The common cold and the workplace

What do you think about going to work with a common cold?

If you work with the public (as I do), should you stay home till you're better (or 3/4 of the way there)?

I called in sick today (the third day of my cold, and so far, the worst). I've been sicker, sure. But my nose keeps running, I keep sneezing, and I feel very tired. Went for a walk at lunch yesterday and felt like I was "dragon my a$$" along the sidewalk. I work in a library and I am sure the other workers and patrons don't need my germs.

The thing that irks me a little is that my boss makes this big point sometimes about how, in 20 years of working there, he only called in sick, like, twice. Most recently, he called in sick for a day, came in the next day, was off again, and then returned, saying stuff like, "Hey, I don't really want to be here but I come in because I have to." Which is a joke, because so little work gets done in this place, it is hilarious. He put a roll of toilet paper on his desk and used it to blow his nose. I offered him my Puffs but he refused. I think a roll of TP on someone's desk is rather tacky/declasse. And his remarks were mostly in response to a coworker who every now and then tries to call off when he's not really sick (he's a real jerk but we can't get rid of him b/c of nepotism).

But somehow, I feel guilty that I'm staying home. I have s/thing like two weeks' worth of sick time accumulated. I have to work on Sunday, and there is no backup person to cover for me (I have been told I would have to come in even if I spent the day lying on the couch in the staff lounge). So, I figured, I should stay home today and tomorrow, when there IS backup, in order to be better for the day when I absolutely have to go in.

Also, a small irky/ranty thing: I was checking my email, and the boss must have guessed I'd be reading it, b/c he put "hope you feel better as the day goes on" in an email he sent about an issue. I'm annoyed that I was reading it, and annoyed that he kind of assumed I WOULD be reading it.

Sorry, I went on and on.

But what do you think? If you have "just a cold," is staying home OK?

In an ideal world, it would be great if everyone stayed home when they were ill with a contagious illness, especially when working with the public in a place like a library, school, or hospital. But I understand why people don't, because it has become common practice to discount colds as "not being really sick," and therefore being an unacceptable level of illness for excused absences from work. I myself am on a limited number of sick days allowed per year, so I find myself worrying about "saving" those sick days for when I REALLY need them, as in days where I need to be close to a toilet and/or barf bowl and/or my bed all day. Don't feel guilty for staying home if you can do it...you're doing everyone a big favor!

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Originally Posted by Selah

I myself am on a limited number of sick days allowed per year, so I find myself worrying about "saving" those sick days for when I REALLY need them, as in days where I need to be close to a toilet and/or barf bowl and/or my bed all day. Don't feel guilty for staying home if you can do it...you're doing everyone a big favor!

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I am very fortunate in that I almost never get *that* sick (barf bowl/toilet sick). I have never called in sick to this job in two years, actually. Yesterday, my spouse found an article stating that most people get sick 2 to 4 times per year! Wow! I should add that I get the flu shot and sometimes the pneumonia shot (I am a diabetic and it's recommended that I get both).

Thanks for your input!

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Originally Posted by frugalone

What do you think about going to work with a common cold?

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stay home! Don't infect all your coworkers, stay home! That's what I think of it, my pet peeve is the people that come in sick so that everyone gets sick.

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I offered him my Puffs but he refused. I think a roll of TP on someone's desk is rather tacky/declasse.

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if your miserable enough being sick you really dont' care. You're like "my hairs a mess, i look like heck, I'm just trying to get through a miserable sick day here ... and go home finally"

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And his remarks were mostly in response to a coworker who every now and then tries to call off when he's not really sick (he's a real jerk but we can't get rid of him b/c of nepotism).

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well he has however many sick days a year to use as well as he sees fit, problem is he might not have any left when he really is sick if he does that, and therefore he'll be one of those annoying people that comes into work sick.

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Also, a small irky/ranty thing: I was checking my email, and the boss must have guessed I'd be reading it, b/c he put "hope you feel better as the day goes on" in an email he sent about an issue. I'm annoyed that I was reading it, and annoyed that he kind of assumed I WOULD be reading it.

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yea your boss is nuts. I mean when I take a sick day, unless there is some terrible emergency at work, they leave me alone, they dont' even expect me to be working.

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But what do you think? If you have "just a cold," is staying home OK?

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of course, besides you can feel pretty aweful with a cold, ok maybe not those super mild colds that I've had sometimes (that I initially suspect are just allergies they are so mild - until I realize I'm indeed actually sick), but most colds. And it feels vastly better to lie in bed and take naps and hot baths all day compared to going to work sick. I mean doesn't it? :) The former is physically pretty miserable compared to the later (granted I don't tend to use OTC meds to manage symptoms much so there is that). And yes I think it helps recovery to rest. You don't want to get one of those colds whose symptoms linger for weeks and weeks do you? Therefore ... you must recover :)

Yes, you are right, ApatheticNoMore. On many counts. And no, I don't want this lingering. I just want to get better soon. My boss is nuts, on several different levels.

I consider myself so very fortunate that I work for a company that encourages and supports working from home (which most folks do multiple times a week). Since I can work at home when I'm feeling run down, I do, and I get really annoyed with a co-worker who comes in sniffling because there is no need for that. We have an open office with only half walls and any germs spread through the air pretty quickly.

As a library patron, I'd prefer the staff doesn't come in sick. There's going to be germs lingering on their hands, and then they are touching the book and my library card and then transferring those germs to me.

I've missed 10 work days in the last four weeks because two sperate folks hauled their sorry sick selves into the workplace. Pisses me off.

In a perfect world, I'd stay home every time I got sick.

But when I was unemployed and working two part-time retail jobs to afford rent and food, I pretty much had to go to work sick. The stores didn't care if I infected every one of my co-workers and every customer that entered the store. If I couldn't find a replacement for my shift, I was supposed to work. And when you go to bed feeling fine and wake up with a miserable cold and you have to be at work in 4 hours, there's really no time to find someone to cover for you.

All the stores want is a warm body on the floor to sell stuff. Sick or healthy, you have to show up. There's no paid sick days. If you don't show up, even if you call in, you are docked attendance points. If that happens too many times, you are fired.

It's not surprising that I got sick more while working retail than I think I ever did at any other point in my life. Not life-threatening sick, but I'd catch pretty much every virus going around. I had co-workers who had small kids in school. The kids would bring home a virus, the parents would catch it and then they'd bring it to work to share with everyone.

There are a lot of low-wage retail jobs where people more or less have no choice about working while sick.