Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. Child-safe in minutes.

Meet the Other Phone.
Child-safe in minutes.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
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:
Original poster
JesusIsAnyNameFree · 28/10/2021 18:58

@PinkMoon22

Only one, who thinks covid is fake pretty much. I don't deal with him if I can avoid it

But it doesn't matter what he believes, if your office has a policy he would need to follow that?

He kind of does as he wishes tbh. He was in with symptoms himself a few weeks ago.

Someone sent an email around asking about it and if he had been tested, he said no, he knew for sure it was a cold so he didn't need to. Thank christ he sits in the other wing.

OP posts:
Gwenhwyfar · 28/10/2021 18:58

My nose runs non-stop in the winter. I can't stay at home from October to April. And then in spring I get hay fever so...

HaudYerWheeshtYaWeeBellend · 28/10/2021 18:58

Gonna have to agree to disagree

It’s in black and white, nothing to agree to disagree about!

wakeupmorning · 28/10/2021 18:59

I wish my workplace had a policy of one cough and you leave. I'd be cough, cough, coughing till the cows came home

OnlyGin · 28/10/2021 18:59

Or, and just hear me out on this one because it's a pretty radical idea, the twat with symptoms could

That PP is right, if you're expecting every one who fucking sniffles and coughs 4 times in winter to go home then I honestly believe life would be less stress free for you to just WFH yourself. Do everyone in your office a favour by the sounds of it.

ChateauxNeufDePoop · 28/10/2021 19:00

Coughs and colds are going to be rampant this winter. Masks, regular washing/sanitising and enforced social distancing last year made us forget about common colds to some extent.

I reckon YABU.

Artie30 · 28/10/2021 19:00

@Gwenhwyfar

My nose runs non-stop in the winter. I can't stay at home from October to April. And then in spring I get hay fever so...
Me too! The heating being on doesn't help in the winter!
LadyTiredWinterBottom2 · 28/10/2021 19:01

@OnlyGin

Or, and just hear me out on this one because it's a pretty radical idea, the twat with symptoms could

That PP is right, if you're expecting every one who fucking sniffles and coughs 4 times in winter to go home then I honestly believe life would be less stress free for you to just WFH yourself. Do everyone in your office a favour by the sounds of it.

...and this is why l love mumsnet Grin
Invasionofthegutsnatchers · 28/10/2021 19:01

Try being a teacher OP. 30 unvaccinated little people breathing right in my face all day

OnlyGin · 28/10/2021 19:02

Less stressful* of course

Original poster
JesusIsAnyNameFree · 28/10/2021 19:02

@OnlyGin

Or, and just hear me out on this one because it's a pretty radical idea, the twat with symptoms could

That PP is right, if you're expecting every one who fucking sniffles and coughs 4 times in winter to go home then I honestly believe life would be less stress free for you to just WFH yourself. Do everyone in your office a favour by the sounds of it.

Oh, how's that?
OP posts:
slimshady18 · 28/10/2021 19:02

yabu have u ever heard of a cough get a grip

Original poster
JesusIsAnyNameFree · 28/10/2021 19:03

@Gwenhwyfar

My nose runs non-stop in the winter. I can't stay at home from October to April. And then in spring I get hay fever so...
Right, so unlike Anton (hope you're reading this) it's normal for you.
OP posts:
Gwenhwyfar · 28/10/2021 19:03

@Ijustknowitstimetogo

I don’t see why he can’t just work from home if he can anyway. In fact why can’t everyone? Why do people need to be crammed in an office? It’s unnatural and mostly not necessary.
WTF? It's unnatural?? And sitting at home doing office work from your kitchen table with bad ergonomics and never talking to colleagues is natural?? What job exactly is natural? As for necessary, yes many people can work from home a lot of the time, but for many of us, if our colleagues are in the office there's huge added value of being in as well. Obviously people should have enough space and not be 'crammed' but everywhere I've worked has given me at least a desk of my own. We're not exactly like battery hens.
Imnothereforthedrama · 28/10/2021 19:03

Options are
Contact line manager even in France I’m sure you can get in touch .
Advise that you either a ) work from home or b) colleague goes home as per work policy .

FindingMeno · 28/10/2021 19:04

I would probably comment "that sounds like a nasty cough" in a passing sort of way....

Gwenhwyfar · 28/10/2021 19:04

"Right, so unlike Anton (hope you're reading this) it's normal for you."

Yes, but my colleagues don't all know this so they could easily be slagging me off on some internet forum...(We also have to wfh if we have a cold at the moment, just in case it's Covid).

OnlyGin · 28/10/2021 19:05

Oh, how's that?

Do you need me to explain?

If you're going to be like this over someone sniffling and coughing a few times IN WINTER then you probably best just not leave the house yourself, you'll end up a quivering wreck otherwise. Have a nice hibernation until spring.

But then of course those pesky people with hayfever will start to emerge too, how very dare they.

Original poster
JesusIsAnyNameFree · 28/10/2021 19:06

@Imnothereforthedrama

Options are Contact line manager even in France I’m sure you can get in touch . Advise that you either a ) work from home or b) colleague goes home as per work policy .
Already emailed LM and put typhoid mary on the email too. I've said I'll work from home tomorrow if he comes in without testing.
OP posts:
LaBellaTrix · 28/10/2021 19:06

I didn't cough when I had Covid. Nor did I have a raised temperature. I was tired, with aching joints, a headache and nausea.

I would have put it down to a common or garden virus but we were batch tested at work and mine came back positive. Woohoo.

lifeinlimbo2020 · 28/10/2021 19:07

It's probably just a cold and we need to crack on. Life's too short. I have accepted I will get Covid at some point but I am living life as normal now but taking into account people who may be vulnerable if I was to pass it to them. You sound very angry and anxious about it which is why i suggested you wfh.

Original poster
JesusIsAnyNameFree · 28/10/2021 19:07

@OnlyGin

Oh, how's that?

Do you need me to explain?

If you're going to be like this over someone sniffling and coughing a few times IN WINTER then you probably best just not leave the house yourself, you'll end up a quivering wreck otherwise. Have a nice hibernation until spring.

But then of course those pesky people with hayfever will start to emerge too, how very dare they.

Please read my posts to see how I feel about things like hayfever 😊
OP posts:
amysaurus87 · 28/10/2021 19:08

I think most offices are operating on a 'use your common sense' basis, rather than making it official policy.

I know if it was my office I probably would have been sent home, but in my husbands office....not so much!

Chattychattylanglang · 28/10/2021 19:08

@OnlyGin

However, you have been such an unmitigated knobhead on your own thread, it's rather embarrassing.

Agree. You sound like you'd be fucking awful to work with or just generally know OP. Not even because of your OP. But the way you've replied to poster's since is absolutely cringe worthy.

100% this. You sound horribly unpleasant. Why did you even post this?
OnlyGin · 28/10/2021 19:08

That wasn't the point I was making OP but you are quite evidently being purposely obtuse. People get colds in winter. People sniffle and people cough sometimes. It's a thing. If you're getting this wound up about it you need to stay inside yourself not demand everyone else does.