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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

Staff not ‘boosted’ affecting whole team.

204 replies

Chanandlerbong1 · 06/01/2022 16:46

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 posts:
JudgeRindersMinder · 06/01/2022 18:12

YANBU at all, I work with someone who creates the same issues, fed up to the back teeth of picking up their workload.
They have admitted that they have no reason to not get boosted, just “can’t be bothered”

MarbleQueen · 06/01/2022 18:12

Guidance has just been changed - so anyone who is a household contact can return to work if they meet certain conditions

This sounds insane.

BeaLola · 06/01/2022 18:13

I empathise

We are a small team of less than 25. We have a couple who pre covid were off numerous times for sickness, car problems etc and since covid have been off on 4/5 occasions either because they have covid or were notified as close contact

Whenever they do a pcr test it takes up to a week to get it back - every tine

Test of team are peed off with them

Ethelfromnumber73 · 06/01/2022 18:14

@RampantIvy

It's all very well for posters to say the OP is being unreasonable, but if she and her team are picking up the slack every time the unboosted colleague is have to self isolate I can see that this will affect team morale.

Some of the YABU replies are rather too defensive.

Totally agree
5keletor · 06/01/2022 18:14

I'm also fully vaccinated and getting tired of the judginess. First it was against unvaccinated people, now it's people who haven't been vaccinated enough!
Whether we like it or not, people don't have to have any vaccinations at all, so I guess employers need to look at continuity plans to accommodate for extra absence until the isolation rules are scrapped, whenever that may be. It'll not be easy in a lot of places I imagine, but people's vaccination status shouldn't be openly scrutinised as much as it seems to be in so many workplaces.

Eleganz · 06/01/2022 18:14

Are the guidelines your employer's or a wider set of guidelines for the industry?

I'd make sure that your manager is fully aware that this is putting you and others under additional stress and reducing your morale.

This is management's problem to sort out. You say your manager can't do anything. That isn't strictly true, your manager just hasn't got to the point where taking action is easier than not taking action. At the moment the rest of you are soaking up the extra workload caused by this issue without significant problems.

Whywhywhy48 · 06/01/2022 18:16

Is she getting paid each time she is off? I bet she was off a lot before covid?

OddSocksSparklyDocsandDungaree · 06/01/2022 18:17

@Chanandlerbong1 Any chance she could be pregnant? My team probably thought I was skiving but I was off a lot because when there was a case of Covid, I had to isolate as high risk!

silkience · 06/01/2022 18:17

Is it really impacting your "large" team to this extent OP? Really? Is it actually "affecting your morale" having someone from a large team off for a few days, even every month? Does nobody ever take annual leave? Unpaid parental leave? Sick? Training? Are all these absences covered or are the large team just expected to pick up the slack as is normal?

If 20% of your workforce were off you may have a point but it is perfectly clear from your posts that you just don't like this person and are stirring things up at work, all "eye rolling" every time they are absent. If you spent less time bitching about this person with your colleagues and more time actually working there may not be so much slack to pick up

lightisnotwhite · 06/01/2022 18:18

We have similar at work. The usual suspects phone in with symptoms they have over the weekend and then do a PCR which takes a couple of days. Multiple times.
Everyone else seems fine although a few have been off 10 days with Covid and then back without fuss.

Bloody annoying.

Eleganz · 06/01/2022 18:19

@5keletor

I'm also fully vaccinated and getting tired of the judginess. First it was against unvaccinated people, now it's people who haven't been vaccinated enough! Whether we like it or not, people don't have to have any vaccinations at all, so I guess employers need to look at continuity plans to accommodate for extra absence until the isolation rules are scrapped, whenever that may be. It'll not be easy in a lot of places I imagine, but people's vaccination status shouldn't be openly scrutinised as much as it seems to be in so many workplaces.
For certain jobs certain vaccines are required to gain employment. This is not a new thing. Sorry, but that is the way it is in some industries.

However, If an industry is going to put in additional guidance that you need a booster or else you have to stay away from work after close contact then they are going to see increased absence as a result so it is their own fault.

OP should be directing her frustration at her management and those that have created this industry specific guidance.

