Just got sent home from work
 

I am ill, but just a cold. I have been pretty blocked up and have to keep blowing my nose, but otherwise cant think that I was annoying anyone.

Anyway, at 3PM my boss said he wanted to speak to me. We went in a room and he told me I should just go home as I was ill. I said I didnt feel that bad but if he wanted me to I would. He then came out that it wasnt him but he'd been asked to ask me to (without specifying by who or why) and he just looked deeply embarassed.

So I just said "ok" went back to my desk, locked my PC and walked home

Got in and deleted my Facebook account (that will fucking teach them, wont it) and am now feeling really pissed off and paranoid

I can objectively tell that I am over-reacting massively, but I just feel like emailing them to say I wont be back in and forget the whole thing. Obviously I havent actually done that.

People are pretty germ-conscious these days. I wouldn't worry about it. Even if you don't feel "that bad", you're still exposing your coworkers to germs. Can you blame your coworkers for not wanting to get sick?

Rest up, relax, and get well. We have sick days for a reason. I recommend you use another one tomorrow and make sure you're good and well before you go back to the office.

Even if you aren't feeling the worst you've felt, not feeling 100% still affects your job performance.

I've sent people home before because I would rather have them recover and be out one day, than to infect the rest of the office AND also end up needing more time off in order to recover.

snowy said it best. I agree.

Get well after a day or two and forget about being paranoid. Life is too short to make up worries in our minds.

These days Everyone IS germaphobic in a HUGE way!

Well, there you go. They'd rather have you healthy and happy than sneezy and ill. Rest up so you can get over this minor thing quickly, and you'll be back to work as soon as... they let you?

http://icanhascheezburger.files.word...as-ladybug.jpg

There was only one time that I mentioned my concern over someone's illness to my supervisor. This co-worker had been visibly ill for 2 weeks, sounded/looked like she should be hospitalized. I was asked to go on a 16-hour car ride with her. I expressed some concern over her health. It was noted, weighed, and discarded. Not only did I have to do the trip, I also had to share a hotel room with the sickie, and work alongside her for the duration of the project. I inevitably caught the nasty illness she was spreading. That experience convinced me to get a flu shot this year. I never want to have to worry over something so stupid again.

I was with you right up until here... :orly: What does that have to do with anything?

Anyways, I don't want sick people sneezing and snuffling around me, I'd definitely tell my (our) boss to send them home. How close to the end of the day is 3pm for you anyways?

I send people home all the time. Whatever you caught doesn't need to be shared.

I can do 90% of my job from home, as can my co-workers. If you are even marginally contageous, stay the hell at home.

Its not really easy to justify. I do understand that my employer doesnt even care if I have a Facebook account or not. In fact are not likely to notice one way or another. I just am friends with a lot of people at work on FB, and I was going to put something on there and decided I couldnt cos it would just get to my boss or whatever so I deleted the account.

I understand that I am not completely hopeless and or helpess, that I still have to justify my actions to myself; but at the same time I probably do have some issues in terms of my personality. I am incredibly over sensitive and insecure. All the time I imagine that people are laughing at me behind my back, or that I have offended people without me knowing why.

My whole adult life (since maybe 14) I have suffered irrational mood swings over things like this that to everyone else seem insignificant. On a rational level I understand probably my bosses boss just told him "he looks like shit, cant you just tell him to go home". but there is a voice in the back of my head always telling me "they all think youre a cunt, why dont you tell them to fuck off?"

Right, and until that voice in the back of your head can find gainful employment, tell IT to fuck off.

You have a moral obligation to do your best at keeping germs out of communal spaces. From covering your mouth when you cough and sneeze to staying home from work when you are sick. If one of my subordinates tries to play martyr and come to the office sick, I send them home immediately - with a stern speech.

<whack SF on the back of the head> What were you thinking???

I'm often grumpy, grouchy, grinchy and overly touchy when I don't feel well. Maybe you too?

Lindy

You are looking at this the wrong way... You should be grateful you work for an organisation that cares about the health of its employees. Imagine you were the healthy one and had to work with someone who was coughing, hacking and stuffed up on a Thursday before a really major weekend social event. Friday you get a nasty cold & are in bed all weekend sick. Wouldn't that suck? Look at GenuineGirly's experience.

I've sent people home out of concern for everyone, including them. THEY were more important to me than their work. It's not an insult, it's compassion and caring for you and your coworkers.

sure it doesn't feel good being told that someone you work with requested that you leave for the day but snowy hit it pretty good. your boss is just looking out for whats best for everyone

Here we have people, who get sick leave for minor reasons. A medical certificate (by doctor, sometimes a nurse will do) is needed.

At my work they wouldn't be worried about someone spreading germs, they'd be more concerned, how to substitute the missing employee.

Strange,

Michael Douglas called. He wants you to know that they're not making a Falling Down sequel and, as such, you can't be the star.

...

My actual advice:

Hey Dude I am sick today too. Copy my example...lay on sofa, drink hot tea and watch old movies...life is good!

I know what you mean about irrational mood swings. Just remember you/they made your boss feel embarrassed. So they got there's. Next time someone is sick, you can go turn them in. Just focus on those thoughts to get you through the mood swing.

Or ya know, put your co-workers stapler in Jello.

Yeah, I know that voice. For me it's less a reaction of "maybe they all think you suck," and more "don't they all get how capable you are?!" But either way, it does boil down to that voice going, "why don't you tell them to fuck off?" And I can tell you, while the satisfaction of doing so is substantial in the moment, it really comes back to bite you in the ass, especially later on when you've burned bridges you didn't expect to need, or pissed off people you might need to get work from.

One of the greatest challenges in my life has been training myself to respond to that voice with a hearty internal STFU. If I had come further in that training seven years ago, I might not be looking for work now. Keep strong, brah. It's totally worth the effort.

Sounds like you are a workaholic. I've had to work when I had a cold a few months ago because we had major project deadlines that had to be met. But I wore a mask and stayed away from everybody. I also was taking some pretty good OTC drugs to keep the symptoms at bay. And I took precautions to wash my hands and not use them on the door knobs and such.

The work will still be there on Monday.

You were ill, they sent you home. It is nothing personal, it is business. I've had it happen to me on more than one occasion. They are simply looking out for your health and the health of others.

I was a bit embarrassed with how I reacted to be honest. On Friday I apologised to my boss about it. (I didnt tell him to fuck off or anything like that on Weds but I also dont hide when Im pissed off especially well)

I know I do react childishly sometimes - all I can say is that my attitude genuinely doesnt come from arrogance, or peevishness, but generally a deep seeted insecurity. It doesnt make me come over any less of a prick when I throw my toys out of the pram though.

I hope this doesn't come across wrong, but have you spoken to a doctor about these mood swings? I have similar issues, they damn near killed me last year. There is relief, you don't HAVE to live with that.

Even if I miss pay, the days I find out I'm going home early are wonderful days.

I'd delete them before I'd delete the whole account.

:lol:

Traditional rules of etiquette hold that if you are sick with anything contagious, even the common cold, you should stay home. These days, most of us push ourselves much harder than that, but it's a matter of courtesy. As for the insecurity, I've seen some self-reinforcing patterns in your behavior over the years you've been a member here and I think that it would be a big help for you to sit down at least once or twice with a psychologist and discuss the insecurity if it interferes with your day-to-day life. Some authoritative advice from a professional could very well kick start you on the way to being a much happier, healthier person.