For telling my neighbour he should stay home

[queensonia]

My next door neighbours both tested positive for COVID on the weekend. Today I saw the husband getting in his car to go to work. He works for a medium sized public company with a lot of staff. He said he was told that he’s not legally obliged to isolate and that if he felt well enough he should still go into work. I told him he was morally obliged to isolate because he could infect colleagues who may suffer far worse than he is currently and pass it on to their relatives who may also get very ill or die. Is this what everyone is doing now.? In my industry we are pcr tested twice a week and not allowed on site until the test is negative.

YABU.
I don’t know a single person who can work from home who has chosen to go out with active Covid infection. Anyone who has left the house has done so because it is a necessity. This man isn’t going out to the pub, he’s going to his job.
I’m CEV, severely immunocompromised with chronic lung disease and no vaccine response so I am in the most vulnerable category. I do not expect complete strangers to risk the roof over their heads or the food for their children for me. Honestly, this is crazy!! It’s not selfish to ensure your own family are housed, clothed and fed.

I can see your point but also see it from his point of view. Although what was the point of testing if 1. He feels okay and 2. If he was still not going to isolate anyway.

@ScreamingBeans

Of course I wouldn't visit my elderly relative whilst knowingly infected with covid (or why other contagious illnesses). But again - that's not what the OP is about, is it? The neighbour isn't going to see his elderly relative, he's going to work, presumably to be paid and fulfil his contractual obligations. If I had a job where I wasn't entitled to sick pay and/or I was told I had to be at work by my employer, then I'd be doing the same as OP's neighbour because I'd want to be paid and to keep my job. That's what I mean by we need to just get on with it now. This doesn't mean I think it's a good idea to knowingly put your vulnerable relatives at risk ffs. It just means I think we need to start applying some degree of common sense.

@LotusCheesecake

This makes me so cross - it's the attitude of someone who has always received full sick pay and has never had to worry about money. Government guidance is that if you feel ok you should carry on as normal. Yes lots of businesses will ask people not to come in (or to WFH), but guess what, not all businesses care!

No it isn't! It literally says "Get tested if you have COVID-19 symptoms, and stay at home if positive" and then "24 February , this guidance applies to ENGLAND You are not legally required to self-isolate if you test positive for COVID-19. Stay at home if you can and avoid contact with other people.

You do not have to take daily tests or be legally required to self-isolate following contact with someone who has tested positive for COVID-19.

The Test and Trace Support Payment Scheme ends. If you were told to self-isolate before 24 February you can still make a claim up to 6 April."

I get that some people do not have a choice (you know, because they would like to eat) but the minimum everyone needs to do is tell their workplace if they test positive.

The guidance is stay at home IF YOU CAN.

So OP, I do understand where you are coming from but he may not have a choice.

*or any other

I think it's daft of his employers. He may be well enough to work, but what if he then infects a load of staff members who aren't? They could find themselves with a pretty empty office rather quickly.

@NewPapaGuinea

The rules are ridiculous and very irresponsible. I’d want to know if someone was attending work knowing they had covid so I can make efforts to avoid them.

I agree.

Legally I can go to work, my employer doesn’t want me to so pays pandemic leave.

@Mickarooni

YABU. I don’t know a single person who can work from home who has chosen to go out with active Covid infection. Anyone who has left the house has done so because it is a necessity. This man isn’t going out to the pub, he’s going to his job. I’m CEV, severely immunocompromised with chronic lung disease and no vaccine response so I am in the most vulnerable category. I do not expect complete strangers to risk the roof over their heads or the food for their children for me. Honestly, this is crazy!! It’s not selfish to ensure your own family are housed, clothed and fed.

And this is the sort of common sense attitude I'm referring to.

With most other viruses if you were asymptomatic or had mild symptoms meaning you were still well enough to work you wouldn’t even know you had the virus. Covid is the only virus we test for. The reason coughs and colds and viruses etc are passed on is generally because somebody with the contagious illness has been up and about getting on with their life. If someone is asymptomatic and feels well enough to work then unless they work with the clinically vulnerable then I don’t see an issue in them going to work. I’m a teacher and I know most of the parents aren’t testing their kids anymore so I dare say plenty of them are coming to school unknowingly positive and that some parents might even be sending in children they know are positive but I’m not annoyed about it, it’s a virus that exists now and we’re all going to get it eventually, probably repeatedly. We can’t stay locked down forever.

