OCD around germs.. and someone's come into work REALLY unwell..

[tensofhundreds]

So as the title says. I have a severe OCD around germs, getting unwell, vomiting, anything to do will illness. I do speak to my GP and councillor on a regular basis to help control this.

This morning I've got into work, and my colleague who sits opposite me is really unwell.
He said he's caught it from his wife and children, they're all really unwell with flu like symptoms. He's coughing, spluttering, snotty and runny nose which he's constantly blowing, eyes are streaming and he said he feels 'warmer than usual' and his throat is begging to burn up.
I don't know If im being over dramatic because I know I do sometimes feel a bit irrationally about illnesses, but surely he shouldn't be here?
He did say he's tested daily and doesn't have Covid (thank goodness) but he's still very unwell.

I am going away on a small family break to our family villa at the end of next week and am really trying my best to lay low - going to work and going straight home so as to rest and protect myself and my family as much as possible before we travel.. I just have an awful feeling I'm going to catch this horrible virus.

Am I being unreasonable 😥

Has he had a PCR test daily?! What a waste of resources.

Does your workplace have any policies around this? Mine doesn't want me in if I'm at all unwell.

I wouldn't be happy with someone coughing in the office.

This isn't just your OCD. Anyone would be unhappy with this. He shouldn't be there.

Usually they don't want you here.. both me and another colleague have said it's not a good move as we are a small company and can't afford to all come down with it.
I wasn't well a month or so ago and stayed off until completely gone.

I don't know what to do 😟

Speak to your manager?

@Wole

Has he had a PCR test daily?! What a waste of resources.

Does your workplace have any policies around this? Mine doesn't want me in if I'm at all unwell.

He probably does daily lateral flow tests.

OP if he's symptomatic he needs a PCR test. I'd be asking him specifically whether he has had a PCR test

Can you go and wfh for the day? Failing that find a meeting room to work in? Really management should be sending him to work from home.

If he's symptomatic he needs a PCR test. I bet he hasn't done one just LFT if he's saying he's testing daily. I'd be fuming.

YANBU.

He needs a PcR

Even pre pandemic that would have pissed me off.

Urgh what a sell fish prick. No your not BU at all.

Tell him to piss off home instead of spreading his germs about.

He shouldn't be there. It's so selfish on everyone else to be in that state in work.

Can you move desks or speak to your boss to explain how you feel?

Going against the general opinion here he sounds like he has a common virus, he is not really unwell otherwise he could not have got into work. I am a nhs nurse, we are told to come to work with common colds.

He's openly said he feels 'like death' but can't afford not to come in.

It's good to see that we have learned nothing from the last 18 months and that companies are still happy to encourage sick people to come into the office, rather than trust they are actually ill and get them to stay at home.

I don't have OCD and that would piss me right off. Even before covid I hated when people who were clearly ill would mix and spread their shit. It's not a head cold so whatever he has is contagious. The cough could be a chest infection, you certainly don't want to catch that.

If he's testing daily is he doing LFT? because we learned very recently that these can sometimes give a negative reading when you have symptoms. Only that the GP did a PCR on my fil we would never had known he has covid, his LFT were all negative. The Delta variant is similar to flu and cold symptoms.

If it were me, I'd speak to the manager suggesting that the man would probably be better off at home and get a PCR. That you feel uncomfortable sitting in this. If they won't do anything about it, then I'd probably fake stomach cramps and go home myself.

God… what a selfish idiot.
This problem will continue though if people don’t get paid, so I do sympathise with his reluctance to be off if he doesn’t get paid.

@dottycat123

Going against the general opinion here he sounds like he has a common virus, he is not really unwell otherwise he could not have got into work. I am a nhs nurse, we are told to come to work with common colds.

Which just goes to illustrate how shafted the NHS is, that they have to choose whether to put their patients at risk from low staff levels, or from infecting them with something.

What is your sickness policy? We don't get sick pay and they won't let people wfh so if you need more than statutory you have to get to work.

If you have diagnosed OCD then your employers should facilitate you moving desks for a short while

Perhaps you could cite workplace safety and go home yourself..

Half of dd's school have colds, most of my colleagues have coughs and colds. If we all stayed at home, our workforce would be decimated and the school would be empty.

It's a tough one really because a common cold and really, I'd expect people to just get on with it assuming they feel able, but somebody feeling terrible who can't take time off is a different matter. As much for their own wellbeing as the comfort of others.

My place has an awful policy on sickness. You literally have to be in a coma to not come in and if you don't come in, you don't get paid. Hence, people coming to work ill and we had a few Covid cases and colleagues weren't getting tested after contact because of the fear of 10 odd days of isolation without pay.

One manager's assistant tested positive and the manager went to Butlins 1 day later without testing. Truly awful and has caused so much discontent but according to management they have dealt with the crisis really well!

@tensofhundreds

He's openly said he feels 'like death' but can't afford not to come in.

If he can't afford not to come in then your issue is with your office sickness policies and not your colleague.

His rent or mortgage will still need paying and his children will still need feeding even when he's sick.

People usually go to work with colds. People are going to get more/worse colds this winter because we were all in isolation last year and No-one much got a cold out flu.
So OCD or not, you're going to have to get used to it OP.

I don't want to sound unfeeling because OCD must be dreadful, but this is odd behaviour too (is it linked to OCD? You don't need to rest before you travel - that's what the holiday is for!

I am going away on a small family break to our family villa at the end of next week and am really trying my best to lay low - going to work and going straight home so as to rest and protect myself and my family as much as possible before we travel