Don’t want to sit near a recently-travelled colleague?

[overthinkingmyoverthinking]

I work in an office and a colleague sits roughly opposite me but is 2-3 metres away - there’s a walkway between us.
They are on holiday in a European country and have therefore used a plane, train and bus plus sat in a germy airport. The thought of them landing back on Sunday being opposite me from Monday for 8 hours a day every day is already making me want to hold my breath for eternity. AIBU to ask to move desks and risk offending them? Am I being precious? I am unable to WFH.

Why don't you both wear a mask?

I asked them if they would wear one and they declined.

Meant to add, employer is not going to in any way enforce this either.

What are you expecting the employer to enforce? Whether you like it or not, your colleague has not done anything wrong.

I don't really see the issue. The same employee could just as easily pick it up in the UK and spread it about. Not sure why the foreign travel changes anything.

Yes you’re being completely unreasonable and OTT ...

@Isotope456

I don't really see the issue. The same employee could just as easily pick it up in the UK and spread it about. Not sure why the foreign travel changes anything.

Because they’ve had a lot more exposure than they would have within their usual social circle. Pretty obvious?

We've got to stay at home for 2 weeks after foreign travel, work won't let us in.

Unless the government clarifies that is acceptable for companies to mandate those who have travelled abroad cannot come into work for a specified period (and do not have to pay them for such time if annual leave isn't available to cover it) YABU. It is simply impossible for companies to keep everybody happy in this situation as some believe their right to a foreign holiday is more important than catering to their colleagues fears over the virus.

Not, YABU. Thinking like that is one step away from discrimination I'm afraid. What if you don't know the full details of why he was on the trip. You can take precautions for yourself but you don't get to decide what others do.

I don't think YABU, it is increasing the risk to you.
Can you not move your seating / work area so that you at least face away from them?

Yanbu
This sums up the whole virus for me
Everyone happy with different risks. But dictated to by gov /employers what you can do about it. What if op were 71 or on chemo?

YANBU.

If I were you I’d buy a mask with a pocket and place a HEPA filter piece in there, to be changed regularly. It’ll be quite uncomfortable for you but it’s very effective.

@keepdistance even outside of current times, the chances of anyone 71 or having active chemo treatment being in an office job are low, it's a not a likely comparison.

If it's possible to work from home then I think the coworker should, however with lockdown now substantively eased and so many people at school, in and out of shops and each others' houses, I also think that going to work means accepting there is some (though still relatively low) risk. This is very unfortunate for those who are highly vulnerable and unable to work from home, and I think that more support needs to be provided - but staying at home until a vaccine is available is also not realistic for many of us or society as a whole.

YABU, your colleague is “ 2-3 metres away ”.

The trouble with that is where do you draw the line in terms of staff judging other people's activities and exposure. If they let you dictate this, would they also have to do the same if someone else refused to sit near, say, a colleague whose partner was a doctor on a covid ward, or a colleague who spends lots of time on public transport?

Which country has your colleague visited? Most European countries have lower Covid rates than the UK. Now that the pubs are open, I don't see that the colleague who has travelled abroad will necessarily have taken higher risk than a colleague who has been to a pub or restaurant or used public transport in the UK.