Are you responsible for infecting other people with a cold

[kora]

I have a work colleague who is angry that me and my other colleague are the likely "culprits" of infecting her with the cold that is going round at the moment. She says that if we are sick we should stay home and not take the risk of transmitting it.

Do you think that this is legitimate ?

 

[kora]

I am expectin zero responses for this boring topic but whatever.

 

[Ex-User (14663)]

Your colleague is mistaken, because common colds are transmittable only during the incubation period. I.e. if you notice symptoms, it's no longer transmittable.

 

[Minuend]

If assuming being infectious, it's actually a complex question. It asks whether you should abstain from getting paid so that others get theirs from not getting infected and sick. Which also depends on what type of sick leave policy your country has. If you get sick leave, then maybe it's more moral to not go to work and risk others getting infected. But at the same time, are you going against your integrity as the person who goes to work if you can get through the day? You're also feeding on the sick leave advantage even though you might strictly not need to

It also depends on whether you can afford to abstain from work, and how much you value or need money

Yeah, these might sound like pretty dumb questions/ statements, but if you're looking for consistency of values etc then it becomes a bit tricky.

Etc.

So what has more worth?

 

[Deleted member 1424]

I think you have a pretty strong moral compulsion not to spread illness unnecessarily.

 

[Minuend]

I think you have a pretty strong moral compulsion not to spread illness unnecessarily.

What if it impacts your ability to survive though? What if you're dependent on the money?

 

[lightfire]

Idk I have always been around the complaining coworker types before. I would ignore them.

If you feel sick and just want to take the sick day, you can but it's your call. if I could work through it and have my medicine as needed, I'd do that.

 

[Deleted member 1424]

If you're that dependent on a single's days pay then you have some other serious issue that needs to be addressed. So you need the money? Well what if you work near the elderly or someone who is immuno-compromised? Does that flip the morality meter again? Ultimately you're placing your self and/or kin above everyone else. Personal morals are frequently ignored in times of desperation, but desperation does not justify immoral acts. If you value the health and vitality of the people around you and the species in general, then it's pretty clear imo.

I also think steps should be taken to prevent such desperation, both societal and individual. For example employees shouldn't be required to wreck their health to maintain employment and individuals need to be fiscally responsible.

 

[Cognisant]

I'm glad I live in a non-shithole country.

As far as I know sick leave is common across all Australian industries (except for contractors and casuals) and people are encouraged to take it. Better to have one person sick for a day or two then to have everyone getting sick and potentially sicker than if they'd taken time off to rest.

No sick leave and having to go to work sick just to survive sounds like something out of the grimdark universe of WH40k.

Even as a part timer in retail I had sick leave, I wasn't encouraged to use it but I wasn't discouraged either.

 

[lightfire]

If you're that dependent on a single's days pay then you have some other serious issue that needs to be addressed. So you need the money, well what if you work near the elderly or someone who is immuno-compromised? Does that flip the morality meter again? Ultimately you're placing your self and/or kin above everyone else. Personal morals are frequently ignored in times of desperation, but desperation does not justify immoral acts. If you value the health and vitality of the people around you and the species in general, then it's pretty clear imo.

I also think steps should be taken to prevent such desperation, but societal and individual. For example employees shouldn't be required to wreck their health to maintain employment and individuals need to be fiscally responsible.

I see what you mean actually. I knew of an immunocompromised person who went to work everyday and worked hard, and I looked up to that person and would go to work thinking omg what am I doing complaining of a dumb cold. But yes I do see how it is counter intuitive to go to work sick in that case.

 

[Hadoblado]

I work childcare, and almost never get sick. I'm no superhuman, I just use sanitiser whenever I move around, don't touch my face unless I've just used sanitiser, and don't do anything obviously stupid.

I can't require other people to take responsibility for their sickness, because kids don't understand germ theory.

Also, as Serac says, it's contagious before you know you have it (although iirc it's also contagious after you show symptoms?).

I think in almost every instance of transmission, both the contager and contagee are messing up somewhere down the line. If you take responsibility for your side of things, you should be able to avoid most illness.

 

[Happy]

Wear a mask. Don’t know what it’s like elsewhere, but where I live, nobody thinks you’re a weirdo if you wear one of these, because so many people do it:

 

[onesteptwostep]

In Japan it's social etiquette to stay at home if you have a cold. I think it's bollocks though.

 

[moody]

People like someone to blame. If it never bothered you enough to stay home and you weren’t being gross, you’re fine to me.

 

[Ex-User (14663)]

We have to show consideration for the immunosuppressed and never leave the house, just in case.

