NationStates Jolt Archive

This is just a general rant-topic I guess.

I have noticed several people here at work (office setting) coughing their heads off and some thoughts have occurred to me/nagged at me:

1) Is there some law protecting non-sick workers from sick workers who won't stay home and keep their illnesses to themselves? (I'm in the state of Tennessee, USA)

2) If I were sick as a dog I would not subject my fellow co-workers to my germs -- I would stay home. (This causes anger, as I cannot imagine that others are not as altruistic) Are these people so dumb to think that their germs won't or can't cause others to catch what they've got? Or is there just enough sociopathy there that they don't care?

This is really pissing me off. I want to shout, "Go home if you're so damn sick!" but that would probably not go over too well.

I want to know if the law backs me up on this or if telling the manager of the office or some HR geek would be pissing in the wind.

Any advice/help would be appreciated.

If it gets to you that much, why don't you do buy them some cough drops or something of the like?

I used to go home when I was sick (i.e., a real fever). But not any more.

Every place I've worked as a consultant, they want me in there, writing the software. They usually call me when they're completely desperate, so they have no time for me to be sick.

They also pay me only for hours when I'm working.

If you're willing to pay me 75 dollars an hour to stay home, and can convince the people who hired me to work a miracle that the solution to their problem can wait a week, I'll be glad to stay home.

Until then, I'll be coughing on your keyboard.

The issue is if they receive sick pay or not. Perhaps they can't afford to be away from work. If they do receive sick pay and still come to work they probably just neeed a punch in the face.

This is just a general rant-topic I guess.

I have noticed several people here at work (office setting) coughing their heads off and some thoughts have occorred to me/nagged at me:

1) Is there some law protecting non-sick workers from sick workers who won't stay home and keep their illnesses to themselves? (I'm in the state of Tennessee, USA)

2) If I were sick as a dog I would not subject my fellow co-workers to my germs -- I would stay home. (This causes anger, as I cannot imagine that others are not as altruistic) Are these people so dumb to think that their germs won't or can't cause others to catch what they've got? Or is there just enough sociopathy there that they don't care?

This is really pissing me off. I want to shout, "Go home if you're so damn sick!" but that would probably not go over too well.

I want to know if the law backs me up on this or if telling the manager of the office or some HR geek would be pissing in the wind.

Any advice/help would be appreciated.

Have you ever thought that maybe, just maybe, they don't have enough sick days? Or how about the old "sick building syndrome" issue? Just take your multivitamins, your echinacea, and drink your orange juice and get over it. Sick people have to work.

It's possible that they've used all their sick days (ie, days they can take off when they're "sick" and receive pay).

I am still baffled that folks would not consider the health of everyone else who works there and the negative aspects of being truly sick (not talking just a headache here, but a communicable illness -- these are wet coughs).

Thanks, fellas, btw.

(just saw that last post)

I drank a huge bottle of orange juice. I might end up with canchre (sp?) sores, but if it keeps me from getting what they've got, that's okay with me. Some sound like they should be in bed with a bottle of Robitussin close by.

My dad has to go to work regardless of how sick he is; he can't afford to take a single day off. Believe me, if he could, he would in a heartbeat.

Call homeland security. This is a clear case of bioterrorism.

My dad has to go to work regardless of how sick he is; he can't afford to take a single day off. Believe me, if he could, he would in a heartbeat.

It's kind of like going to class sick when you're in college. It really can't be avoided, usually. Well, unless you're like me and always get too sick to even move..

Also.. hehe.. i've been washing my hands a lot. I imagine this is especially important after using doorknobs/handles, which (I would imagine) would make for great germ-deposit spots. People cover their coughing mouths with their hands, they use their hands to open doors...

It's irresponsible, but people will justify it (need the money, blah blah blah), without taking any civilized precautions, such as washing their hands, and will cough in your face, probably in the secret hope of spreading their misery.

OK, so you have to go to work, but then these creeps go shopping and buy things that *can* be put off until what they have is no longer catching. Or the bad mommies who drag their sick kids to the store. You know, you don't need that pot pourri right that second, and it doesn't take an hour to shop for one, either.

