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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

I just walked out of work over covid.

245 replies

organisedmother · 15/12/2021 13:12

When I arrived to work this morning my colleague told me that her friend she was with yesterday had just tested positive for covid and she has done a lft herself and was negative, she hasn’t done a pcr. I work in a very small space with no windows if she has picked up covid I’m more than likely going to get it from her as we share a till, toilet, fridge microwave in such a small space.

I said maybe she should of stayed home until she got a negative pcr, she was with this friend in her house having a drink,no masks of corse, windows shut, I feel like there is a 50/50 chance she will more than likely pick this up.

With Christmas so close and the schools finishing this week I thought is this worth the risk for a 3 hour shift when I could potentially pick this up and spread to my family.

I decided to go home and she said she understood their was a risk and is fine with it.

I feel a little guilty now, but I just keep thinking of the points…

-With her friend in a house chatting who has covid.
-we have no windows so are breathing each others air
-sharing everything at work
-schools closing tomorrow
-Xmas
-only lost out on £30

The nightmare and hassle it would of been if she does have it and I pick it up would of been catastrophic!

Would you of stayed or been out the door

OP posts:
TheKeatingFive · 15/12/2021 14:15

Then there is something very seriously wrong with the 'guidelines' or 'guidance' (or lack thereof).

Whatever you think about that, we don't go round sacking people for following them, right?

GroggyLegs · 15/12/2021 14:16

@ClaudiaJ1

YANBU imo she should have been sacked for going to work like that, in Australia she would have. Her chance of getting it would be almost 100%, and you could be one of the ones who gets sick and is on a ventilator. Could your selfish colleague ever forgive yourself if you ended up on a ventilator? Gees the UK is so bad no wonder you all have such high rates when most of you over there don't take this seriously. This is a very deadly virus, what is it people don't understand about this? She should be sacked for coming to work and don't give me the 'oh she could have caught it in a supermarket' bs. Just excuses and bullshit and minimisation. The point is to minimise risk. I doubt the UK, knowing how lax it is with this, has somewhere that you can report her to, but I'd definitely trying telling your boss about her.
Well that's us told.
Theremoresefulday · 15/12/2021 14:17

Would she have been disciplined if she hadn’t come to work?

RedToothBrush · 15/12/2021 14:18

@organisedmother

I am with lots of people a day but only for a minute so it’s very unlikely to pick anything up from customers, but hours on shift with someone in a tiny space with no ventilation is not nice
Hahahahaha! Ok.

You work in a shop. You don't know the pcr status of your MULTIPLE customers who all may bring in covid, and it allows it to build up because its unventilated or because they are extra infectious/cough etc.

Somehow I can't see you asking a customer who is coughing to leave.

I think you are off your rocker with your logic.

Original poster
organisedmother · 15/12/2021 14:19

Luckily my employer is happy for me to go if I’m uncomfortable I’m very lucky. my husband is cev so good thing they are supportive.

OP posts:
Theremoresefulday · 15/12/2021 14:20

How do you know the infection status of customers in the shop?

Original poster
organisedmother · 15/12/2021 14:20

Nothing to hahaha about regarding covid.

OP posts:
Loudestcat14 · 15/12/2021 14:21

I would've stayed but insisted she was masked up the entire time. The guidance is she should take a LFT test for the next seven days after contact and only get a PCR test if she develops symptoms too.

IncompleteSenten · 15/12/2021 14:22

You made the decision you were most comfortable with. That's not unreasonable.

Fupoffyagrasshole · 15/12/2021 14:23

Even if she does a PCR today it would probably be negative and she could then become positive in a few days or next week surely??

My husband tested positive and it took over a week for me to be positive 🤷‍♀️

Original poster
organisedmother · 15/12/2021 14:24

I make them do a lft before they enter and spray them head to toe with anti bac, I also make them are wear a mask and rubber gloves and they must absolutely run in hold their breath pay for their stuff and leave quickly. 😂 again I’m not close enough to customer to need to know their covid status

OP posts:
tttigress · 15/12/2021 14:26

It is interesting you used the word "I feel" instead of "I think"

Like a lot of people regarding COVID, I think you are emotionally driven, rather than logically driven.

