To expect people ill with Covid stay home?

[LakelandHiker]

This week, my manager and a friend who goes to my exercise class are ill with Covid. I don't know if they've tested, but they've both said they have it. However one is still coming into the office and the other still attending the exercise class. AIBU or overreacting here... but why don't they stay home until clear? Even if 'feeling 95% better' wouldn't you wait until potentially exposing others? I can't help but feel mad at them both for being so selfish. I often look after an elderly relative and can't risk passing Covid on to her as she is frail. I get life can't be on pause forever but my manager can get paid sick leave and my friend can miss a class, it isn't like there's anything at stake...

Work expects us to come if we aren't dying.

Well good for you but some people are not as priviliged as you and do jobs where they cant work from .

& you know this because…….. you have a degree in virology or work in intensive care or on wards where people with flu are looked after, or you got your info from Facebook.

Yes. I understand that.

I can't work from home. I work banking because of lack of jobs. I am not paid unless I work.

Good for you but we are not all that lucky.

This thread is giving proper MN 2020 vibes.

All it needs is NannyAndJohn with they're "baked in" figures.

YANBU

When people are infectious, they should try to avoid infecting others. When infectious, it’s considerate to avoid an exercise class (especially one in an unventilated space where people are breathing heavily) and to work from home, if you’re able.

It’s also considerate to wash your hands regularly, keep your distance and avoid unventilated, busy places.

It’s how we reduce the spread of infection, which risks overwhelming health services and putting at risk people who could become gravely ill if they catch the infection (babies, frail elderly, immunocompromised etc).

It really isn’t rocket science. But some people struggle to understand.

😂😂
No doubt shes all over the "American Covid " figures

Not forgetting “Look to the East” the evangelical mask advocate

I'm a nurse and my boss (matron level) shouted at my colleague when she overheard that she had tested for covid (colleague is immocompromised
. Trust policy still expects you to attend for would under their draconian "attendance policy ".

I didn’t think anyone was testing for Covid these days.

Government advice here: https://ukhsa.blog.gov.uk/2026/10/08/should-we-be-worried-about-the-current-covid-19-variants-2/

Had to check what year we were in then.

It’s a cold. If they feel well enough to work they can and should work. Like any other cold or flu people catch around this time of year.

I think if you're walking around sniffing and coughing and not washing your hands properly in a shared workspace and you're unwell (because I've worked with plenty who sniff and cough whatever and don't wash their hands after using the loo) you should stay at home until you're better. These people tend to be the ones with near to no sickness absence because they spread their germs and are already immune because they have poor hygiene.
Then the rest of us with asthma etc get their germs and take a week off and get bad reps because we have to take time off.
Please keep your nasty illness to yourself. Thank you (bug bear of mine? )

You're a nurse and your "strong work ethic" is more important than the possibility of passing on an illness to your patients? Thank goodness I won't be coming into contact with you is all I can say.

Because having Covid now is not an excuse for missing work. So they don’t. There wouldn’t be anyone in work if you had to stay off. Covid was anyway, a bad flu, I had it when it first arrived and it was flu, the worst kind, was absolutely floored for two weeks, felt like I may never recover, I’ve had it recently and it was more like a mild flu, most people have immunity now and the newer strains are quite mild.

COVID isn’t a cold. The difference is explained here: https://ukhsa.blog.gov.uk/2025/10/08/do-i-have-flu-covid-19-or-a-cold-know-the-signs-and-symptoms/.

Government guidance says:

If you have symptoms of a respiratory infection, such as COVID-19, and you have a high temperature or do not feel well enough to go to work or carry out normal activities, you should avoid contact with vulnerable people and stay at home if possible. For those of us who absolutely can't stay at home, the guidance remains unchanged, and will reduce the chance of passing on your infection to others.

Why haven’t they stayed at home until they’re negative? Because they’re selfish unthinking jerks. If they’re going to test themselves, they ought to know to protect others. Covid is not like a fucking cold. After all these years and so much research and still the things people come out with.

It's still possible to get it if vaccinated.

Well, any of us could become disabled and/or immunocompromised at any time. All of us who are lucky enough to get there will some day be elderly. Clearly our society has us between a rock and a hard place as regards sick pay, but there is something slightly hubristic about how quick some people are to dismiss the perspectives of those for whom getting ill can be a very real risk to life. Be glib if you like, I guess, but it could be you one day. If you’re lucky you’ll get more sympathy than you’re giving.

Oh dear …

People who are immunocompromised or live with someone who is need to as there are measures that can be put in place for those who are, that get Covid, to help it from getting really serious.
I have cancer. I need to know if people have it to stay away. A colleague of a friend died of it last week. I tell friends that if they want to see me and feel ill to stay away, you would be surprised how many turn up with 'just a cold', I ended up in hospital with 'just a cold'.
Hope that answers your question @EmeraldShamrock000

Bet your workplace gets a lot of people going off sick then. Far more, I imagine, than if people weren't placed under the sort of ludicrous pressure UK workplaces put on their staff to work when they're ill and probably not even that productive anyway, and were able to actually take a bit of time to recuperate. The logic fail is blindingly obvious, but unfortunately too many workplaces only care about profits and not people.

BTW for many people Covid isn't 'like a cold'.

Couldn't agree more!

Check what year we're in? If you're actually claiming Covid is a cold I think you need to check what planet you're on.