One lout came to visit me when he was sick this weekend, and now I his crappy cold. :mad:

He didn't have to visit. He just popped up unannounced, coughing up his lung. I had my flu shot, but it doesn't prevent getting colds.

As far as I know, there is no way of stopping this breed of self-absorbed cretin from infecting the workplace. Nor, are flu shots mandatory.

Mebbe pouring water on their work chairs is the best hope for avenging your suffering!?!

Don't try that one, kids! :p

Call homeland security. This is a clear case of bioterrorism.

That reminds me.. LOL.. I saw a letter written by an angry restaurant customer who wanted to contact the attorney general of his state after his waiter dropped a tray and spilled drinks all over the guy and his family. hehe

No, I'm not going to rat anyone out. I'm just a bit frustrated/paranoid I guess.

Mebbe pouring water on their work chairs is the best hope for avenging your suffering!?!

Don't try that one, kids! :p

LMAO! Two words: whoopie cushion

It's irresponsible, but people will justify it (need the money, blah blah blah), without taking any civilized precautions, such as washing their hands, and will cough in your face, probably in the secret hope of spreading their misery.

OK, so you have to go to work, but then these creeps go shopping and buy things that *can* be put off until what they have is no longer catching. Or the bad mommies who drag their sick kids to the store. You know, you don't need that pot pourri right that second, and it doesn't take an hour to shop for one, either.

One lout came to visit me when he was sick this weekend, and now I his crappy cold. :mad:

He didn't have to visit. He just popped up unannounced, coughing up his lung. I had my flu shot, but it doesn't prevent getting colds.

As far as I know, there is no way of stopping this breed of self-absorbed cretin from infecting the workplace. Nor, are flu shots mandatory.

Mebbe pouring water on their work chairs is the best hope for avenging your suffering!?!

Don't try that one, kids! :p

Sadly, when I am sick and able to wander around, I kind of DO want to drag everyone else down with me. Moreso out of a desire to exact revenge upon whoever the hell I caught it from....*shakes her head* anyway,there are always going to be germs going around. People have a tendency to carry illnesses and not actually get sick, so it's not always the ones who are hacking up a lung that you have to worry about.

This is America. We go to work when we're sick and use our sick days for vacation days.

Then there are those who can lose their job if they stay out. If you have been employeed somewhere and have not yet been there long enough to earn sick days, then you justhave to come in anyway. A friend of mine almost got fired for being out sick 3 days. He's been at the job for 4 months. They said if he missed anymore-hes fired. And no theres not a law to protect him.

I remember telling a German who was visiting here that I haven't taken a sick day since 1991.

He went apoplectic.

They evidently get months of sick leave and vacation every year, and that doesn't even count the holiday days that are scattered around.

I got the impression that he was actually working about 90 days out of the year. That was partially because of all the sick and vacation days, which he expected to take even if he wasn't sick, and the fact that job scarcity had him "sharing" his job with someone else.

On the project, he and his friend were utterly worthless, and almost never around. We just stopped including them in the taskings and scheduling, and the project went on like they weren't even there. Sure, it cost some money, but it was better than having to re-familiarize them with everything that had passed them by every time they decided to come in.

This is just a general rant-topic I guess.

I have noticed several people here at work (office setting) coughing their heads off and some thoughts have occurred to me/nagged at me:

1) Is there some law protecting non-sick workers from sick workers who won't stay home and keep their illnesses to themselves? (I'm in the state of Tennessee, USA)

2) If I were sick as a dog I would not subject my fellow co-workers to my germs -- I would stay home. (This causes anger, as I cannot imagine that others are not as altruistic) Are these people so dumb to think that their germs won't or can't cause others to catch what they've got? Or is there just enough sociopathy there that they don't care?

This is really pissing me off. I want to shout, "Go home if you're so damn sick!" but that would probably not go over too well.

I want to know if the law backs me up on this or if telling the manager of the office or some HR geek would be pissing in the wind.