Jacketpotato84 · 15/12/2021 14:28

If she done a lft and it was negative that's sufficient! She doesn't have covid so won't pass it to you.
She didn't have to tell you, and plus if you've been with her prior and she's been mixing with others chances are if she catches it then it will be passed anyway with a possibility of no symptoms.
It is up to you what you do when it's your own personal safety your thinking of and that of your family's yet you might be facing disaplinary for walking out of your job.

ClaudiaJ1 · 15/12/2021 14:28

@tttigress

It is interesting you used the word "I feel" instead of "I think"

Like a lot of people regarding COVID, I think you are emotionally driven, rather than logically driven.

Yes, we've seen how being 'logically driven' has affected the UK....

The OP is being the one logically driven, the rest of you are using feelings and justifying risk. No wonder the UK is so fucked up regarding Covid. You're all a mess. I'm grateful I'm not there, you have my sympathies OP. It's all the more frustrating when you are using caution and logic and no one else is.

Staffy1 · 15/12/2021 14:29

I would be annoyed with her for coming in, especially with this extremely catching new variant knocking about.

ClaudiaJ1 · 15/12/2021 14:30

The US and the UK. Two countries/areas I wouldn't want to go near for love nor money at the moment. No logic or common sense in either of them.

BoredZelda · 15/12/2021 14:31

No PCR tests are only if you have symptoms. It's always been that way.

My daughter’s physio called yesterday to say her son had tested positive, she has no symptoms but was awaiting a PCR to confirm so she could re-schedule her appointment.

Government website says you can.

User135644 · 15/12/2021 14:31

@MiddleParking

Why should she have left? Hmm yes, you’re being ridiculous OP.
It's difficult though a week before Christmas when we're seeing our elderly relatives.
Cherrytart23 · 15/12/2021 14:32

@GertrudePerkinsPaperyThing

Well she should really have left rather than you!

Will you lose money/ face any disciplinary over this?

Why should she have left? Don't need to isolate if a close contact!
BoredZelda · 15/12/2021 14:33

Like a lot of people regarding COVID, I think you are emotionally driven, rather than logically driven.

I think a lot of people are “logically” driven. By that I mean, they draw “logical” conclusions which ignore the actual data.

NigellaBangBangTurkey · 15/12/2021 14:33

@Envoitrevisage

Well I wouldn’t walk out if the friend of a colleague had noro, or flu, so no. I am triple vacced and getting on with it.
I think this is a good point. Assuming you aren't CEV, than yes. you can't just walk out of work if a colleague's husband had gastroenteritis or something.
shinynewapple21 · 15/12/2021 14:35

So is your colleague the manager of the shop OP?

Probably going forward to help you feel safer, you may want to wedge the shop door open - this will help ventilate and also reduces need for physical contact with the door for your customers . Also if you and your colleague both wear a mask and pop some sanitizer near the till.

Previously I would have agreed it unlikely your colleague would be infectious already from contact with her friend yesterday , but incubation / time to contagious period with omicron is much reduced .

Aposterhasnoname · 15/12/2021 14:35

@organisedmother

This is not about following guidelines, it’s more would you personally choose to be in close counters with someone for a long period of time who could potentially have covid or just keep clear and go back on your next shift when you know 100% they do not.
It would be lovely to have that option. Unfortunately for key workers, you know, the ones that kept the country running last year while you hid behind the sofa, we don’t have that choice.
StellaGibson118 · 15/12/2021 14:35

We're living in a very strange and ever changing situation, theres lots of talk of looming rules and restriction and the news is constantly wittering on about it. Social media is full of it too. I can see how it leads to making impulsive decisions like this. Not everyone is acting rationally right now and people's worries over this vary across a spectrum for different reasons.
Personally I'd have stayed because I'm a people pleaser but I'd have been super pissed off.