To think that public facing workers should not be at work when obviously infectious

[Maggiethecat]

I was in local charity shop recently and the woman at the till started sneezing. By the time I got to being served, her nose was dripping to the point that she was cupping her hands to catch it.

Surely she shouldn’t have been at work?

I partially agree although also understand why systems don’t allow for it. Tbh I think the approach is to complain to big employers to make their practises more wellbeing friendly.

Maybe the charity shop wouldn’t have been able to open if she wasn’t there. She might have been volunteering. She might have had allergies. Even if she did have a cold, maybe it got worse as the day went on and she wasn’t as bad when she left in the morning, or maybe she just doesn’t think life should go on hold for a bit of a snotty nose. No need to be so judgmental.

Exactly this. OP, if you’re worried about picking up bugs when out, N95 face masks are very effective at protecting the wearer.

Unless you are her doctor how do you the person is infectious? 'Obviously'?

Yanbu but employees usually can't take all the time off they need. I often get colds and can only be off sick for the very worst days, more than 3 episodes a year and HR gets involved and monitors our absence. I work with immunocompromised cancer patients but have no real choice here

Sick pay apart from SSP isn't a benefit enjoyed by all. Ironically it's the lowest paid care, retail. Hospitality staff that can't work from home that are least likely to get sick pay.

There's constant sniffley colds around. Sometimes you just need to accept the risk of your going to go out

Absolutely. Reminds me that I once worked for a company who paid an "attendance bonus" every month, which took my salary from close to NMW to something slightly more livable (although still not brilliant). I have never caught so many illnesses at work, because people couldn't afford to lose out on an essential portion of their salary... people came in with stomach bugs, swine flu (remember that?!), etc... I reckon the policy probably led people to take more sick days than they would otherwise have needed to, because it encouraged bugs to be spread around!

If I don't work then I don't get paid.
Can use annual leave but only have 18 days of that.
If I can physically work then I'm going to work