Any advice/help would be appreciated.
Yeah I hate people who do that. Who somehow think their work is so important that it can't be done by anyone else. All that happens is they make everyone else ill. Selfish bastards.
My theory is that they like to make martyrs of themselves: "Ohh *cough*cough* look at me everybody! I'm so *cough* sick, yet I still managed to come to work. Aren't I wonderful?" Well no, now fuck off before you infect me.
My other theory is that they don't want others to do their work cause they're afraid ppl will realise how little work they actually do. This is especially true of incompetent middle managers. I once worked in a Newspaper printers with one who hadn't taken a holiday or sick day for 4 years. The company finally forced him to take 4 weeks off, and honestly, no-one noticed he was gone. He was back for 3 days before I found out.

That said, occassionally there are times they might feel forced to come in.
In one job, I was working 6 days a week, up to 12 hours a day, covering other ppl who were off on Holiday or sick. Then my 3 month provisional review came up (I had only just started), and the manager gave me a rotten apprasial, among other things saying I didn't work hard enough! After he had just come back from a 4 week holiday in Thailand and Egypt!
Cause I had only just started and had no money saved, I felt forced to keep working those hours rather than tell him to get fucked and walking out. Even though I knew it was bullshit and was just an excuse not to give me a raise, it was still pretty upsetting. Needless to say I came down with a cold (in fact I caught 2 within 3 weeks). And managed to pass it on to 4 other staff members. Due to stress and over-work.

Then there are those who can lose their job if they stay out. If you have been employeed somewhere and have not yet been there long enough to earn sick days, then you justhave to come in anyway. A friend of mine almost got fired for being out sick 3 days. He's been at the job for 4 months. They said if he missed anymore-hes fired. And no theres not a law to protect him.

This is my plight, and a large part of the reason i'm so irritated.

I can't afford to stay home, because I won't get paid. Therefore, I can't afford to get sick.

I'm (un)fortunate enough to work from home (rather than commute 150 miles for a part-time job) so when I'm germed-up I still 'go to work', but I did used to hate it when people in the office/factory were sick and came to work to spread their illness through the air-con. But that's what we do, right? We're animals driven by the $ or £ sign, and we tend to assume our bosses think we're skiving even when we're calling in sick while one leg is hanging to our torso from a single nerve.

This is my plight, and a large part of the reason i'm so irritated.

I can't afford to stay home, because I won't get paid. Therefore, I can't afford to get sick.


But thats the companies fault. Not the sneezy miserable co-worker.

I remember telling a German who was visiting here that I haven't taken a sick day since 1991.

He went apoplectic.

They evidently get months of sick leave and vacation every year, and that doesn't even count the holiday days that are scattered around.

When I was teaching in a Public school, we got a bucket load of sick days each year - I think it was 20. Something like that. My first thought was "Woo-hoo! That's 4 weeks holiday, on top of the 12 weeks I already get!"
However, I think in the 3 years I taught there I only took 4 days sick leave. Once was because I had to go to the city to sort out my Masters course I was doing, that the University had managed to screw up.
Another time was for my fiance's graduation ceremony.
Both these times were with the blessing of the school. I told them what I was doing and they marked it down as sick leave, so I could still get paid.
The third was a time I was so sick they had to call an ambulance to take me to hospital. Food poisoning. I started vomiting blood during lunch-time. Annoyingly they wouldn't let me go to the gym and kept me in overnight.
And I think the 4th time I had the 'flu pretty bad.

Problem was that if you're teaching, when you're sick you still need to have all the work there and available for the relieving teacher. It really was too much of a hassle. Cause the teacher coming in probably isn't trained in your area, you have to have lots of worksheets and work they can give the classes. You can't expect them to actually teach your class. The time to sort this all out and make enough copies for 5 classes took half a day. Then of course when you get back you have to mark all that extra work.
It was such a pain in the butt trying to sort all that out that it was easier to dope up on cold tablets and teach thru the day.


Of course some teachers did take full advantage of it, and showed no professionalism when it came to setting relief work. "Lesson One: Page xxx to xxx in the textbook, Lesson Two: Same. etc etc".
I had to relieve one class and was told they were doing a certain worksheet, which I couldn't find. When I mentioned it to a very long-serving teacher (like 46 years teaching at the same school!) she groaned and said that was the exact same worksheet she had been told about 10 years previous when she had to take the 'sick' teacher's Tuesday afternoon class for a year while she was on a course. Every week, same note, same never-discovered worksheet.

