Semi mask exempt colleague at work stressing me out.....

[Watermelon888]

Colleague wears mask when client facing but struggling to tolerate it well. Colleague has ongoing chest issues and frequent chest infections.

Keeps coming into our office, keeps 2m distance, but coughing and deep breathing saying it’s a relief to take it off. We are supposed to keep them on all the time. Colleague keeps wearing it under their nose.

It’s particularly stressful this week with Christmas round the corner. My sympathy is wearing thin. They did have a covid test , negative a few weeks ago, but is still seeing all family indoors despite tier 2 rules.

What can I do?

I've very grateful that I'm in a workplace that doesn't require them. We've worked through since March and nobody has caught Covid at work despite being a in a high risk environment (early years). I can't see how working with the same people daily and keeping 2m apart with sensible behaviour ie testing if symptoms, is a problem. Can understand needing one in a general public facing role but in an office where you're pretty much bubbled with the same team it seems excessive unless you don't trust your colleagues to be careful and follow the guidelines. I may be desensitised by being coughed and sneezed on on a daily basis though...

I feel for you op but one colleague? One?.. As pp said go into any classroom with 20, 30, people not wearing masks 🤷‍♂️

Op isn't in a classroom and didn't choose to be in a classroom.

This is like when someone says "I am tired" and people start the race to the bottom about how they ahve it worse because they last slept for 5 seconds in 2001.

The fact that someone has it worse, doesn't mean others can't complain

It sounds like she's doing her best to comply with mask wearing in difficult circumstances. It's shitty to bitch about someone else's health problems.

It sounds like she's doing her best to comply with mask wearing in difficult circumstances. It's shitty to bitch about someone else's health problems

It's not 'bitching about someone else's health problems' though, is it? It's expecting to have your right to not be put at risk of contracting a potentially fatal disease at work being upheld. What you are actually saying is that every single other person in the office should be happy to be put at risk because this colleague can't/won't take precautions to lower their risk of passing on a potentially fatal disease. If they wanted to smoke in the office because their health made it uncomfortable to go outside to smoke would you support them? If they had HIV and preferred not to wear a condom during sex would you support them? Covid is no joke. The long term effects are fucking serious and I unfortunately know this first hand. It's up to all of us to do what we can to keep ourselves and everyone around us safe.

People coughed a long time before Covid!
Get some perspective.

I work in a place where more than half are mask exempt!
And where there isn't much social distancing as they just don't get it.
You don't see me getting hysterical!

People coughed a long time before Covid!
Get some perspective.
Yes they did.
But right now we are in the middle of a pandemic caused by Covid.

This isn't a case of someone coughed once and the OP losing perspective. It's someone openly ignoring local restrictions, socialising indoors and mixing (known to increase transmission risk) and then going into the workplace and coughing around colleagues

FWIW even before covid I disliked people who sit coughing and spluttering over everyone. If you've got a cold, keep back, cover your mouth, use a tissue and wash your hands..

Op isn't in a classroom and didn't choose to be in a classroom.

I chose to work in a classroom with the same health and safety rules as every other adult in country which we currently don't have. I will never back down about this.

@Anon12345678910

Stop derailing the thread. This isn't about classrooms.

I bet you're one of those parents to 😂

I'm really not. I fully agree with you. Just not that this is the thread for it. Its a different situation.

@SchrodingersImmigrant Under nose wearers should be neutered. We don't need more of that DNA around - that did make me and dh laugh!

OP - agree with others, obvs solution is that they wear a visor TOO (not instead of - I believe they are quite ineffective on their own) if they are going to only half wear a mask.

Tbf to visors, longer visor could stop the droplets from cough and the heavy breathing from flying out into the distance they do.

How's about having some empathy for your colleague who is clearly struggling despite being exempt.
They're trying.
Stop whinging!

bog off with that - have some empathy for the person who is being coughed on by a non-mask wearer during a pandemic

Keeps coming into our office, keeps 2m distance, but coughing and deep breathing saying it’s a relief to take it off. We are supposed to keep them on all the time. Colleague keeps wearing it under their nose.

Does she breathe through her mouth? I ask because I breathe through my mouth (asthmatic).

If she claims exemption on the grounds of health, it will be off all the time.

:45Brefugee

How's about having some empathy for your colleague who is clearly struggling despite being exempt.
They're trying.
Stop whinging!

bog off with that - have some empathy for the person who is being coughed on by a non-mask wearer during a pandemic

Ah yes, coughing...cos no one ever did that before Covid!
And please refrain from the hysterics, the colleague coughed, they Op wasn't coughed on!
And is it the law to wear a face mask everywhere?
No? Thought not.
Get a grip.

And are some people perfectly, legally exempt from wearing a face mask?
Yes