Nah, unless you work with a bunch of people with AIDS, there's no moral component to carrying a goddamn cold.

 

[kora]

Wear a mask. Don’t know what it’s like elsewhere, but where I live, nobody thinks you’re a weirdo if you wear one of these, because so many people do it:

Okay. Where I work everyone will absolutely think I'm a weirdo if I do this.

 

[Happy]

Wear a mask. Don’t know what it’s like elsewhere, but where I live, nobody thinks you’re a weirdo if you wear one of these, because so many people do it:

Okay. Where I work everyone will absolutely think I'm a weirdo if I do this.

Just carry a longbow and nobody will even question the mask.

 

[washti]

It depends. Symptoms may unexpectedly increase during work. In the morning you can not have any of them or at most just some hoarseness. in this situation i wouldn't blame.
for reasons of hygiene and image, you should dismiss yourself home

but if you're sniffling and coughing over me as client during damn procedure which already is taking more than half an hour, you should die.

 

[kora]

I mean, I am careful not to touch people, and I do wash my hands. I'm not the worst. But I would never take a day off for a cold. I would consider that beneath me

If it was something more severe like a flu that makes you throw up or whatever then yeah I would take the day off.

I'm hardly ever ill though, probably the only reason I get colds that last more than three days is because I smoke.

 

[Niclmaki]

It’s her own fault for being weak and allowing herself to become ill.

If anything, she should be thanking you for testing her immune system.

...

Hah, nah, there is some nuance here. I wouldn’t recommend spreading any illnesses for the sake of it, but you also shouldn’t expect everyone around you to help you maintain a bubble-boy ultra-clean room world.

You’re looking way too deeply into it though. People just like to place blame on others. It’s fun, you should try it sometime.

 

[kora]

She's constantly complaining, blaming and accusing actually, it's very boring.

 

[Ex-User (14663)]

Is she a baby boomer? I can see baby boomers unironically accuse people of giving them a cold

 

[kora]

Nah she's like 28 I think, just an annoying person really.

 

[Niclmaki]

My brother and mother are both like that. They can do no wrong, and complaining is breathing.

They can give you a logical 33 step process of how something is ACTUALLY that guys fault, and not their own.

Such unpleasent people, really.

 

[lightfire]

 

[Ex-User (14663)]

I think she feels ignored and unappreciated in life. higs, I think you should invite her to your home for dinner.

 

[QuickTwist]

Let's crank this up to 11, shall we?

Let's say you're at a party and this person who is of great interest to you is starting to flirt with you quite a bit. Say you've both been drinking a lot and are pretty sloshed. Now things get hot and heavy and you both end up with each other in bed. Then, 3 months later at your annual physical they do an STD test and you come out positive for something.

Who's fault is it?

 

[Hadoblado]

Theirs, unless you live your day-to-day not knowing whether you've got STIs.

Get that dick check on the reg champ.

 

[washti]

there is no point in pondering guilt. if you get it, you have to deal with it. concentrate on killing std and health recovery. if you like drunk sex, you should be okay with the risk.

what would you do anyway? even if your partner was an AIDS spreader on purpose. if you know it's true and you have evidence, you can sue them. what else?

if you've often had sex in this way, it's more unclear. you can be the one spreading STD. so if you like this type of fun and have some ethical feels towards ppl in general you would check up more often than annual testing and try to be more responsible with drinking and planning against bad outcomes?

 

[Happy]

Let's crank this up to 11, shall we?

Let's say you're at a party and this person who is of great interest to you is starting to flirt with you quite a bit. Say you've both been drinking a lot and are pretty sloshed. Now things get hot and heavy and you both end up with each other in bed. Then, 3 months later at your annual physical they do an STD test and you come out positive for something.

Who's fault is it?

Theirs for not practicing good sexual health.
Yours for not wearing a dinger (practicing safe sex)
And yours for anyone else you give it to.

 

[QuickTwist]

Entertaining responses.

And no, it's not actually a problem I have.

 

[redbaron]

Your colleague is mistaken, because common colds are transmittable only during the incubation period. I.e. if you notice symptoms, it's no longer transmittable.

wrong

 

[redbaron]

wear a flu mask, it's more effective than vaccination and it's good etiquette

the question is though: did this person turn up to work with the flu? because she should have stayed home instead of risking transmitting it to others in the workplace

:^)~

 

[QuickTwist]

Wear a mask. Don’t know what it’s like elsewhere, but where I live, nobody thinks you’re a weirdo if you wear one of these, because so many people do it:

I call Photoshop. Otherwise, why are they wearing codpieces on their face?

