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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

Colleague started coughing and sniffling halfway through the day but just sat there

496 replies

JesusIsAnyNameFree · 28/10/2021 17:27

This isn't a guy who has allergies or anything, it just came on all of a sudden.
I legged it after an hour or two of his random coughs and sniffles. AIBU here or should he have buggered off to WFH after the 3rd or 4th cough? Fun, the wait begins!

OP posts:
REDHERO · 28/10/2021 23:14

There seems to be a lot of threads from over the top posters about someone who coughed or sniffed near them lately.

catgirl1976 · 28/10/2021 23:17

YANBU and any right thinking person would WFH and do a quick test. If it’s not Covid you don’t want his shitty cold either

Beerwife · 28/10/2021 23:30

JesusIsAnyNameFree - thank you x

gluteustothemaximus · 28/10/2021 23:51

What's with the every bloody cough is covid at the moment. So over the top

That's not it. At all.

We have this amazing system called, getting tested for covid with a PCR. Then we know.

But it's good to know that many people with a cough, aren't getting tested, as they know it's a cold.

Maybe that's why there's a lot of arsey replies on this thread OP. They're the ones coughing Grin

gluteustothemaximus · 28/10/2021 23:57

Fun one for you OP.

So we went to the Harvester as a special treat (yeah, I know, that's what we call a treat in this house) and we went up to get our salad.

We weren't allowed to get our salad by ourselves, because, covid.

We were told to wait for the staff member who will go around the salad bar with you, ask you what you want, and they would fill your bowl for you. Weird, but whatever.

Hears coughing. Looks around to see staff member coughing, quite a lot, quite loudly. Surely not....yes, the staff member hacking her lungs up was the one serving up everyone's salad. Because, it was safer or something Confused

But after reading these replies, I shouldn't have worried at all. It was probably just a silly cold Hmm

VanillaAndOrange · 28/10/2021 23:58

I get tired of hearing oh someone sneezed better work from home. Some of us can’t and have had to work through the pandemic.

All the more reason for those who can work from home to do so if there's any likelihood of spreading/catching the virus, so that people like you who have no choice are less likely to be exposed.

Strawbsouffle · 29/10/2021 00:41

YANBU. I’m surprised at a lot of the responses to this, though I guess it depends a lot on what sort of job you have, mine has always been flexible (mix of office and home working) and we can manage our own days so I would definitely pack up and go and work at home if I started to feel ropey, particularly coughing/sneezing etc, to try and avoid passing it on. Even if it’s just a cold, why would anyone want it? I hate it when colleagues drag themselves in ill, if you are set up to work remotely (which I assume you all are if he could easily go and wfh) then there’s really no need. Especially at the moment when there’s still the risk of it being something worse.

MrsBerthaRochester · 29/10/2021 01:21

You do have health anxiety op if you are this concerned about a virus that for the vast majority of people is actually no more worrying than a mild cold.

Marvellousmadness · 29/10/2021 01:24

I would ask him to wear a mask.
I think all people with coughs should. Pre covid /during covid/post covid . Just makes sense. Keep your germs to yourself

Windows01 · 29/10/2021 07:08

I am with you Op.

We are advised not to come to work if we are unwell. Therefore, in this scenario it would be entirely acceptable for him to go home to work.

Some workplaces are reverting back to home working for the winter.

With so much colds etc about, your workplace should really be issuing guidance as we've never been in this situation before and clearly from this thread there is a vast difference in opinion.

Windows01 · 29/10/2021 07:09

@Strawbsouffle

YANBU. I’m surprised at a lot of the responses to this, though I guess it depends a lot on what sort of job you have, mine has always been flexible (mix of office and home working) and we can manage our own days so I would definitely pack up and go and work at home if I started to feel ropey, particularly coughing/sneezing etc, to try and avoid passing it on. Even if it’s just a cold, why would anyone want it? I hate it when colleagues drag themselves in ill, if you are set up to work remotely (which I assume you all are if he could easily go and wfh) then there’s really no need. Especially at the moment when there’s still the risk of it being something worse.

This with bells on.

Asleanna · 29/10/2021 08:00

Op you literally said 'It's great for people who don't have any reason to worry, isn't it? I have an asthmatic husband as well, and I am terrified of him dying and leaving me with 2 kids.'
That IS health anxiety. I don't know how to make it anymore clear. I think your in denial. It doesn't matter that you have health anxiety. Lots of people do. I was terrified when the pandemic first started but now I'm more clued up on everything I've realised that people are generally OK. Hospitals that have lots of covid patients are majority unvaccinated or serious underlying health problems.

