Sick in the Office

Soldato
Joined
11 Sep 2009
Posts
13,911
Location
France, Alsace
My headphones have died at work and I'm waiting for them to charge... meanwhile, I have the constant noise of the dude 2 desks over coughing every 10 seconds. Like a lung is coming up.

I don't normally notice it due to the old music in my ears, but without it you realise how grating it is.

There are a couple of people I know who are like germaphobes, who will WFH if they get a slight hint that someone in the office sneezed or coughed, but I'm like not really too arsed about that, if you get sick you get sick I suppose.
Now days though, pressure is to stay at work and show you're working regardless of if you're about to die... so do people think you should WFH (if you have the option to do so) if you're suffering from a cough/ cold/ lurgy?

Where do we draw the line?
 
Soldato
Joined
11 Apr 2006
Posts
7,045
Location
Earth
I never get any work done when I am WFH because I don't have a study or room I can work from comfortably on a desk. I have a nagging wife and hyperactive kid running around also when I WFH so I come to work and spread my germs when I am ill !!
 
Associate
Joined
27 Feb 2011
Posts
454
Location
Essex
For me on Monday, it was, "can you get the Christmas decorations down from the loft?" Errrr no, its November 25th, "I want them down, we're busy at the weekend". I mean, I've done the school run morning and afternoon, helped with dinner, I need to get on with my blooming work.
 
Man of Honour
Joined
26 Dec 2003
Posts
30,838
Location
Shropshire
Yes if the option is there and it's suitable for you to do so. It's more pleasant for everyone and means you're not taking half the team down with you.
 
Soldato
Joined
25 Feb 2003
Posts
2,708
Location
Deep dark hole
Currently off with coughing lungs up myself - will WFH if needed, but as most of my job at the moment involves constant talking/instruction I'm doing the absolute minimum

Normally WFH two half days a week, and find it the most productive for me as I have no work interruptions
 
Soldato
Joined
5 Oct 2009
Posts
13,824
Location
Spalding, Lincs
Our receptionist is currently coughing her guts up. Not going anywhere near. I just sprayed down some keys with flash and washed my hands, I don't want to catch anything, especially with a daughter with a low immune system. It's stupid, there's a guy here with a new born baby too, he doesn't need to be taking that home. I say don't be a hero and stay at home.
 
Soldato
Joined
11 Sep 2013
Posts
12,300
All them with nagging spouses - Have them email their work requests to your line manager, enquiring of him/her whether the tasks can be blended into your workstreams...

I can't WFH as it'd mean lugging a desktop back and forth, and my home internet doesn't go faster than 0.7Mpbs, so the office apps won't even run at such slow speeds!
 
Man of Honour
Joined
30 Oct 2003
Posts
13,229
Location
Essex
I work from home often but am set up specifically to do so as in ipsec, h.323 pass through for calls to my IP phone. Proper desk, office etc. If I'm working from home then the wife knows the rules, they are simple rules, leave me alone until 4/5pm if you also happen to be working from home. WFH should not be an excuse to do nothing, if anything I do a lot more, work longer hours and feel a lot more productive in the home office.
 
Caporegime
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23 Apr 2014
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Dominating rooms with symmetry
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Permabanned
Joined
28 Nov 2003
Posts
10,695
Location
Shropshire
Unless you or someone you live with has serious immunity issues or suchlike exposing yourself to normal colds and flu will boost *your* long term immunity and reduce the need for doctors being asked to dish out antibiotics for the least thing, which humans are now becoming extremely resistant to. I went to school with a lad whose parents were hyper sensitive to his exposing himself to others with normal lurgies, and he had a miserable time, constantly refused access to parties in case he "caught something" and cajoled to scrub down like an ebola worker every five minutes. I doubt he's ever touched soil or handled an animal in his life, last time we met he was bemoaning the state of the pub toilets, and holding his glass to the light to examine it in detail, which to be fair were all scrupulously clean. The healthiest people I know seem to work in the most unhygienic of trades... Proper kids eat worms for a bet and get cold, wet and muddy ;)
 
Soldato
Joined
20 May 2010
Posts
4,256
Location
Englishman in the USA
For me on Monday, it was, "can you get the Christmas decorations down from the loft?" Errrr no, its November 25th, "I want them down, we're busy at the weekend". I mean, I've done the school run morning and afternoon, helped with dinner, I need to get on with my blooming work.
Haha I get this too. I work from home permanently as my office is 1500 miles away and my wife is off one day during the week. I’ve had to explain to her a few times that her days off aren’t my days off.

She does well keeping the kids out of my office when they’re home too otherwise I’d get nothing done.

It used to irritate me when I worked in an office and people would come in when they’re sick. Just stay home and use your sick time, that’s what it’s there for!
 
Associate
Joined
24 Mar 2011
Posts
305
Location
Sherwood Forest
Do what the chinese do and wear a SARs mask. Im lucky in that nobody approaches me, if they do i make a completely random off topic comment, get "that look" followed by "rrrright", and thats one less germ carrier to worry about
 
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