That does not mean the other employee is not a chancer. Plenty of people out there who will blatantly exploit loopholes to get out of stuff if they can.

ajandjjmum · 06/01/2022 18:20

@rwalker

A lot of companies are changing there policies to not pay for vaccination as the person has chosen not to be vaccinated .

There's a difference between can't and won't

of course anyone who can't shouldn't be affected by the policy changes .

This makes sense to me. There is total freedom to make your own decisions, but there are also consequences. Ask Novak.
OMG12 · 06/01/2022 18:21

As she has had the first two vaccines she’s not likely to be anti vaccine. Lots of people (myself included have had on going problems since the first two vaccines. She might be suffering and therefore reluctant to have the booster. It’s really shit to have so much pressure being piled on you to do something your pretty sure is going to make you even sicker.

CruellaDeVilla · 06/01/2022 18:21

A local employer is paying full pay if someone is off with covid and HAS been boosted but only SSP to anyone who ISN’T boosted.

It sorts out the piss takers

Sosigsandwich · 06/01/2022 18:21

You sound like a dick. What someone does to their body is of zero concern to you. For what it's worth 25% of my colleagues aren't vaccinated. We have 8 off currently, all of whom have had the vaccine. Definitely harder work being that many down (about 15% of the team) but we shouldn't care because they've had their jabs?!

Eleganz · 06/01/2022 18:22

@silkience

Is it really impacting your "large" team to this extent OP? Really? Is it actually "affecting your morale" having someone from a large team off for a few days, even every month? Does nobody ever take annual leave? Unpaid parental leave? Sick? Training? Are all these absences covered or are the large team just expected to pick up the slack as is normal?

If 20% of your workforce were off you may have a point but it is perfectly clear from your posts that you just don't like this person and are stirring things up at work, all "eye rolling" every time they are absent. If you spent less time bitching about this person with your colleagues and more time actually working there may not be so much slack to pick up

Size of team is irrelevant, depends on the workload to resource ratio. A large team can still be understaffed.
rossclare · 06/01/2022 18:22

Why don’t they just not pay her?

CaptSkippy · 06/01/2022 18:23

If her isolation affects the team that badly than what were to happen if she came down with something else? What would happen if she had an accident and ended up in the hospital that way?
Your team is badly understaffed and mismanaged if you can't take a hit like that.
I am stanchly pro-vax, however this situation is ridiculous. Employees should be able to get sick.

That said, I still think people who don't vax are selfish assholes, but not for taking sick days.

YABU

GertrudePerkinsPaperyThing · 06/01/2022 18:24

Yanbu

I think some people have misunderstood- unless I have?

Your work can’t be done from home so every time she “has to” isolate she gets time off?

silkience · 06/01/2022 18:24

@Eleganz my point is the ratio, not the size of the team. This is one person! If it were one person in a team of only ten then the OP may have a point that it is disproportionately impacting them.

MarbleQueen · 06/01/2022 18:25

She has been off multiple times with symptoms and has taken multiple PCR tests - all of which have been negative

But this is what she’s meant to do.

Have none of the team who’ve been boosted been ill or had to self isolate?

HermioneWeasley · 06/01/2022 18:27

She needs to stop being paid - she could be in work, but had made a choice that means she can’t be.

Kca29 · 06/01/2022 18:30

Has the guidance changed? I thought you only had to be double dosed to be exempt from isolation if close contact?? I haven't had booster yet as had covid in December and have to wait!

Somersetlady · 06/01/2022 18:31

@tttigress

If you had medical issues how would you like your colleagues blabbing it all round the internet?
@Chanandlerbong1 ignore anyone who wants to take issue with you posting on an anonymous Internet forum for advice.

I don’t see you divulging personal medical information or your colleagues name.

You have every right to be miffed with this woman if it is affecting you all but apart from let off steam on MN there is little you can do about it!

KittenCatcher · 06/01/2022 18:31

Non boosted people are becoming demonised now, there are many reasons someone may not have had a booster but are made to feel guilty and irresponsible and some people suggest that non boosted people should be refused nhs care. The same people who probably smoke, drink alcohol and lead less than perfect lives but expect nhs treatment. The govt and the media are pitching people against each other and its really unkind.