@Sofiegiraffe

What is it with COVID that people think they have the right to judge and stick their noses in other people lives?

This. For me it's one of the worst things to come out of covid.

I agree with this completely. Covid has turned so many people into self righteous dicks.

@MolkosTeenageAngst

With most other viruses if you were asymptomatic or had mild symptoms meaning you were still well enough to work you wouldn’t even know you had the virus. Covid is the only virus we test for. The reason coughs and colds and viruses etc are passed on is generally because somebody with the contagious illness has been up and about getting on with their life. If someone is asymptomatic and feels well enough to work then unless they work with the clinically vulnerable then I don’t see an issue in them going to work. I’m a teacher and I know most of the parents aren’t testing their kids anymore so I dare say plenty of them are coming to school unknowingly positive and that some parents might even be sending in children they know are positive but I’m not annoyed about it, it’s a virus that exists now and we’re all going to get it eventually, probably repeatedly. We can’t stay locked down forever.

We're not locked down. Do you remember lockdown? (Clue: Everything was shut.)

Well done OP, you have now made your neighbours aware that you are to be avoided as you keep an eye on their business. He's not wrong, he's allowed to work while positive... I disagree with it myself but I don't set the rules 🤷‍♀️ ... and neither do you!

@EthelTheAardvark

I think it's daft of his employers. He may be well enough to work, but what if he then infects a load of staff members who aren't? They could find themselves with a pretty empty office rather quickly.

My point exactly. My neighbour actually said that he could end up with all his staff off sick but he was being told to go to work anyway

Thank you all for your many and varied opinions . I’m loving the irony of everyone telling me I should mind my own business …. on Mumsnet which is literally a site for sticking your nose into the lives of total strangers.

Yeah the difference is, when you start a thread on MN, you are inviting people's opinions. Whereas I'm guessing your neighbour didn't invite you to tell him what to do.

My point exactly. My neighbour actually said that he could end up with all his staff off sick but he was being told to go to work anyway

Your neighbour was told to go into work by his boss. So what did you hope to achieve by telling him he had a moral obligation to stay home?... when that was not his decision.

In a couple of weeks no one will know if its covid or not once everyone runs out of lft's they have ordered.

If I had covid my decision to go to work or not would be with my manager.. She pays my wages not my neighbour.

Wow bet your neighbours love you

Sorry but i would judge you to be a bit stupid

Our secondary school is saying if you have covid but are not Poorly with it, they expect you in. The deputy head currently has it and he hasn’t Missed a day in school. I’m not happy about it, but am fighting too many other SEND education battles for my other child at another school at the moment to start another one somewhere else.

However, I’m also aware that next week, there are no more free tests and we can’t afford to buy any more once the ones we have are gone (probably got 2 Full boxes at the moment, between 5 of us. We’ve had covid in the household, so got through a lot of tests, with those not currently positive testing daily and those who are positive testing on day 5,6,7,8,9 and still being positive). So in a couple of weeks, no one will know if they have covid or not anyway.

It’s a really difficult situation and I’m so glad dhs employer Said they would pay Him in full To stay at home while he had covid, even though he was well enough to work, as it took the decision out of our hands.

My neighbour who positive had a huge argument with his company and was ordered into work. His wife sent me a message saying he and she felt he should isolate. You no idea what was said by the company. Yabu. Your comments would really upset someone like my neighbour who feels he should stay at home but risk losing job if does and therefore home and food.

We don't go in at my work if we are infected with anything contagious. It's disrespectful to colleagues and also bad for business resilience to spread diseases around the workplace

Thank you all for your many and varied opinions . I’m loving the irony of everyone telling me I should mind my own business …. on Mumsnet which is literally a site for sticking your nose into the lives of total strangers

Yeah the difference is, when you start a thread on MN, you are inviting people's opinions. Whereas I'm guessing your neighbour didn't invite you to tell him what to do @queensonia

This exactly

@Blinky21

We don't go in at my work if we are infected with anything contagious. It's disrespectful to colleagues and also bad for business resilience to spread diseases around the workplace

But OP's neighbour's boss told him to go to work. So he had no choice.

None of your business. How would you like it if the tables were reversed. For all you know he is in a private office but needs to for example physically sign things.

Did you offer to pay his bills aswell while telling him what he can and cannot do.