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Irresponsible coworkers who come in sick at work

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shuri

Banned
Earlier this week, my coworker didnt show up for work on monday and tuesday. Turns out he had caugh gastric flu and had spent the entire weekend puking his guts out / shitting liquid non-stop. When he showed up to work, he kept telling us that everything was fine, he was clean and everything was back to normal.

Since I work in IT, we sometimes happen to share between each other screwdrivers, dvds, etc etc. Thursday afternoon, right after lunch, I start feeling really weird -- I was feeling super weak, weak like i've never felt before. I could barely stand up for long period of times without losing balance (people joked that I was drunk at work), I could barely concentrate. He happens to walk by my office and he sees that i'm obviously messed up -- I start telling him whats wrong with me, and he goes..

"Yeah, i'm still getting the same symptoms, still shitting liquid, so you got that from me" like he was proud of something. What a dumbfuck! I was like WTFFFF FUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUU Dude come on!

So far, i've had a non-stop headache, non stop puking (this has calmed down, thankfully), extreme fever, and the typical liquid shit extravaganza. All this mixed together has the wonderful side effect of being unable to sleep at all. I may have slept like 5 hours total in the past 2 days. What's worse is that me and my girlfriend had planned our valentines day thing for this weekend because of work schedule difference. We had planned something really special, and we were incredibly hyped about it, and now our plans are cancelled and we even had to take a hit on the reservation fee for the hotel.

Fucking guy at work, I CAN'T BELIEVE THIS. I probably wont show up on Monday because I might not be fully healed and I dont want to be at work and risk infecting other people. This fucking moron shows up while still having symptoms and probably ended up infecting more people.

He also infected the girl that has his office next to him, they are always hanging out and she didnt show up on thurs and friday.. No wonder!
 

RedStep

Member
Deal with it. Everybody gets sick from somebody, and there's no real way to tell if you're contagious or not. You'll probably unknowingly infect someone else in kind (the mailman, the lady at the gas station, etc).
 

Koodo

Banned
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I had to go to work sick.

Not because I didn't have a surplus of vacation time, but because my department is f*cking severely understaffed; read: If I miss work, there goes 33% of the IT support. In this case we're a man down, so 50% of the IT support staff. >:O

It's bullsh*t, but that's this modern economy. >:|

And I'm still sick thanks to crappy weather and stress from work.
 

Big-E

Member
Blame the work culture where it is not ok now for people to take sick days. Until you have management types who are cool with their workers taking days off for sickness, you will get people coming into work because they are scared that not showing up will make them look bad. Sick days shouldn't be looked down upon but they sadly are.
 

Guevara

Member
Big-E said:
Blame the work culture where it is not ok now for people to take sick days. Until you have management types who are cool with their workers taking days off for sickness, you will get people coming into work because they are scared that not showing up will make them look bad. Sick days shouldn't be looked down upon but they sadly are.
Pretty much this. Some places have formal sick day policies, but the informal policy is don't take days unless you're dying.
 
The last month has been co-workers coughing, sneezing, wheezing, sniffling, and fucking gulping snot all day long at work. It's fucking sick.

People will show up for work totally sick because if they don't they look lazy. Everyone wants to give the impression of over-achieving, even if they come to work sick and unproductive while they infest the entire office.
 
several co-workers were struck with gastroenteritis; i luckily did not get it...

but way too many contracted the virus and it sucks so bad it had to happen
 
Big-E said:
Blame the work culture where it is not ok now for people to take sick days. Until you have management types who are cool with their workers taking days off for sickness, you will get people coming into work because they are scared that not showing up will make them look bad. Sick days shouldn't be looked down upon but they sadly are.
this..100% this

even in companies like the where I currently work, you get sick time..but using said sick time still counts heavily against you

hell I had to leave work in an ambulance right before new years and that counted against me
 

NomarTyme

Member
My boss, classmates, and co workers been getting sick... lucky I haven't caught anything yet. I also go to the gym regularly, so knock on wood.
 
Where I work if you miss more than three days consecutive, you have to fill out like a seven page form to prove you were actually sick. The problem is people view their sick days as defacto vaction days. I say fuck that. In a bigger office you can get away with it. Where I work, it just fucks everything up. I remember one day where half the office called in "sick" and I had to come in because those bastards didn't want to work. I was the only one in the damn office on my day off. Unless you are puking your guts off or have a high fever, suck it up. It's not grade school.
 
