sniffer becuase I like being able to breathe. I sometimes get blocked up becuase of allergies or hayfever as well as colds. As much as I'd love to stay home every time I got a cold my work has a strict sickness policy so I'd be in trouble. I do seem to get colds quite regularly

People cant take time off for colds the entire workforce would be affected by it. However some more extreme sickness should take time off. The week before we went into lockdown my boss came to work every day with a flu type illness coughing and sneezing over everything and not washing hands. Grim.

@RyanBergarasTeeth Germany takes 4x the sick leave we do. Successful powerhouse Germany with tiny covid rates. 🤷🏻‍♀️

It’s hayfever season. Do you really expect me to call in sick to my NHS frontline job because I have a runny nose due to pollen? Who’s going to save your life when everyone is at home?

etinox. German society is quiet different to uk society. Things that work there dont work inthe uk. My home country works similar to germany but isnt the way in the uk. Also german covid rates are questionable at best.

I’ve broken my nose twice. I’ve got no way of blowing my nose quietly, my childhood nose break severely deformed my nostrils and left me with painful sinus damage.
Sorry not sorry. It’s also hay fever season, so here’s hoping you’re not in my office.