CarrotVan · 29/10/2021 09:20

COVID rates have rocketed because of the ‘it’s not Covid it’s just a cold’ approach and the government’s failure to update the symptom list

Teachers have been testing with LFTs and taking precautions throughout so aren’t a valid comparison

My workplace remains mostly remote but requires LFT testing within the preceding 24 hrs of coming onto site and has its own reporting and tracing approach in addition to test and trace (which is crap). Masks are worn when moving about indoors, desks configured to reduce sitting directly opposite people

This is actually fairly normal for a responsible employer amongst pretty much everyone I know

LolaSmiles · 29/10/2021 09:25

Even if it’s just a cold, why would anyone want it? I hate it when colleagues drag themselves in ill, if you are set up to work remotely (which I assume you all are if he could easily go and wfh) then there’s really no need. Especially at the moment when there’s still the risk of it being something worse.
I agree with this. It might be a cold, it might be covid, either way I don't want people in my space and coughing.
I didn't like people's lack of personal space and workplace martyrdom before covid and have even less tolerance for it now.

I've spent my half term with a stinker of a viral bug and I'm reasonable sure that it's the same thing half a dozen colleagues were in work with the week or two before we broke up. It wasn't a common cold, they looked awful and shouldn't have been in school, but schools seem to have a weird obsession with attendance in staff and students that borders on unhealthy at times

CuckooCall · 29/10/2021 09:26

[quote Asleanna]@JesusIsAnyNameFree

I mean, 77% of people disagree with you 🤷‍♀️

Anyway, I really hope you manage to get a bit of help with your health anxiety. My friend has suffered quite badly with it through the pandemic but is starting to relax a lot more now. I think it's going to be a tough winter but not like last year. Try not to worry.[/quote]
Yeah but if the pandemic has taught us anything it's that a huge number of people are selfish, inconsiderate arseholes when it comes to other people's health. I'm not convinced 77% really proves anything other than that there are a lot of arseholes on MN.

CuckooCall · 29/10/2021 09:33

@MrsBerthaRochester

You do have health anxiety op if you are this concerned about a virus that for the vast majority of people is actually no more worrying than a mild cold.
Stop dismissing and belittling her concerns as health anxiety. She's given the reasons why she doesn't want/can't afford to get Covid at the moment- pregnancy related, husband related and work related.
CuckooCall · 29/10/2021 09:34

@Asleanna

Op you literally said 'It's great for people who don't have any reason to worry, isn't it? I have an asthmatic husband as well, and I am terrified of him dying and leaving me with 2 kids.' That IS health anxiety. I don't know how to make it anymore clear. I think your in denial. It doesn't matter that you have health anxiety. Lots of people do. I was terrified when the pandemic first started but now I'm more clued up on everything I've realised that people are generally OK. Hospitals that have lots of covid patients are majority unvaccinated or serious underlying health problems.
It's not bloody health anxiety to expect people to follow the very basic rules about when to get pcr tested.
rrhuth · 29/10/2021 09:35

@REDHERO

What's with the every bloody cough is covid at the moment. So over the top
No one thinks every cough is COVID, but it is stupid not to test to find out.

Test positivity rates are around 10% currently and one in every 56 people had COVID last week. There is a lot of COVID about.

rrhuth · 29/10/2021 09:38

@MrsBerthaRochester

You do have health anxiety op if you are this concerned about a virus that for the vast majority of people is actually no more worrying than a mild cold.
This is ridiculous! Perhaps you need to consider your own emotional state as covid minimisation usually stems from an inability to deal with the reality we are now living in.
Hobbesmanc · 29/10/2021 09:42

Gosh why are you being so personally abusive towards this colleague. You say you've sat next to him for years- yet you call him a twat, an arse hole, a typhoid Mary amongst other choice comments.

I'm glad we don't share an office

Stellaroses · 29/10/2021 09:53

I'm just gobsmacked that all these people
in offices can just wfh/get up and leave if you've got the sniffles. Thinking more and more that us teachers are absolute mugs standing there day in, day out, with so little protection and pretty much every child snotty and coughy and "my sister's got covid" but still there in your class.

Pandaly · 29/10/2021 09:55

@Stellaroses every career choice is different but yes it does seem a bit off that teachers are so exposed. Could you install a screen and stand behind it?

TheUndeadLovelinessOfDemons · 29/10/2021 10:03

To the pp saying what's to stop him saying yes I tested came back negative, DS 14's school request a copy of the test results. Maybe op's office could implement something similar.

TheUndeadLovelinessOfDemons · 29/10/2021 10:08

@Dhcfisssifjrsnxfjds

What is the work policy - your answer is there
The op told you the work policy. He should have gone home.
NCforsafety · 29/10/2021 16:35

@JesusIsAnyNameFree

Seeing as the rule is you're not welcome in the office with any coughs, runny noses, weird headaches, fevers or sore throats where I work, I clearly know I'm not being unreasonable in the slightest.

But it's eye-opening to see how people still don't get it. Well, on mumsnet anyway (and this one asshole).

Why ask then? Just to lecture us all and prove your superiority?