Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. Only the apps you allow.

Meet the Other Phone.
Only the apps you allow.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

Aibu to wonder who is right?

35 replies

Rainbowabacus1 · 15/12/2021 12:45

Name changed in case recognized.

I am going to try and keep both sides equal and not biased as I want honest opinions of what you think and what you’d do/choose.

This is a communal staffroom.

Person A: wants the door to the outside open for fresh air. Doesn’t want to be in the staffroom if it’s shut due to the covid risk. Won’t use the staffroom if the door is closed.

Person B: wants the door shut as they get cold. Says they don’t care about Covid and would rather risk it than be cold. Won’t use the staffroom if the door is open.

Yabu: let person B keep the door shut

YANBU: let person A keep the door open

Either way a member of staff is excluded and both not happy with the other’s opinion. The only alternative for them is to eat alone in their cars. How would you handle it?

OP posts:
PurpleDaisies · 15/12/2021 12:49

All the scientific advice is to increase ventilation where you can.

B is free not to care about covid from the comfort of their car.

What do the other members of staff think?

Gizlotsmum · 15/12/2021 12:51

B can wear extra layers if cold.

SickAndTiredAgain · 15/12/2021 12:51

Do the rest of the staff have no preference at all?

Whammyyammy · 15/12/2021 12:52

B can put a coat on, A and all other staff have fresh air, as per government advice

SoupDragon · 15/12/2021 12:52

B can put extra layers on.

StillNoFuckingEyeDeer · 15/12/2021 12:54

I'm always cold. B is wrong. Door should be open.

GertrudePerkinsPaperyThing · 15/12/2021 12:56

Take it in turns? I mean, I care a lot about covid but it’s miserable to always be cold.

Cornettoninja · 15/12/2021 12:56

Person B needs to wind their neck in due to the current pandemic.

MoveOnTheCards · 15/12/2021 12:57

B should put a jumper on and both need to stop acting like squabbling kids.

Krustykrabpizza · 15/12/2021 12:58

The gov advice is to ventilate rooms so that is what I would go with if you're the employer/HR

girlmom21 · 15/12/2021 13:00

Is there no window that can be opened as a compromise?

MsJaneAusten · 15/12/2021 13:02

I suspect your work risk assessment would agree with person A. Door (or window) should be open.

Bargoed · 15/12/2021 13:03

Put a fucking jumper on

44PumpLane · 15/12/2021 13:05

Open the door, wear extra layers, B can sit as far away from the open door as possible with a hit water bottle at their back and a blanket over their kneees- problem solved.

NannaMcPhoo · 15/12/2021 13:05

Person A is totally illogical. They are happy to sit with multiple other people but having the door open somehow makes this safe. oookay then

I side with person B and person A can go take their chair outside if they are that much of a Chicken Little.

Chely · 15/12/2021 13:06

Get a thermometer in the staff room to see how cold it actually is in there.

Freddiefox · 15/12/2021 13:09

B sits in warmest spot and a sits by the door.

SinoohXaenaHide · 15/12/2021 13:09

Looking at (i) the mitigations available for making the staff room tolerable for the person not getting their way (ii) the general guidance for reducing transmission of covid and (iii) the magnitude of the harm done if the person not getting their way uses the staff room and is then subjected to the thing they are trying to avoid then the answer has to be that the door stays open. This is in line with sensible guidance to keep air flowing. Person B can wear more clothes, fingerless gloves, scarves etc. The worst that happens is that they feel a bit chilly. Person A can't do anything to compensate for the elevated level of airborne particles from other people's lungs in a room without fresh air circulation, and the harm done is an elevated level of infection which affects large numbers of people, not just person A.

DazedandConcerned · 15/12/2021 13:11

Fuck me. I’m on meds that make me positively frozen and I’m siding with Person A.

RuggerHug · 15/12/2021 13:11

Person B puts on a jumper.

NannaMcPhoo · 15/12/2021 13:14

This is in line with sensible guidance to keep air flowing. Person B can wear more clothes, fingerless gloves, scarves etc. The worst that happens is that they feel a bit chilly. Person A can't do anything to compensate for the elevated level of airborne particles from other people's lungs in a room without fresh air circulation

If you are going to suggest that it is appropriate for an employee to have to put on layers, gloves and scarves to be able to comfortable enough to sit in a staff room, a room designed to give staff an opportunity to relax, then I will suggest an equally appropriate action is for person A to stand on a chair and stick their head out of a window. Because it makes about as much sense.

SpamIAm · 15/12/2021 13:22

Depends on the risk assessment.

If there's no risk assessment, the the employer is being unreasonable.

Mostly I think B is unreasonable though, because global pandemic and all. I think the government suggest opening windows for 10 minutes every hour?

5keletor · 15/12/2021 13:22

Totally on side with person A, it's in line with guidance too. Person B can wear warm clothing if they feel cold, person A can't dodge possible airborne particles.

MorningStarling · 15/12/2021 13:22

Door should be open. Person B can wear more clothes, Person A can't stop breathing.

The employer should be mandating that the door is kept open at all times, it shouldn't be a matter of choice for the employees.

knittingaddict · 15/12/2021 13:26

@NannaMcPhoo

Person A is totally illogical. They are happy to sit with multiple other people but having the door open somehow makes this safe. oookay then

I side with person B and person A can go take their chair outside if they are that much of a Chicken Little.

Charming.

Ventilation does make a difference to viral load and as a preventative measure. Where have you been not to know this?