Workplace How to deal with a coworker who's ALWAYS sick?

#46
i can understand where OP is coming from.
i also have a coworker who is always sick...she is also a smoker.
we don't sit close to each other...we sit for like 30-40 feet away...my god..she would always cough. like an old man, you can actually hear the mucus in her throat. it really gross me out and annoys me so much. i cannot think any way to let her know this is so disgusting. my memories of her coughing were in summer/winter/spring/fall....anytime. i didn't keep tap but she always manage to refresh my memory when it fades. :s
 
#48
jburgh said:
I am dismayed by the lack of compassion here. People take good health for granted.

There are two things going on. One is the spreading of germs, and that is indeed troublesome, she should be taking better precautions so bacteria and viruses are not spread. This is something that HR should address for the health of all workers. You should speak with HR. Even at the dinky little place I work, there are Purell dispenser stations.

The other is the person who is sick. How do you know her problem is contagious? Maybe she has COPD, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. This is very expensive to manage. Or she may have a chronic autoimmune disease that weakens her system. Has anyone spoken with her? Is anyone concerned? Her life must be total hell, being sick all the time. Can she afford medical treatment?

You said "I don't understand how it's possible for someone to get sick so often and unfortunately it's really hard to feel sorry for someone when they are always like this." Perhaps you should take the first step and show some compassion and understanding. There is always more than one side to a story.
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Well said...also most companies only allow x amount of paid sick days and i'm sure this woman like everyone else has bills to pay.
 
#49
TrainPapercut said:
From my personal experience, I think you did the wrong thing and it's going to backfire. I think you are very naive thinking that your company is going to act against a sick person.

Effectively, you have trouble being compassionate towards her because she is sick. You complained about her hygiene because she is sick. You don't like that she touched paperwork because she is sick. See where I am trying to get to? There's a big difference between what we aim to do and what we actually do. I know your intentions were good and you are a good person but if you keep pushing the issue, your actions could be seen as harrassment. As you said, you do not know what went behind closed doors. A HR manager would never single out a sick person like that. Sorry to burst your bubble, but they probably just had a catch-up with her hoping that you'd think something's being done and let it go.

Think of it in reverse: Imagine you have chronic disease. One day you come to the office and the HR manager tells you that you have hygiene problems and people are complaining about you. Would you be OK with that? I know I'd be dialling my lawer's number right there and then.
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interesting spin on things...also now i'm thinking maybe the supervisor knows whats wrong with this woman, and of course can't say anything. I find it very hard to believe that someone could be that sick all the time and management never say a thing.
 
#50
karmenzsofia said:
Who's saying the OP is insensitive? I didn't interpret anything anyone here said about compassion, myself included, as such. What I do see is a lot of people agreeing with the OP that watching someone sneezing and coughing into her hands and not sanitizing them, and spitting phlegm into a trash can would suck BIG time. We're in agreement, and even if we were not, that would be OK too.

IMO, given how the OP described the coworker -- "...always sick. I'm not exaggerating at all...for the past 1.5 years that she's been here, she will get a really bad cold that will last 2-3 weeks, get better for a week or two, get sick again and the cycle repeats itself. I don't understand how it's possible for someone to get sick so often and unfortunately it's really hard to feel sorry for someone when they are always like this." -- I think it's reasonable to expect comments about the coworker's health because it's part of the situation.

:smile:
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this is the part that is uncompassionate imo...its as if someone gets to choose how often they are sick, and we all know this is not the case.
 
#52
^ Fab: I hope you noticed that I was commenting on the statement you highlighted, a statement that someone else--not me--posted.

For my views on the matter, check out my posts #27 and #33.

:smile:
 
#57
I ended up speaking to HR about it and they addressed the issue with her. I can't say it's gotten a lot better since then, since she is still sick and coming into work, but at least she's not coughing and spitting into her trash can anymore. I'm not sure exactly what was said to her during the meeting, but hopefully she's more aware now of her behavior and how it was bothersome to others.

We also got a bunch of hand sanitizer pumps installed in the office and they've been sending out a lot of emails about health and how to prevent yourself from getting sick. Hopefully everyone will make use of those.
 
#60
I am not sick, but I have a chronic cough exacerbated by breathing in a bleach/ammonia mix while cleaning the bathroom a few years ago. Not contageous at all, but certainly irritating. Irritating to experience, irritating to listen to.

I can ASSURE you that no matter HOW irritated you are about it, she is a trillion times MORE irritated.
 
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