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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

Fed up with unvaccinated colleague isolating

799 replies

Peevedcolleague · 12/11/2021 16:40

Name changed 'cos I'll probably get slated but aibu to be pissed off about a colleague self isolating yet again while the rest of us have to carry on and pick up the pieces?

A new colleague chose not to be jabbed and is now facing numerous isolation periods at home on full pay where the rest of us have to carry on and cover her workload. Nature of the job means she's likely to be a close contact fairly regularly.

Even if she changed her mind and gets jabbed tomorrow, it'll be 10 weeks minimum before she's exempt from isolation so this could happen several more times yet.

Aibu to feel resentful and wish she bloody well got jabbed like the rest of us?

OP posts:
nordica · 12/11/2021 19:21

Being on full pay does seem unfair if it's a role that can't be done from home so she's just having time off basically and watching Netflix on full pay while the rest of you are picking up the extra work. Of course the flipside is that being on full pay means people can actually afford to isolate and hopefully at least some covid spread is prevented.

YANBU to feel fed up though!

GatoradeMeBitch · 12/11/2021 19:22

Her body, her choice.

Sickens me that people now use this phrase for vaccinations. Because it's not just their choice. And even more so for child vacc's. They are fairly reliant on everyone else around them doing the right thing to keep them safe.

catgirl1976 · 12/11/2021 19:22

@ancientgran SSP yes. OSP no.

ViolinAndGuitar · 12/11/2021 19:26

* @coconutmonkey*

** “Strange really that you did it for other people, yet the vast majority of people I have known to have caught Covid are double vaccinated. I know of one unjabbed person who has caught it since being double jabbed was a thing. So who is really catching and spreading it again? ”

Can’t comment on people you know, but a larger population is safer now because they have been double jabbed. Let’s not start spreading rumours just to defend the unvaccinated.

ViolinAndGuitar · 12/11/2021 19:27

Just to add, OP, YANBU

LittleDandelionClock · 12/11/2021 19:32

@ancientgran

I am not being funny, but do you know how crushingly low SSP is? The vast VAST majority of people can't survive on it. It's £96 a week!

LittleDandelionClock · 12/11/2021 19:34

'Her body her choice' is such a load of guff! By using this mantra, she is taking away other peoples 'choice' to not get covid! Hmm

InFiveMins · 12/11/2021 19:39

YABU. Her body, her choice.

ilovesooty · 12/11/2021 19:40

@InFiveMins

YABU. Her body, her choice.
And her consequence if the employer has any sense.
MrsLargeEmbodied · 12/11/2021 19:41

moral dilemma

yanbu

boredofthisshitx · 12/11/2021 19:50

I think she has every right to choose not to be vaccinated against a virus she has a 99-99.5% chance of surviving when it's still in trials. It's your work you need to be raising this issue with. She is just following the governments rule as everyone has 'supposedly' been doing through all this.

I am sure she would happily carry on working and testing as required if she had the choice rather than sitting at home not being able to leave the house.

Everyone has the choice to either get the vaccine or not get the vaccine and their reasons for not getting it is quite frankly none of you business.

What are you going to do when all of a sudden they stop offering the vaccine to everyone except the vulnerable? Hide in your home? Be her friend again?

PinkiOcelot · 12/11/2021 19:50

The OP really has no idea why this person has “chosen” not to be vaccinated. She might ha very good reason but has chosen not to share with her new colleagues. No one knows.

How many isolation periods has she had exactly OP? If a number, she seriously needs to be asked what the hell she is doing in her spare time.

There’s tonnes of shite being spouted on this thread!!

Lotusmonster · 12/11/2021 19:50

@Grapewrath

Yabu She has made a decision about her own body, presumably an informed decision. Vaccines don’t come without risks and she feels the vaccine risk possess greater threat than covid in her case. Yanbu to be annoyed but she didn’t make up the isolation rules
So following this logic, if everyone exercised their right to not have a vaccine …how would companies and organisations continue to fund leave of absence / sick pay? The answer is that they wouldn’t! This person is effectively cuckooing the system; relying on others to get vaccinated, keep the machine cogs turning in order to fund their repeated isolation. I think that behaviour is immoral.
SueSaid · 12/11/2021 19:55

She should have to use her A/L. Her 'choice' to be irresponsible and selfish but why tf should she get full pay while her colleagues pick up the slack.

CaveWoman1 · 12/11/2021 19:58

It’s certainly a divisive issue but distance yourself from it if you can. You have no control over this situation; it’s up to management to “manage” as they see fit. Preserve your valuable energy.

RobinPenguins · 12/11/2021 20:01

YANBU. At this point it’s a choice and should be unpaid leave.

ilovesooty · 12/11/2021 20:03

Up to management to decide about paying her but the impact on your workload is very much your business.

AlohaMolly · 12/11/2021 20:04

Do you know the reason she’s choosing not to be vaccinated, OP?

XenoBitch · 12/11/2021 20:05

@PinkiOcelot

The OP really has no idea why this person has “chosen” not to be vaccinated. She might ha very good reason but has chosen not to share with her new colleagues. No one knows.

How many isolation periods has she had exactly OP? If a number, she seriously needs to be asked what the hell she is doing in her spare time.

There’s tonnes of shite being spouted on this thread!!

Yep, no reason apart she has chosen no to have it. There will be a reason for that, but she has been written off as a selfish anti-vaxxer by many on this thread. She could have equally chosen not to have it upon chatting with her consultant, anything like that.

Maybe OP should come back and elaborate more.

Offmyfence · 12/11/2021 20:12

@ancientgran SSP is paid by the government not the employer

ArdoCycle · 12/11/2021 20:15

YABU - people should be able to exercise free. I’ve chosen not to be vaccinated and don’t see how this makes me selfish. You have a problem with your workplace not having suitable cover, it’s not the individuals fault they don’t provide proper cover.

AlohaMolly · 12/11/2021 20:19

@Peevedcolleague do you know the reason behind your colleague’s choice?

Porcupineintherough · 12/11/2021 20:19

All you can do is stop covering her workload OP Then your organisation will have to source suitable cover, at which point they'll no doubt rethink the SI on full pay.

Bellyups · 12/11/2021 20:19

You have a management issue. So YABU

Also, how do you know she’s on full pay?

AnAutumnAfternoon · 12/11/2021 20:20

YABU, sorry. It's her right to refuse a vaccine, so it's not your business. Your manager needs to have something in place to cover staff shortages so the rest of the staff don't have to cover people who are off sick or isolating.