Staff not ‘boosted’ affecting whole team.

[Chanandlerbong1]

We are quite a large team and everyone except one has had their covid booster. She has had the first two vaccinations. Guidance has just been changed - so anyone who is a household contact can return to work if they meet certain conditions. Being boosted is one of them. She refuses to get the booster - unsure of her reasons - I haven’t asked as it’s none of my business. She has been off multiple times with symptoms and has taken multiple PCR tests - all of which have been negative. We all just roll our eyes now when we are told she is off again. Now they have been identified as a close contact - but will need to isolate as not boosted. We are stretched as it is and can’t help thinking less of this person! AIBU?

OP give your head a wobble, and mind your own business

@dworky

YANBU. Ignore the anti-vaxers.

Wheres the 'anti vaxing' ?

Management just don’t have anyone to cover. We are quite specialised.

YANBU.

I hope circumstances change for you (or with them) soon.

It’s relentless having to pick up the slack and morale-zapping knowing they get full pay to sit at home, time after time.

@Chanandlerbong1

You don’t have to prove that you have symptoms. Harsh of me, but yes I think these episodes have been faked. It’s really hard to work with someone who is so blatantly selfish. I would be mortified if I was her.

But you are the one online spouting off about her faking symptoms, which you have NO evidence for, demanding that she publicise her reasons, which may well be private...yes, it must be very difficult to work with someone who is so blatantly selfish; please pass on my condolences to your colleague

I didn’t demand she publicise her reasons.
I did say that if it were me, I would just be open about it.

But it isn't you, is it. You need to wind your neck in. You're sounding more unpleasant with every post.

Fair enough - thanks for the input!

@Bagamoyo1

Sadly Covid rules are a slackers charter

This.

If people have to take time off repeatedly if they aren't boosted they should use annual leave or be made to take unpaid leave imo.

Is this the nhs op because I've heard similar stories from friends who work in healthcare.

Strangely the ones milking the time off if not boosted are the same people who have had repeated time off isolating in the first wave.

Wait, do you want her to keep coming to work with symptoms even though she might have covid? What about potentially spreading it to vulnerable? It doesn't matter if she had a booster or not. Honestly mumsnet is like the twilight zone, on one hand you should do LFT before meeting with anyone, avoid going to crowded places, wear mask etc, but taking the PCR when you have symptoms and isolating until you get result is apparently taking the piss!

YANBU

@Chanandlerbong1

That’s the thing, we are faced with this continuing problem, yet can’t do anything about it Obviously for medical reasons, she would be perfectly within her rights. I would just have been one about it if that was the case. Yes, it’s not our business but I would rather just be upfront so that my colleagues didn’t think I was just being lazy and leaving the team to pick up the slack constantly.

And why should she disclose the reasons why she isn't boosted?

Just because you would be happy to share doesn't mean everyone would.

Personal medical information is just that, personal.

You're "lucky" to know that she is off for Covid reasons. My last massive company were told only absent, not the reason why. It was only HR who were aware of the reasons why.

I'm not open about my medical history with my colleagues. Senior management know I'm unwell and having surgery etc, and too unwell to work in the interim. Even they don't know the details or what's wrong with me because it's personal. I don't know what info has been passed onto my colleagues tbh because I'm not in work, but it's not crossed my mind that I ought to clarify in case they're seething at me for being off!

I'm officially not boosted because I've had a third primary - I can't book one for three months following the 3rd. I've had to self isolate after close contact at work several times and if I'm flagged as a contact again, I'll have no choice but to follow the law, just as if I were to have symptoms I would have to do.

Is this me taking advantage as well? (Rhetorical question, I know I'm not, but until such point as the laws change or the three months is up, I am officially not boosted).

@Ffsmakeitstop

I don' t think yabu. We have 2 colleagues who have not had even one jab and both have been off multiple times with symptoms at full pay and both are apparently exempt from mask wearing. They are definitely taking the piss and if they're not then they are happily putting the rest of us at risk.

I'm fully vaccinated. But how are they putting you at more risk when you can still catch it just as much as them. It's just you are less likely to have severe symptoms. Really its them who should be "afraid" of you if you pass it onto them. They may or may not suffer more.

One of the reasons why we had to report to HR instead was because of gossip with health.
You know the type - oh don't know why they are off, it's only a period (person having to have regular transfusions and emergency hospital admissions)
Oh I could work with a bad back (waiting for surgery)
FFS it's only a headache (crippling migraine)

When you don't know the reason it's harder to seethe, gossip and make comparisons of what you would do it is was you.

MN is generally very protective of skivers, I find.

People can choose not to be jabbed, and employers can choose to get rid of staff with poor attendance.

That is the risk this person is taking

@NeverDropYourMooncup
Th fact you are on a three dose primary schedule would flag to me that you are vulnerable - so of course I wouldn’t think you were taking advantage.

I should mention that covid related absences do not count towards trigger points. So it’s open to be taken advantage of imo.

I wonder if the people saying you are unreasonable would have a different opinion if their kids’ teachers were unvaccinated and were taking a week off at a time, therefore causing their children to be sent home?

YABU.
I am pro vaccine and have had 2 jags. The second gave me a very strange reaction with prolonged palpitations and heart irregularity.

I will not have a booster as in my measured and balanced opinion for myself personally it would be more risky, especially as omicron is now the dominant strain here and it generally affects under 50’s very mildly.

I’m not debating this with work colleagues.

But you wouldn't know if they were on a three dose primary unless they told you this.
Many people get vaxxed outside of working hours.
Perhaps your colleague is on a primary system but doesn't think it's any of your business.
Perhaps they like many had such horrific side effects from the first two don't want to take the risk with the booster.

Perhaps. If you worked with this person you wouldn’t have that opinion…

fully vaccinated. But how are they putting you at more risk when you can still catch it just as much as them. It's just you are less likely to have severe symptoms. Really its them who should be "afraid" of you if you pass it onto them. They may or may not suffer more.
@onlycustomers because they are going to pubs and clubs and not taking any precautions whatsoever.

Double vaxed and boosted, never had covid nor have my 2 dds.