I remember telling a German who was visiting here that I haven't taken a sick day since 1991.

He went apoplectic.

They evidently get months of sick leave and vacation every year, and that doesn't even count the holiday days that are scattered around.

I got the impression that he was actually working about 90 days out of the year. That was partially because of all the sick and vacation days, which he expected to take even if he wasn't sick, and the fact that job scarcity had him "sharing" his job with someone else.

On the project, he and his friend were utterly worthless, and almost never around. We just stopped including them in the taskings and scheduling, and the project went on like they weren't even there. Sure, it cost some money, but it was better than having to re-familiarize them with everything that had passed them by every time they decided to come in.
europeans have a fraction of the working hours americans do. they are trying to fix that, the companies anyway

It's a problem either way. By forcing employees to come in sick, they make everyone else sick and it does significantly impact productivity.

On the other hand, if people have too many sick days, they will take them whether they are sick or not.

Then there's always that "I'm busy and irreplacable" delusions people like to have these days: they *have to* come in sick cuz the place couldn't function without 'em. Bless their little egomanical heads, but most of the time, these morons just spend the entire day running back and forth telling everyone in the office how "busy" they are without actually doing a lick of work.

You know, some of us weren't born yesterday. ;)

It's a problem either way. By forcing employees to come in sick, they make everyone else sick and it does significantly impact productivity.

On the other hand, if people have too many sick days, they will take them whether they are sick or not.

Then there's always that "I'm busy and irreplacable" delusions people like to have these days: they *have to* come in sick cuz the place couldn't function without 'em. Bless their little egomanical heads, but most of the time, these morons just spend the entire day running back and forth telling everyone in the office how "busy" they are without actually doing a lick of work.

You know, some of us weren't born yesterday. ;)


I know you were born in a hammock ;)

I know you were born in a hammock ;)

Heh heh, with a clowny colada in one hand and a comic book in the other. :p

I am *not* going to break my back to make anyone even richer than they already are.

I'm considering a couple of recommendations (no laughing, please):

1) Turn Copy Room D into a "sick room" ... where sick people can do their thing in a safe, quarantined atmosphere. They could keep a fan in there, but the vents would have to be closed so as not to allow their germs to get into the A/C ducts. They could enter and leave through a door in the roof.

2) The company should give people 2 "holiday" sick days that could ONLY be used between Dec. 15 and Jan. 15... these would be kept separate from any other sick/vacation/personal days outlined in the Human Resources tome.

Heh heh, with a clowny colada in one hand and a comic book in the other. :p

I am *not* going to break my back to make anyone even richer than they already are.
Why is Christmas just like a day in the office?
You do all the work, and the fat guy in the suit gets all the credit.

Why is Christmas just like a day in the office?
You do all the work, and the fat guy in the suit gets all the credit.

LOL......thats funny

Why is Christmas just like a day in the office?
You do all the work, and the fat guy in the suit gets all the credit.

Yeah, and the fat guy's reputation for efficiency and generosity is just a myth. ;)

Does your employer take sick days? Should we have an international "Cough on Your Boss Day"? :fluffle:

It's irresponsible, but people will justify it (need the money, blah blah blah), without taking any civilized precautions, such as washing their hands, and will cough in your face, probably in the secret hope of spreading their misery.

OK, so you have to go to work, but then these creeps go shopping and buy things that *can* be put off until what they have is no longer catching. Or the bad mommies who drag their sick kids to the store. You know, you don't need that pot pourri right that second, and it doesn't take an hour to shop for one, either.

One lout came to visit me when he was sick this weekend, and now I his crappy cold. :mad:

He didn't have to visit. He just popped up unannounced, coughing up his lung. I had my flu shot, but it doesn't prevent getting colds.

As far as I know, there is no way of stopping this breed of self-absorbed cretin from infecting the workplace. Nor, are flu shots mandatory.

Mebbe pouring water on their work chairs is the best hope for avenging your suffering!?!