I have pneumonia and am working 70 hours a week. I'm a contractor and have very little choice. Don't work, don't make money..
 

Replicant

Member
I think it's because these days employers actually see sick employees as lazy employees, which is annoying. As a result, more and more employees are afraid of taking sick leave, fearing that they'd be seen as irresponsible/lazy. So they'd rather get in to work even though they are sick. I think more employers need to be told that forcing employees to come to work while they are sick is callous and irresponsible to other employees. If anything, they should encourage sick employees to go home and get better.
 

Rad-

Member
I go to work sick because if I miss even 2-3 days, I have to work my ass off when I return. The work piles up so fast.

Of course if I'm so sick that I can't even stand, then I don't really have a choice.
 
My job doesn't have the advantage of sick days, so you don't get one single day where you don't lose money for being sick. It's either go to work and get everyone else sick and contaminate food or stay home and lose money - I can't imagine why they think that the cons of this situation outweigh the pros.
 
Replicant said:
I think it's because these days employers actually see sick employees as lazy employees, which is annoying. As a result, more and more employees are afraid of taking sick leave, fearing that they'd be seen as irresponsible/lazy. So they'd rather get in to work even though they are sick. I think more employers need to be told that forcing employees to come to work while they are sick is callous and irresponsible to other employees. If anything, they should encourage sick employees to go home and get better.

Pretty much
 

McLovin

Member
I hate when parents send their sick kid to school. Guess what, everyone on the bus ride to school gets sick, the driver gets sick, the kids in the classroom and the teacher might get sick. All because you're too lazy to stay home and take care of your kid.
 
OP don't be stupid. He was probably contagious well before symptoms showed up. You were going to get sick no matter if that guy showed back up to work or not.
 

CrankyJay

Banned
McLovin said:
I hate when parents send their sick kid to school. Guess what, everyone on the bus ride to school gets sick, the driver gets sick, the kids in the classroom and the teacher might get sick. All because you're too lazy to stay home and take care of your kid.

Yes, some are lazy. But if what people in this thread are saying is true, taking off because you're sick or your child is sick it gets used against you.

Thankfully I'm a programmer and if I'm not feeling well I can just remote into my computer and work from home.
 

Deku

Banned
funkmasterb said:
I have pneumonia and am working 70 hours a week. I'm a contractor and have very little choice. Don't work, don't make money..

Sure you do. life or death.


I have the opposite problem actually. Dicks who call in sick repeatedly but can't be fired for various political reasons within the company.
 

Diablos

Member
I'm sure people would miss more work due to illness if calling off seemed like a viable option. Fact is, most employers frown upon it and employees don't want to do it since it makes them look bad. It's pretty depressing that society has come to this.

I was sick for a week (well more like 10-12 days) and still showed up every day, despite having dizzy spells, weakness, my nose constantly draining, a sore throat, voice totally messed up, etc.
 
More like irresponsible management and employer attendance rules.

I work in retail, and if I miss a day because I'm sick it will count against me. If I miss more than two or three I'll be damn close to being terminated.

Edit: again I want to stress.

Retail. Meaning I'm touching stuff all day. not sanitary. People come in sick as hell all he time. We don't have much choice.
 

Javaman

Member
A lady at work had something similar and I had to take her to the emergency room afterhours since she got lightheaded and fell in the bathroom which busted her lip pretty severely.
 
smurfx said:
its not like you can just miss as many days as you want to get over being sick.

First reply and subsequent replies have hit it on the nose. People aren't given enough slack when they're sick, so they come into work (or school).
 
It's such a stupid concept and train of thought. Employees coming in sick threatens the efficiency and effectiveness of a work place, not vice versa. No mater how you cut it, if half your staff are working sick due to an infection, your productivity GOES DOWN, probably more so than if the sob who was originally sick takes over a week off to heal up.

This also how infectious diseases and epidemics spread, people refusing to stay home and avoiding infecting everyone else.
 
How does Europe deal with sick days? Don't you Europeans get a lot of vacation/sick time?

BTW, lots of posters here hitting it on the spot. Seriously, it's like if you don't go into work, even deathly ill, you're not achieving to be the best you can. If you're sick, STAY HOME... for your sake and others.
 

womp

Member
Invest in Lysol wipes, wipe everything down every morning, including pens and staplers. Do not touch your face and wash your hands once an hour.

