# Got a cold or flu? - stay the fuck home! **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [January 7, 2015, 6:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/got-a-cold-or-flu-stay-the-fuck-home/709243 "2015-01-07T18:24:34Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2015, 6:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/got-a-cold-or-flu-stay-the-fuck-home/709243/1 "2015-01-07T18:24:34Z")
Inspired by this thread [http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=745047&page=2](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=745047&page=2) and **Anaamika** ’s post #84 _“Goddamnit, everyone is coming to work sick. WTF is wrong with people. We have an enormous amount of sick days and our boss is super lenient, plus things haven’t really picked up just yet. STAY THE FUCK HOME. Why do you come to work to infect me? I hate you with the fire of a thousand suns.”_ and my reply: _I blame the fucking OTC drug industry, where they suggest taking something that somewhat suppresses symptoms, then going off to infect more suckers… err customers._ STAY THE FUCK HOME. ---
**Author:** ![Knorf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/58956e/32.png) [@Knorf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Knorf)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2015, 6:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/got-a-cold-or-flu-stay-the-fuck-home/709243/2 "2015-01-07T18:32:02Z")
Indeed. ---
**Author:** ![Broomstick](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/broomstick/32/246_2.png) [@Broomstick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Broomstick)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2015, 6:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/got-a-cold-or-flu-stay-the-fuck-home/709243/3 "2015-01-07T18:34:51Z")
I don’t get paid sick days. If I call in sick I don’t get paid. Unfortunately, my bills never take a sick day. Are you willing to cover my rent when I come up short from staying home? When I had sick days I used to use them to stay home when sick. Unfortunately, for too many of us that’s a luxury we don’t have. My apologies. ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2015, 6:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/got-a-cold-or-flu-stay-the-fuck-home/709243/4 "2015-01-07T18:35:22Z")
Must be nice to have that option-I have five days off per year, total. ---
**Author:** ![curlcoat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ea5d25/32.png) [@curlcoat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/curlcoat)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2015, 6:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/got-a-cold-or-flu-stay-the-fuck-home/709243/5 "2015-01-07T18:39:56Z")
And even if you can afford to take a day off without pay, if you take too many you are likely to lose your job. Seems like once a person is showing symptoms, they are well into or past the infectious stage anyway, aren’t they? ---
**Author:** ![Poysyn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/f4b2a3/32.png) [@Poysyn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Poysyn)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2015, 6:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/got-a-cold-or-flu-stay-the-fuck-home/709243/6 "2015-01-07T18:50:15Z")
I am home now with a cold (apparently it started off with the Flu, and then I caught an opportunistic cold). My three weeks of Christmas leave ended Tuesday, so I was painfully aware of the optics of calling in sick on the tail end of a long break, but there was no way I was coming in and leaving a giant virus bomb for everyone at work. My supervisor was completely supportive. ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2015, 6:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/got-a-cold-or-flu-stay-the-fuck-home/709243/7 "2015-01-07T18:59:32Z")
> [@Broomstick](#): > > I don’t get paid sick days. If I call in sick I don’t get paid. Unfortunately, my bills never take a sick day. Are you willing to cover my rent when I come up short from staying home? > > When I had sick days I used to use them to stay home when sick. Unfortunately, for too many of us that’s a luxury we don’t have. > > . Sure. So then your co-workers dont have sick days either. And maybe many of your customers. Why are _your_ bills so much more valuable than theirs? And, you know, every year about 3,000 to a high of about 49,000 people die from the flu- because you and you ilk are selfish and cant stay home for a couple days. For those thousands- \*living \*became a luxury they no longer had. Nice work! ---
**Author:** ![Av8trix](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/90db22/32.png) [@Av8trix](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Av8trix)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2015, 7:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/got-a-cold-or-flu-stay-the-fuck-home/709243/8 "2015-01-07T19:03:02Z")
I handle and am responsible for operating multi million dollar machines safely 100% of the time every day that I’m at work. Yet my employer has a punitive sick call policy. Call in sick and it’s a demerit on your record. It’s an asinine policy, and I can’t count the number of times a co-worker has shown up snarking up snot, sneezing, and otherwise spreading the crud. And yes, I’ve done it too, because I couldn’t have another sick call demerit until last year’s sick call dropped off my record. ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2015, 7:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/got-a-cold-or-flu-stay-the-fuck-home/709243/9 "2015-01-07T19:03:35Z")
> [@curlcoat](#): > > And even if you can afford to take a day off without pay, if you take too many you are likely to lose your job. > > Seems like once a person is showing symptoms, they are well into or past the infectious stage anyway, aren’t they? Yeah- and those who lose their life- _sucks to be them, right?_ [http://www.cdc.gov/flu/about/disease/spread.htm](http://www.cdc.gov/flu/about/disease/spread.htm) \*To avoid this, people should stay away from sick people and stay home if sick. …Most healthy adults may be able to infect other people beginning 1 day before symptoms develop and up to 5 to 7 days after becoming sick… Symptoms start 1 to 4 days after the virus enters the body. That means that you may be able to pass on the flu to someone else before you know you are sick, as well as while you are sick. \* So yeah for one day you are infectious and dont know it, and for five days you know full well you’re sick and can spread it. ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2015, 7:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/got-a-cold-or-flu-stay-the-fuck-home/709243/10 "2015-01-07T19:06:17Z")
