My coworker is deathly ill and coughing everywhere

[wheresmybacon]

A coworker of mine sits about 15 feet away in another cube. He's had a cough for about a week that sounds like pneumonia or emphysema. Or maybe TB. Who knows maybe it's all three. I'm not sure what his deal is but the guy is obviously extremely sick. He coughs or clears his throat loudly several times a minute, and he can't really breath or talk without making a deep wheezing/hissing sound. I've had some awful coughs but I've never heard anything like this.

So now he's still here "toughing it out", gargling phlem and making strange sounds, while the project manager next to him is at home with a newly aquired (read: identical) illness. My lead tech was sick through the weekend with whatever this is and just now he's just back in the office today. Somehow I've managed to escape infection thus far, but who knows if it'll stay that way.

I just wanted to take this opportunity to send out a big fvck you to all the people - mostly him - who come in to work deathly ill and infect anyone and everyone around them. I'm all for towing the company line but this is ridiculous. TAKE A MOTHER#@$&ING day off you selfish sh!t. I don't know exactly what it is you do but I'm pretty sure it can wait a couple days until you don't sound like you're dying.

Yesterday I was considering asking our building manager to send him home, but I think he's a contractor I don't know if she has any pull with him or what.

Should I get the manager to talk to him and/or send him home?

CLIFFS:
1) Coworker extremely sick and won't take a day off.
2) Others are now getting sick.
3) Should I have the manager talk to him/send him home?

UPDATE:

Don't I feel like an ass.

My boss followed up just now, relaying information due to multiple complaints about the coughing coworker. His boss informed us that he went to the doctor last night due to a massive allergy flare-up. He wanted to assure us that this person isn't contagious, but he'll send him home if he's that disruptive again.

My apologies for trying to flex my medical skills when I have none. I'll leave it to the pros from now on.

 

[Lola]

Boy i feel for you.
That is my BIG work-pet peeve. If you are sick, stay home and don't spread germs. :|

and yes, i would call a manager and send his sick-bum home... then spray your work space with Lysol.

 

[uhohs]

punch him in the face until he stops coughing

 

[Vic]

Ugh... plague carriers in a cube environment are the absolute worst. Take a freakin' sick day FFS! You'll get better quicker, be more productive overall, and you won't infect the whole damn office.

 

[Spoooon]

What's your work place's policy regarding sick days and stuff? I know that, at some of the places I've worked, you're better off coming in even if others get sick.

Where I am now, I need to accrue a minimum number of billable hours per month and sick days are not taken into account. Unless you had bird flu or ebola or something.

 

[kranky]

Yet how many times I've read posts on ATOT where people say never take a sick day when you're sick - you take them when you want a free day off.

 

[Goosemaster]

Originally posted by: uhohs
punch him in the face until he stops coughing

Make sure to use disinfectant on your hands when you are done...

oh, and burn your clothes....


...in the same car that you burn the body...

 

[wheresmybacon]

Originally posted by: Spoooon
What's your work place's policy regarding sick days and stuff? I know that, at some of the places I've worked, you're better off coming in even if others get sick.

Where I am now, I need to accrue a minimum number of billable hours per month and sick days are not taken into account. Unless you had bird flu or ebola or something.

Well see that's the thing. Since he's a contractor and I'm an FTE I don't have a clue what his sick day policy is. I know he works a ton of hours so I wouldn't be surprised if financially he really is better off coming in to work. And that totally sucks for us.

:|

 

[AgaBoogaBoo]

Originally posted by: Spoooon
What's your work place's policy regarding sick days and stuff? I know that, at some of the places I've worked, you're better off coming in even if others get sick.

Where I am now, I need to accrue a minimum number of billable hours per month and sick days are not taken into account. Unless you had bird flu or ebola or something.

Yeah, check on the policy, and if you need to, tell someone who can talk to him about this.

Edit: Just saw you replied... anyone you can talk to like whoever is in charge of him?

 

[broon]

He probably doesn't get paid if he doesn't work. Why are you working there if you are a doctor?

 

[sao123]

Originally posted by: hungfarover
A coworker of mine sits about 15 feet away in another cube. He's had a cough for about a week that sounds like pneumonia or emphysema. Or maybe TB. Who knows maybe it's all three. I'm not sure what his deal is but the guy is obviously extremely sick. He coughs or clears his throat loudly several times a minute, and he can't really breath or talk without making a deep wheezing/hissing sound. I've had some awful coughs but I've never heard anything like this.

So now he's still here "toughing it out", gargling phlem and making strange sounds, while the project manager next to him is at home with a newly aquired (read: identical) illness. My lead tech was sick through the weekend with whatever this is and just now he's just back in the office today. Somehow I've managed to escape infection thus far, but who knows if it'll stay that way.

I just wanted to take this opportunity to send out a big fvck you to all the people - mostly him - who come in to work deathly ill and infect anyone and everyone around them. I'm all for towing the company line but this is ridiculous. TAKE A MOTHER#@$&ING day off you selfish sh!t. I don't know exactly what it is you do but I'm pretty sure it can wait a couple days until you don't sound like you're dying.

Yesterday I was considering asking our building manager to send him home, but I think he's a contractor I don't know if she has any pull with him or what.

Should I get the manager to talk to him and/or send him home?

CLIFFS:
1) Coworker extremely sick and won't take a day off.
2) Others are now getting sick.
3) Should I have the manager talk to him/send him home?

think about it... if the company really wanted their sick people to stay home... they'd give them paid sick leave.
you cant tell people to stay home... its unproductive.

 

[Goosemaster]

Originally posted by: hungfarover

Originally posted by: Spoooon
What's your work place's policy regarding sick days and stuff? I know that, at some of the places I've worked, you're better off coming in even if others get sick.