I work in a computer room at a hospital, haven't been sick in months and even then a minor head cold. People are disgusting and shockingly don't even wash their hands after shitting (And since all this guy has done is shit and puke, your chances increased 10 fold). Intestinal illness can be from ingesting his poop from biting your nails etc simply because he used your stuff or shook his hand.

Once again, buy anti-bacterial wipes and clean like a bastard EVERY start of your shift.
 

NekoFever

Member
Darkmakaimura said:
How does Europe deal with sick days? Don't you Europeans get a lot of vacation/sick time?

BTW, lots of posters here hitting it on the spot. Seriously, it's like if you don't go into work, even deathly ill, you're not achieving to be the best you can. If you're sick, STAY HOME... for your sake and others.
Here in the UK, you can take sick days whenever you need them, but if it's more than a certain number of days you need verification from a doctor. If it's more than a week or so the company has the right to only pay you a certain statutory sick pay level, but as long as you're not taking them fraudulently you can't be fired for being sick.
 
smurfx said:
its not like you can just miss as many days as you want to get over being sick.
exactly... if your job involves deadlines and project ownership, then you can't afford to take long unplanned "vacations" unless its absolutely dire circumstances.
 
CrankyJay said:
How exactly did it count against you?
occurrence based system, got an occurrence because I missed more then half my shift

5 Occurrences = termination, anything above 3 and you can pretty much forget advancing or getting your yearly raise
 
I manage a software development department, and I always tell my employees that if they even have the slightest symptoms of any sickness they should work from home (which is possible in my department). This way everyone involved stays much more productive than if that person would come in.
 

Diablos

Member
HenryGale said:
More like irresponsible management and employer attendance rules.

I work in retail, and if I miss a day because I'm sick it will count against me. If I miss more than two or three I'll be damn close to being terminated.

Edit: again I want to stress.

Retail. Meaning I'm touching stuff all day. not sanitary. People come in sick as hell all he time. We don't have much choice.
You should have a choice though.

Really, at the rate we're going, fucking China is going to be teaching us how to treat people in the workplace in another 30 or 40 years. Maybe sooner.
 

CrankyJay

Banned
GodfatherX said:
occurrence based system, got an occurrence because I missed more then half my shift

5 Occurrences = termination, anything above 3 and you can pretty much forget advancing or getting your yearly raise

5 occurrences over the course or the year, or during your entire job there?
 

BocoDragon

or, How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Realize This Assgrab is Delicious
Aegus said:
America, where the common working person is treated like it's 541AD.*

I bet America is one of the easier places to call in sick actually.

My Korean buddy was telling me the other day that in his Seoul high school, he won an award for 5 years in a row of no missed class. That should not be an award!
 

Meadows

Banned
Jesus Christ.

I don't want to offend Americans but it seems like your system needs changing! If people are working 70 hour weeks (which is ridiculous anyway, you could reduce unemployment by working a normal 40 hour week and employing someone to do the 30 hours on flexi-time!) with flu then something is wrong.

Here in the UK we're encouraged not to come in if we're ill. You aren't gonna be working to full productivity if you're ill and you'll be reducing everyone elses by getting them ill as well. You yanks are working too hard!

P.S. I'm working on Valentine's day, while my single colleagues have a day off. Shit should be illegal.
 

Diablos

Member
Meadows said:
Jesus Christ.

I don't want to offend Americans but it seems like your system needs changing! If people are working 70 hour weeks (which is ridiculous anyway, you could reduce unemployment by working a normal 40 hour week and employing someone to do the 30 hours on flexi-time!) with flu then something is wrong.

Here in the UK we're encouraged not to come in if we're ill. You aren't gonna be working to full productivity if you're ill and you'll be reducing everyone elses by getting them ill as well. You yanks are working too hard!
We're already offended and well beyond disgusted. No need to worry. It really doesn't matter if you make $8 an hour or $60,000 a year. Most Americans are treated like dirty plebs in the workplace these days unless you are on the most ideal of career paths.
 
I work with kids so I'm always getting sick December-March. Had a puking spell back in December after a bunch of kids had gotten a virus. Only lasted Friday-Saturday night but I was still worried I would pass it to my wife, who is pregnant.
 

Dellrizla

Member
I work in a care home, so people turning up for work with a cold/flu or vomiting and diarrhoea is a big (And obvious) no-no for the entire industry. People still do though, so you have infected staff infecting residents infecting staff infecting residents infecting staff and so on. It's a closed environment essentially, so what goes around, comes around.
 
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