If you're THAT sick, don't come to work!

The BBQ Pit
#1

There is a woman in the office across from me who has been loudly and squishlily coughing up her lungs for the last 4 hours. It is disgusting to hear (to the point that I am getting nauseous with all the chunks I can hear coming up) not to mention loud and distracting and happening literally about once every minute.

Ok, before I get any farther, I just want to say, “Screw all y’all who want to come in here and piss and moan that sometimes people just HAVE to come to work, even if they’re deathly ill!”

I know that. I know people have kids and other crap besides being sick that they need to save their sick time for. I understand. However, that does not change the fact that this woman is way too sick to work and should be at the doctor, if not the hospital. It does not change the fact that she is being disgusting and distracting to the five of us that sit across from her. Not to mention, she is over 60 and does not have any little chilluns she needs to be saving her sick time for, so I really do not see the reason why she felt she had to be here. She is not doing a job that could not be covered easily in the event she did have to take a day off. So really, I don’t want to hear it–maybe she does need to save up her sick time for something, but I think in this case, she needed to suck it up and actually USE her sick time, even for one day. This is pretty extreme–we’re not talking sniffles and a little throat clearing now and then. I am not trying to be insensitive to people who need to save the sick time, but COME ON! How about a little sensitivity for those of us who don’t want to catch what you have or hear you coughing up phlegm all day?

I mean, seriously… she is coughing so badly that at one point someone came in and asked if they needed to call 911 for her. This woman cannot stop hacking long enough to breathe! Why is she here?! It’s honestly making me sick hearing it and making me worried about touching something she has touched since she has not washed her hands all morning. Yuck. Neither of us has a door we can close so that’s not an option. The only option is for one of us to go home or for me to sit here and listen to it, which I tell ya, is not making me happy. Grr.

#2

I sat 3 feet away from a woman like this on an hour-long busride once. About 20-minutes in, she stopped coughing long enough to puke all over herself and the floor.

Fortunately, the bus was filled with strong-stomached people that day.

So, take comfort in the fact that it could be worse. You could have been the woman sitting in the seat next to that bitch…I think she might’ve caught a little splatter. But I’ll never know for sure.

#3

It might also be a situation where she can’t afford to use any more sick time without facing employment consequences. If she has called in sick a lot in the past, she may not have the option of taking the day off and keeping her job; Dr. 's visit or not. Sucky position to be in, but it happens.

#4

Oh boy!

Just a few weeks ago, I got my ass handed to me here after I admitted to calling in sick when I had my period and could barely stand up. One poster boasted that she came to work and simply went and vomitted in the bathroom, and worked with a fever.

:rolleyes:

#5

I’ll bet they don’t work at Kmart. :stuck_out_tongue:

(Not an employee myself, but I’ve certainly heard the experience described. I’d be staying home, too.)

#6

But there’s a difference–menstrual cramps and symptoms are all in your imagination. :rolleyes:

BTW–I thought people were supposed to use their sick time for when they were sick–not “save” it up.

#7

Dijon, if that was the case, I’d be more understanding. But she has been here every day for at least the last six months, so I know she is not facing reprimand. Plus, my company is really good about time off–they will let us take unpaid time if we want to and not have any trouble.

I’m with Guin and Green Bean on this one…call in sick when you don’t feel well. Call in sick ESPECIALLY when you’re vomiting, have a fever, are coughing up a lung continuously, etc. You’re not supposed to “save” your sick time for vacation or something. At my company, they don’t let you use sick time with advance notice (at my last job you could tell our boss “I’m going to be ‘sick’ on Friday” so that he knew you would be gone and could plan for it but you wouldn’t get dinged on vacation. No dice here. Must call in that morning to use your sick time) so I don’t know what this woman’s problem is.

Not to mention, she is back again today and still at death’s door. Among other things, she is our switchboard operator (doesn’t deal with the public, just other employees) and I can’t imagine how she is answering the phone when she can’t speak for all the coughing!

#8

I’ve been the one to do this plenty of times…flu, cold, whatever…because when I called in sick, I was told, “medicate and come in.”

#9

I work at a restaurant - won’t say the name for obvious reasons. Several of the employees are living day-to-day based on their tips. Some have several young children, are on welfare, etc.

One of these such women would not take a day off for anything. When other people - usually teenagers who only work here for extra spending money - call out, she smugly replies that she never calls out no matter what. It has gotten so bad that she will come in to work, throw up, get the runs, etc, in the bathroom, wash her hands and continue working. My boss will not make her go home. He is even hesitant to send someone home who is sick and wants to go home. A waitress can be coughing and sneezing all over the restaurant and he will not let her leave.

All this is going on in a restaurant where cleanliness is vital.

#10

Maybe she lives alone, and was afraid of hacking herself to death. At least if she’s at work, someone can call 911 when she passes out from lack of oxygnen and hits her head on the desk as she goes down.

Just saying…

#11

Hey DoperChic, I wish you would tell us the name of that restaurant–so that I could avoid it like the plague! Sounds likely that I could catch it there!!!

I know how irritating it is to have someone show up sick like that. Where I go to church, there’s a woman there who boasts that she goes to work no matter what–and the same thing applies to church. That is what really gets my goat, because I have three children–one is an infant of 4 weeks age that I have only recently started taking out in public at all–and I definitely do NOT appreciate a person who thoughtlessly exposes them to whatever crud she’s got, just so she can score brownie points with God. That sure ain’t loving thy neighbor!

Listen, sick people!! We are not impressed with your fortitude! Yes, I realize that some are generally unable to miss work for various reasons, but it isn’t only you involved! Not only is it gross to hear your wet coughing and/or puking and/or diarrhea, but you put the rest of us at risk for catching your vile illness, as well! And then we take it home to our families so that they can share it too! And companies who force you to come in sick should remember that they are undermining productivity by encouraging an officewide epidemic!!