> [@Av8trix](#): > > I handle and am responsible for operating multi million dollar machines safely 100% of the time every day that I’m at work. Yet my employer has a punitive sick call policy. Call in sick and it’s a demerit on your record. It’s an asinine policy, and I can’t count the number of times a co-worker has shown up snarking up snot, sneezing, and otherwise spreading the crud. And yes, I’ve done it too, because I couldn’t have another sick call demerit until last year’s sick call dropped off my record. Not an excuse. by coming to work, now you have made many of your co-workers now get sick and perhaps have demerits. Or take it home to their family, and now gramps is dead. Nice. But you didnt get that demerit! Win! Your employer is a ass. Get another job. Organize a union. Go on strike. ---
**Author:** ![curlcoat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ea5d25/32.png) [@curlcoat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/curlcoat)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2015, 7:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/got-a-cold-or-flu-stay-the-fuck-home/709243/11 "2015-01-07T19:06:23Z")
> [@DrDeth](#): > > Sure. So then your co-workers dont have sick days either. And maybe many of your customers. Why are _your_ bills so much more valuable than theirs? And, you know, every year about 3,000 to a high of about 49,000 people die from the flu- because you and you ilk are selfish and cant stay home for a couple days. > > For those thousands- \*living \*became a luxury they no longer had. > > Nice work! Are you serious or is this a whoosh? You do know that anyone that is so weak that the flu would kill them is not likely to be working with **Broomstick**? Her bills are more valuable to _her_ - she is not responsible for anyone else. Including you. ---
**Author:** ![Av8trix](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/90db22/32.png) [@Av8trix](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Av8trix)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2015, 7:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/got-a-cold-or-flu-stay-the-fuck-home/709243/12 "2015-01-07T19:07:26Z")
I think really, the ire here ought to be directed at the employers, who, through either not offering sick time, or actively discouraging it through disciplinary means, are who are really responsible for the culture of dragging one’s sick butt in to work if you’re not actively on your death bed. ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2015, 7:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/got-a-cold-or-flu-stay-the-fuck-home/709243/13 "2015-01-07T19:08:38Z")
> [@curlcoat](#): > > Are you serious or is this a whoosh? You do know that anyone that is so weak that the flu would kill them is not likely to be working with **Broomstick**? > > Her bills are more valuable to _her_ - she is not responsible for anyone else. Including you. Yeah, cause none of them have family at home who they could bring the flu home to. It’s just plain selfish to come to work with a known infectious disease. By doing so you are a asshole of the first degree. ---
**Author:** ![Great\_Antibob](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e47c2d/32.png) [@Great\_Antibob](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Great_Antibob)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2015, 7:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/got-a-cold-or-flu-stay-the-fuck-home/709243/14 "2015-01-07T19:10:15Z")
> [@DrDeth](#): > > Yeah- and those who lose their life- _sucks to be them, right?_ WTF? Hyperbolic much? Put the blame where it should go - employers should give paid sick time. Then, blame employees for not taking it when it’s available. ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2015, 7:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/got-a-cold-or-flu-stay-the-fuck-home/709243/15 "2015-01-07T19:15:18Z")
> [@Great\_Antibob](#): > > WTF? Hyperbolic much? > > Put the blame where it should go - employers should give paid sick time. Then, blame employees for not taking it when it’s available. Did you read Anaamika’s post ? “Goddamnit, everyone is coming to work sick. WTF is wrong with people. \*We have an enormous amount of sick days and our boss is super lenient, \*\*plus things haven’t really picked up just yet. STAY THE FUCK HOME.” But honestly, it doesnt matter. You are responsible for your own actions, and if YOU work at a place with crappy sick leave then you’re even more of a asshole for spreading it to your co-workers. - italics mine. ---
**Author:** ![D\_Anconia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/67e7ee/32.png) [@D\_Anconia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/D_Anconia)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2015, 7:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/got-a-cold-or-flu-stay-the-fuck-home/709243/16 "2015-01-07T19:15:56Z")
> [@Great\_Antibob](#): > > Put the blame where it should go - employers should give paid sick time. Why? Employers are not a charity. Why should they pay people who aren’t working? ---
**Author:** ![Frylock](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/ce7236/32.png) [@Frylock](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Frylock)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2015, 7:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/got-a-cold-or-flu-stay-the-fuck-home/709243/17 "2015-01-07T19:16:20Z")
I think there’s some confusion here. If you’re able to come to work, you don’t have the flu. If you have the flu, you are lucky if you can get out of bed. ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2015, 7:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/got-a-cold-or-flu-stay-the-fuck-home/709243/18 "2015-01-07T19:17:32Z")
> [@Frylock](#): > > I think there’s some confusion here. If you’re able to come to work, you don’t have the flu. If you have the flu, you are lucky if you can get out of bed. Demonstrably false. ---
**Author:** ![Frylock](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/ce7236/32.png) [@Frylock](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Frylock)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2015, 7:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/got-a-cold-or-flu-stay-the-fuck-home/709243/19 "2015-01-07T19:19:46Z")
> [@D\_Anconia](#): > > Why? Employers are not a charity. Why should they pay people who aren’t working? Agreed. It’s the government that should be giving paid sick time. ---
**Author:** ![MandaJo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ac91a4/32.png) [@MandaJo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MandaJo)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2015, 7:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/got-a-cold-or-flu-stay-the-fuck-home/709243/20 "2015-01-07T19:21:35Z")
So yeah. I’m in a school. I don’t think there is anything I can do or not do to meaningfully effect the viral load up here. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/got-a-cold-or-flu-stay-the-fuck-home/709243.md?page=2)