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Original poster

I’ll have to hand my notice in won’t I?

124 replies

Trytoomanytimes · 27/09/2020 18:40

Had a week off work.
Just got a text from my colleague to say that out of 24 office staff 6 are currently off after testing positive.
Factory setting of around 100 people so I have no idea of how many of the shopfloor workers are currently off.
There is no way I can work from home.
I’m not at all happy about going back tomorrow. I have not been to a pub or restaurant, only go shopping when I have to and always use a mask etc. I’ve not been to see any friends or family and have been sensible. The biggest risk to me is now obviously my work place.
I have been there a long time, and it would cause them MASSIVE problems if I gave then 4 weeks notice tomorrow.
Money wise, we could manage for a bit, but I would have to find something eventually, but hopefully could find a job home based.
If my current job can’t be done from home, and I’m no longer comfortable going into the office, what choice do I have?

OP posts:
TheLastStarfighter · 27/09/2020 19:24

OP I can’t remember the legislation but you have a legal right to remove yourself from a work environment that you have strong reason to think is a risk to your safety, without being penalised for that. That applies here.

You need to contact your employer and say you don’t think the work environment is safe, and you want to see their recent risk assessment for the current outbreak. Also contact the local councils health and safety team.

ivykaty44 · 27/09/2020 19:25

so have the 6 people that are positive had no contact with others still working in the office?

WhyAreThereNoNamesLeft · 27/09/2020 19:25

@ekidmxcl

That business needs shutting for 2 weeks. I wonder who you report unsafe working conditions to.
You don’t know that. Could be from socialising outside of work, car shares, people ignoring the office guidelines and chatting face to face, hugging, having affairs with each other etc.

What the company should do is investigate what has happened and fix it if something has gone wrong. While it would be sensible to shut the office while they do so, you also wouldn’t want the business to fail financially.

Quartz2208 · 27/09/2020 19:25

Your biggest risk has always been your workplace

It does sound as if you are quite anxious though given the level you are still shielding

AldiAisleofCrap · 27/09/2020 19:25

@BrieAndChilli I assume that your workplace has been covid secure well clearly not if 6 out of 24 staff have Covid19!

JacobReesMogadishu · 27/09/2020 19:27

I’d be wearing an ffp3 mask or similar

vanillandhoney · 27/09/2020 19:29

[quote AldiAisleofCrap]**@BrieAndChilli* I assume that your workplace has been covid secure* well clearly not if 6 out of 24 staff have Covid19![/quote]
I don't think the virus cares about man-made regulations. It's highly contagious. If someone has it and goes to work in an indoor environment, it's bound to spread, unless all the people working there never have any kind of contact with anything, ever.

AldiAisleofCrap · 27/09/2020 19:32

Yes “Covid secure” is meaningless. Schools are allegedly Covid secure Hmm

nosswith · 27/09/2020 19:32

It would allegedly cause massive problems if you quit, OP. I have my doubts given that they could have managed if you had taken two weeks holiday. Though the point is that one in four office staff have been tested positive for the virus, so possibly others have it without showing symptoms.

An alternative is not to go in tomorrow morning and contact them as early as possible to ask how they are planning to make it Covid 19 secure, and offer to do as much work from home as is possible.

Purpledaisychain · 27/09/2020 19:32

So hand your notice in and then apply for other jobs?

But, the risk of covid is going to be present in a new job too. Unless you get one where you can work solely from home but given the job market at the minute no one can afford to be choosy. Jobs are hard to come by at the minute.

InFiveMins · 27/09/2020 19:33

I would go in and take precautions. This virus is here for a long time, we are going to have to get used to it and find solutions rather than just quit.

GreyWall · 27/09/2020 19:38

Get signed off work by your GP if you have severe anxiety preventing you living your normal daily life

MaggieFS · 27/09/2020 19:38

Try posting under legal in case there's any H&S legislation which would enable you to stay home in the short term as pp have said?

Jeremyironseverything · 27/09/2020 19:46

Ask them for some unpaid leave.

I wouldn't want to go in knowing that you definitely don't have it. Would be different if you'd been there last week and may have already been exposed to it.

Ellsbells12 · 27/09/2020 19:47

Don't be scared media has scared us ... you will be fine x

Porridgeoat · 27/09/2020 19:49

If you’re not vulnerable go in if you can’t work from home

Babyroobs · 27/09/2020 19:50

My dh has severe asthma and is on immunosuppressant drugs. He has been back at work since shielding was lifted. He just tries to keep himself in his office, uses masks and hand sanitizer and minimizes contact with others. Are there a lot of you in one office ?

Inkpaperstars · 27/09/2020 19:52

I would contact them and ask what the plan is. Is the workplace closing for deep clean? Has the outbreak been reported and what were the recommendations from local public health officials? I don't think the choice should be go in or resign in a situation like this. That is a significant caseload for one workplace.

HermioneWeasley · 27/09/2020 19:56

Surface to person infection is very rare. Clean your workstation, wash your hands regularly and most importantly keep at least 2ms from people at all times.

Even if you hand in your notice, you’re obliged to go in while you’re working your notice, so a bit self defeating

Poppingnostopping · 27/09/2020 20:02

I still don't know why people are making out this is the usual risk of any old office in Covid-19 times. Having so many people with covid in one place would increase viral load for starters, depending on the size/airiness of the place. That's why PHE/local public health have to be informed if they have more than one case in a business, because it suggests a lack of covid safety, and then they would do an assessment and put in place measures to ensure it doesn't keep spreading! I'd be waiting to find out what had been done on that front for starters.

INeedNewShoes · 27/09/2020 20:06

I'm amazed at how laid back most posters are about this.

I wouldn't want to knowingly go into a workplace where 25% of the staff had recently tested positive.

Jenasaurus · 27/09/2020 20:07

@ekidmxcl

That business needs shutting for 2 weeks. I wonder who you report unsafe working conditions to.
I agree if it was a school bubble with 24 children and 6 were positive the rest of the bubble and teacher would isolate for 2 weeks, thats a quarter of the office
mantlepiece · 27/09/2020 20:07

On the upside, if you take a couple of weeks off sick, when you go back hopefully your office will have herd immunity.

Itsabeautifuldayheyhey · 27/09/2020 20:10

I would contact work and find out:
1.If they have investigated the origin of the outbreak.

  1. If so, what they have discovered.
  2. What measures they are now taking to ensure the workplace is Covid-secure or, if they are not taking any, why not?
  3. Decide what to do based on the responses to the above.

If you consider they aren't undertaking measures to provide a Covid-secure environment, report them to HSE if causing serious harm and/or police who will take action if they are in breach of mandatory guidelines.

Don't resign. You have no need to, but your employer has s responsibility to keep you safe.

Zilla1 · 27/09/2020 20:11

I think if you haven't been told you by your consultant or GP you were at clinically extremely vulnerable and don't have private means/wealth then I wouldn't hand my notice in, rather I'd take the usual precautions and try and manage any health anxiety. You might want to look for home-based work but in the current climate, I wouldn't throw in a job you previously were content about in the hope of securing alternative employment when you needed the income.

Good luck.