Don't try that one, kids! :p

I( guess a lot of people aren't aware of MERCILESS ATTENDANCE POLICIES in jobs and colleges, not only no realism that people do get sick, but making them get doctor notes, I had one job where they did that, and they did NOT have any form of group health insurance. Most of my working life, including tiem I worked for an insurance company, I've been unisured. That pisses me off. Some of these sick people should go in and cough all over their bosses. Many companies make sure that no one has quite enough hours either to be eligiable for company insurance or to make a decent living either. Then they want you to do every damn thing their way. When you figure that one idiot court usually derided as too liberal, said it was OK for companies to impose wearing specific types of make-up, or to keep certain hair lengths, well you dare expect some mercy on sick leave? Wake up to what hte country has turned into. Then please do your bit to fight this. Thanks

I( guess a lot of people aren't aware of MERCILESS ATTENDANCE POLICIES in jobs and colleges, not only no realism that people do get sick, but making them get doctor notes, I had one job where they did that, and they did NOT have any form of group health insurance. Most of my working life, including tiem I worked for an insurance company, I've been unisured. That pisses me off. Some of these sick people should go in and cough all over their bosses. Many companies make sure that no one has quite enough hours either to be eligiable for company insurance or to make a decent living either. Then they want you to do every damn thing their way. When you figure that one idiot court usually derided as too liberal, said it was OK for companies to impose wearing specific types of make-up, or to keep certain hair lengths, well you dare expect some mercy on sick leave? Wake up to what hte country has turned into. Then please do your bit to fight this. Thanks

But most of us don't fight for even the basics, because (1) we're too scared to lose our jobs, or (2) we don't want to be seen as difficult. Every time I put my foot down I got what I wanted at work. Every time I just grumbled under my breath and accepted the status quo, conditions only got worse.

People will take advantage of you if they size you up as an easy mark. Bosses included. :mad:

Then there are those who can lose their job if they stay out. If you have been employeed somewhere and have not yet been there long enough to earn sick days, then you justhave to come in anyway. A friend of mine almost got fired for being out sick 3 days. He's been at the job for 4 months. They said if he missed anymore-hes fired. And no theres not a law to protect him.


I think there needs to be a law against companies treating people like that, I set off for work on a dangerous icy day, went in by bus in the worst winter this gulag had since I moved here, and I was within a month of qualifying for their medical insurance, well I went down arse over tea-kettle at the bus place, and could have broken my neck, I was unconscious anywhere from 15-20 minutes, and I got up and got on the next bus and went home. I had no money for the hospital. So I called work and told my boss what happened. I was out two weeks because I was in excruciating pain for two weeks. I'm lucky to even be alive. The jerks in that company wrote me up for the absence. I was almost fired.I told them that if I died at work, my children would be at liberty to sue them. I was injured trying to get in to work, not being a slacker. I still feel very bitter to that company and the people who made the policies and it is now many years ago.
In my very infrequent spare time that spring, I looked for other work and left that company.
In a way I can see why bosses and schools get merciless with attendance policies, some people do abuse it, but fine you can probably terminate that person on some other grounds. I don't want to work with very sick people. If, God forbid it, I'm ever in such a situation again, I'll go to work sick, I'll damned well go in and cough on the boss' desk and make him or her have whatever it is I have.

YES LET'S HEAR IT FOR 'NATIONAL COUGH ON YOUR BOSS DAY!!!!"

But most of us don't fight for even the basics, because (1) we're too scared to lose our jobs, or (2) we don't want to be seen as difficult. Every time I put my foot down I got what I wanted at work. Every time I just grumbled under my breath and accepted the status quo, conditions only got worse.

People will take advantage of you if they size you up as an easy mark. Bosses included. :mad:

A lot of these things are best dealt with collectively, yes you can do a bit on an individual basis, but in the office setting it's almost never possible to do those things collectively because 1&2 apply to nearly every place. I have to say that I have not always won when I put my foot down. I have enough times to make it worth a shot, but not every effort does work.
I can say that office people need to discover the beauty of the collective job action. There is a real fear of doing that among office people. That is a pity, there is an actual office worker's union, it's called Nine to Five, and it's great. People should generally be less afraid to do stuff like that, you are right.