 

[The Gopher]

If you're that dependent on a single's days pay then you have some other serious issue that needs to be addressed. So you need the money? Well what if you work near the elderly or someone who is immuno-compromised? Does that flip the morality meter again? Ultimately you're placing your self and/or kin above everyone else. Personal morals are frequently ignored in times of desperation, but desperation does not justify immoral acts. If you value the health and vitality of the people around you and the species in general, then it's pretty clear imo.

I also think steps should be taken to prevent such desperation, both societal and individual. For example employees shouldn't be required to wreck their health to maintain employment and individuals need to be fiscally responsible.

I'm glad I live in a non-shithole country.

As far as I know sick leave is common across all Australian industries (except for contractors and casuals) and people are encouraged to take it. Better to have one person sick for a day or two then to have everyone getting sick and potentially sicker than if they'd taken time off to rest.

No sick leave and having to go to work sick just to survive sounds like something out of the grimdark universe of WH40k.

Even as a part timer in retail I had sick leave, I wasn't encouraged to use it but I wasn't discouraged either.

So last year I took days of for the worst weeks however if I took every single sick day off as a contractor. (even if I was a full time worker) I would only have been working less than half the time. I agree in theory you shouldn't go in while sick and spread stuff it's not just missing a day for me it would have been missing six months of work.

Flu masks are great, good hygiene is great sometimes it doesn't matter and I'm fine being immoral in that sense. I do however maybe a little hypocritically get super annoyed at my housemates for saying they aren't sick because they want to socialise when they clearly are sick and should stay away from people/groups.

 

[redbaron]

i wore a flu mask to a social event today and i just fistbumped or waved at people instead of shaking hands/hugging/kissing

galaxy brain stuff imo

 

[Cognisant]

So last year I took days of for the worst weeks however if I took every single sick day off as a contractor. (even if I was a full time worker) I would only have been working less than half the time.

You need to become a comforter burrito and sweat it out, if you don't kill the infestation outright it'll go dormant until you're body's under strain again.

 

[Sandman]

I'm glad I live in a non-shithole country.

As far as I know sick leave is common across all Australian industries (except for contractors and casuals) and people are encouraged to take it. Better to have one person sick for a day or two then to have everyone getting sick and potentially sicker than if they'd taken time off to rest.

No sick leave and having to go to work sick just to survive sounds like something out of the grimdark universe of WH40k.

Even as a part timer in retail I had sick leave, I wasn't encouraged to use it but I wasn't discouraged either.

`
someone's rather judgey

 

[Niclmaki]

I love how this is so cliche that even Family Guy makes a joke of it.

I’ve never heard female coworkers make this accusation or complaint though. Maybe because I live in Canada? Seems like being sick in the States is a much bigger deal (according to other comments here anyways) lol.

 

[QuickTwist]

i wore a flu mask to a social event today and i just fistbumped or waved at people instead of shaking hands/hugging/kissing

galaxy brain stuff imo

Would you normally shake hands/hug/kiss?

 

[redbaron]

if it's normal for a certain family or social situation then yes

otherwise i try to default to fistbump because it's some form of non-intimate touching that can't really make anyone uncomfortable. just awkward sometimes because people go for the shake

best is when they shake your fist

 

[sushi]

its all about intention and consequence, like many other forms of human behavior in society.

 

[ZenRaiden]

Yes you should stay home. Its a no brainer. If you spread the thing over to other people they cant complete the work. You also need to be healthy and going around sniffing and being sick makes you less efficient.

 

[ZenRaiden]

How does the common cold spread?
The common cold is spread either by direct contact with infected secretions from contaminated surfaces or by inhaling the airborne virus after individuals sneeze or cough. Person-to-person transmission often occurs when an individual who has a cold blows or touches their nose and then touches someone or something else. A healthy individual who then makes direct contact with these secretions can subsequently become infected, often after their contaminated hands contact their own eyes, nose, or mouth. A cold virus can live on frequently touched objects such as doorknobs, pens, books, cell phones, computer keyboards, and coffee cups for several hours and can thus be acquired from contact with these objects.

How long is the common cold contagious?
In general, the common cold can be contagious anywhere from one to two days before the symptoms begin up until the symptoms have completely resolved. However, the common cold is typically most contagious during the initial two to three days of illness.

 

[QuickTwist]

best is when they shake your fist

You mean when they get bacteria all over your fist? Sorry couldn't resist.

 

[Pizzabeak]

No