Where I am now, I need to accrue a minimum number of billable hours per month and sick days are not taken into account. Unless you had bird flu or ebola or something.

Well see that's the thing. Since he's a contractor and I'm an FTE I don't have a clue what his sick day policy is. I know he works a ton of hours so I wouldn't be surprised if financially he really is better off coming in to work. And that totally sucks for us.

:|

can't you bitch to management about the potential problems they are creating? maybe get the day off or something? or at least force her to go home?

 

[spidey07]

I'd report him to HR and have them send him home. Or just have a talk with his boss saying he needs to not be in the office.

 

[moshquerade]

Unfortunately, I have to deal with people coughing in my face all the time. Heaven forbid they miss an appt and have to be rescheduled.
At least I get to wear a mask.

 

[Goosemaster]

Originally posted by: sao123

Originally posted by: hungfarover
A coworker of mine sits about 15 feet away in another cube. He's had a cough for about a week that sounds like pneumonia or emphysema. Or maybe TB. Who knows maybe it's all three. I'm not sure what his deal is but the guy is obviously extremely sick. He coughs or clears his throat loudly several times a minute, and he can't really breath or talk without making a deep wheezing/hissing sound. I've had some awful coughs but I've never heard anything like this.

So now he's still here "toughing it out", gargling phlem and making strange sounds, while the project manager next to him is at home with a newly aquired (read: identical) illness. My lead tech was sick through the weekend with whatever this is and just now he's just back in the office today. Somehow I've managed to escape infection thus far, but who knows if it'll stay that way.

I just wanted to take this opportunity to send out a big fvck you to all the people - mostly him - who come in to work deathly ill and infect anyone and everyone around them. I'm all for towing the company line but this is ridiculous. TAKE A MOTHER#@$&ING day off you selfish sh!t. I don't know exactly what it is you do but I'm pretty sure it can wait a couple days until you don't sound like you're dying.

Yesterday I was considering asking our building manager to send him home, but I think he's a contractor I don't know if she has any pull with him or what.

Should I get the manager to talk to him and/or send him home?

CLIFFS:
1) Coworker extremely sick and won't take a day off.
2) Others are now getting sick.
3) Should I have the manager talk to him/send him home?

think about it... if the company really wanted their sick people to stay home... they'd give them paid sick leave.
you cant tell people to stay home... its unproductive.

when the project manager is out however, all the kids start throwing rocks at the windows and looking up womens dresses...


*taps his nose as if it means something*

 

[wheresmybacon]

Originally posted by: LolaWiz
Boy i feel for you.
That is my BIG work-pet peeve. If you are sick, stay home and don't spread germs. :|

and yes, i would call a manager and send his sick-bum home... then spray your work space with Lysol.

I'm going to find out who his manager is. They have the techs (me, us) sitting near the devs (him) and I'm not even sure if he really has a boss. He's just a "hired gun".

*sigh*

 

[dabuddha]

I have a moronic coworker like that. His excuse is he doesn't want to waste his sick leave on being out sick :roll:
I always end up catching whatever the @#$@# he's sick with. Next time this happens, I'm gonna complain to management. They won't do anything of course since I'm not part of the good ole boys club but at least it'll be on record somewhere.

 

[Superrock]

It's probably not TB. TB is pretty rare in the US and he'd be coughing blood if it was.

 

[moshquerade]

Originally posted by: Superrock
It's probably not TB. TB is pretty rare in the US and he'd be coughing blood if it was.

could be whooping cough. cases are on the rise.

 

[wheresmybacon]

Alright I just called and emailed my manager. He'll know who Coughy Von Coughbaron's boss is. Will update when I hear back.

 

[child of wonder]

Your employer might be more lenient but I once worked for a company and had pneumonia. I got a Dr.'s note saying that I needed to stay home and rest.

My boss didn't care. I was a bad employee for staying home per the Dr.'s instructions and I was put on written warning for missing time from work (my second time home sick in a 3 month span -- the first time I also had a Dr.'s note).

Some places don't care how sick you are, they just want your butt in your chair.

 

[MagnusTheBrewer]

You work in a cubicle. It's your duty to get sick and have your fur fall out. If you don't, you'll be declared an outlier and be injected with cancer causing compounds.

 

[NuclearNed]

Originally posted by: Vic
Ugh... plague carriers in a cube environment are the absolute worst. Take a freakin' sick day FFS! You'll get better quicker, be more productive overall, and you won't infect the whole damn office.

No, the absolute worst is when said plague carriers go to the gym in spite of feeling like crap.

 

[markgm]

Heh, I used to laugh about this when I was a contractor. I would come into work no matter what, since I wouldn't get paid otherwise. To make things even more fun, the company gave flu shots out to regular employees, but wouldn't let contractors get them. Kind of backwards if you ask me! Don't blame him, blame the company policy.

 

[AgaBoogaBoo]

Originally posted by: child of wonder
Your employer might be more lenient but I once worked for a company and had pneumonia. I got a Dr.'s note saying that I needed to stay home and rest.

My boss didn't care. I was a bad employee for staying home per the Dr.'s instructions and I was put on written warning for missing time from work (my second time home sick in a 3 month span -- the first time I also had a Dr.'s note).

Some places don't care how sick you are, they just want your butt in your chair.

That really, utterly, sucks. I'm amazed at what some people have to put up with...

Once Eli gets online, I'll ask him to give me a list of a few things again. If you feel you're coming down with something, or think you just want to be on the safe side, there are things you can do to boost your immune system naturally. The first one off the top of my head is taking vitamin C tablets, toss one in the morning in your mouth, and one more before you sleep.

Why did your boss do this though? Did you ever ask about it when leaving?