Tell co-workers — anonymously — to take their coughing and sneezing home
May 13, 2009 by Fred HosierPosted in: Illnesses, In this week's e-newsletter, Latest News & Views, Lighter Side of Safety, Worker health
PDF With the recent swine flu scare, we’ve heard the plea once again for ill employees to stay home instead of spreading sickness at work. Now you can send the message anonymously, “Stay home when you’re sick,” specifically to those who ignore that advice.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has a series of e-cards that address health issues such as blood pressure, diabetes and pregnancy.
But some of the cards could really come in handy when any sort of illness — swine flu, a stomach virus or even the common cold — appears in your workplace.
One card shows a picture of a woman with her hand to her forehead. It says, “Stay home!” The message inside when you click on the card: “Stay home if you have symptoms, like fever, cough, runny or stuffy nose, sore throat, body aches, headache, chills, and fatigue.” There’s also a link for recipients to click and get more information about the flu.
Know of co-workers who don’t wash their hands after using the restroom? Send them the “Wash ‘em” e-card. It recommends recipients wash their hands with warm soapy water or use alcohol-based hand cleaners.
The CDC’s e-cards are online here.
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Tags: CDC, e-cards, stay home when you're sick
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May 13th, 2009 at 5:42 pm
I can think of someone I work with whom I would send the “Wash `em” e-card.
The only problem with e-cards though is that there are viruses going around now masked in an email stating, “Your friend sent you a Hallmark card!”, then you open it, and it contains a virus.
May 16th, 2009 at 7:32 pm
You mentioned that these e-cards can be sent, but the sender’s email is required before sending. How is that “anonymous” ????
May 18th, 2009 at 1:09 pm
Where I work, everyone has the right to make their own decisions on whether they can work or not. No matter how sick they may be. I know myself that others are at risk but I cannot override the owners final say. And going anonymous is just asking for trouble.
May 18th, 2009 at 4:08 pm
I don’t see how this can be sent anonymously unless one makes up the email address…
May 18th, 2009 at 5:03 pm
Looked at the cards but it requires a sending email and name. didn’t see anything about it being anonymous
May 19th, 2009 at 11:09 am
I would like to further discuss Bill’s comments. I did send folks home who were obviously sick. This is a new concept for us as well. What are the other organizations doing?
May 19th, 2009 at 11:36 am
I have worked at large companies where if they think you are sick with something contagious, someone from HR will come to your area and ask if what you’re working on can wait until tomorrow, can someone take over the project for the day, or can you work from home.
We also have thermometers at work, which helps if someone’s saying that they’re not sick, you can put a disposable thermometer in their mouth, and if it’s above 100 degrees, they need to go home for their own good.
Anyone out for more than 4 days needs to go to a doctor, and get some sort of doctor’s excuse. the main reason is not so much that we don’t believe that they were sick, but the doctor’s excuse proves they were really sick, and that they did something about it.
May 27th, 2009 at 12:08 pm
Did anyone look at the CDC e-cards? Anonymous or not, I would be pretty insulted receiving some of them. I am currently pregnant and staying away from sick folks is critical so while a “hands-washing” or “please stay home” seem begnin, a few of them get really personal like about getting tested for Strep B prior to birth or treating diabetes before/during pregnancy. It’s almost as bad as having someone reach down and rub my belly without permission. There has to be a better way than an email. A written company policy is probably best.
July 9th, 2009 at 11:47 am
Is the author of this article going to answer everyone’s questions about the e-cards being sent anonymously?
July 10th, 2009 at 9:13 am
Aida, I don’t know where you worked before, but I’m sure there’s not any company who can legally force an employee to have their temperature taken or as you stated put a thermometer in their mouth. If an employee feels he can work, no matter how sick he is, and the employee is productive, there’s really nothing anyone can do. You can suggest they leave but they don’t have to.
July 10th, 2009 at 11:41 am
Bill: I wasn’t suggesting that you would force someone to put a thermometer in their mouth. What I didn’t say in my comment (for brevity’s sake) was the company would request the person to take their temperature. Regardless, if the company thinks you may be contagious, the company is within its bounds to tell someone they had to go home. This is done so they do not infect everyone at the company. A company will do what is good for the company as a whole, and not what’s good for the individual.
Sorry if I was too brief in my comments.
July 13th, 2009 at 12:56 pm
Well Aida, Is that company going to pay that person their 8 hrs. to go home? Also they may request he have his temperature taken but that employee doesn’t have to. And has for the company will do what’s good for the company, if that employee (no matter how sick) is productive and is making the company money, that company will not tell him to leave if the employee felt they didn’t need to. Others will have to just be more careful around him. If you practice good hygeine, then it shouldn’t be a problem.
July 13th, 2009 at 1:49 pm
We send folks home as they cannot be productive if they are obviously sick and exhibiting symptoms or behaviors (like spending their entire day in the bathroom). OSHA has the general duty clause ensuring a safe and healthful workplace. Employee’s are reasonable enough to know that when we have to medically exit someone from the workplace its because we must do so - not because we enjoy doing so. This is not just a “swine flu” issue - it is for any communicable disease. As for the pay, one needs to look to their sick leave policies to determine if an employee is eligible for pay when unable to work. We do not pay them and we require a fitness for duty to return.
Its a good thing that its a rarity when it does occur.
July 13th, 2009 at 2:14 pm
Bill: As Christine pointed out, most companies have a sick leave policy that allows someone to be paid while they are out sick. If someone is sick, they are not going to be productive and can make other people sick. Plus, depending on what the sickness is, the company has a general liability if they allow a sick person to continue working while they are sick.
I’m glad you’re not my boss!
July 13th, 2009 at 2:53 pm
Aida, How can you say that if someone is sick they can’t be productive? That’s just not true. And yes christine if someone is in the bathroom all day, they are obviously not being productive and should be told to go home and the company shouldn’t be enjoying sending them home. I don’t know where you came up with that comment. It is our company policy that if the sick employee can work and be productive, we are not going to send them home if they wish not to. Also, I know about the paid sick leave, but if you punch in and are ready to work it will not apply. If a company sends someone home
after they report to work, for any reason, they are to pay that employee for they are making that decision. The employee should not have any earned personal time deducted because the company sent them home. Remind other employees to use common sense and practice good hygeine and they’ll be alright.
July 14th, 2009 at 9:14 am
Bill: It’s not just about practicing good hygiene. The sick person could touch the door or paperwork that you have to handle, and that will expose you to the germs that will make you sick. This is not about the company enjoying sending people home. It’s about protecting the other workers from an obviously sick person.
I’ll give you a real life example: A woman showed up at work with the Mumps and didn’t tell anyone what she was specifically sick with. Everyone knew she had something, just not what exactly she was sick with. A co-worker got the Mumps from her, used up all his sick time and vacation time for the year while he was sick, and he had genuine concerns about becoming sterile.
It is examples like that that make a company have to institute a company policy to protect the other employees.
You are one slave driver, though!
July 14th, 2009 at 11:54 am
Aida: I am not the owner of this company, nor a supervisor. I am the maintenance/safety coordinator.
So I am not the slave driver you make me out to be. I am not the one that makes the rules here. People with hangovers are considered sick, people with the common cold are considerd sick, people with and ear ache or soar throat are considered sick, people with an allergic reaction are considered sick, people with a head ache are considered sick, people with aids are considered sick etc. Your not going to send those people home. That would be like discrimination. All that anyone needs to do to prevent themselves from getting sick is wash their hands before they put anything in or up near their mouths. Maybe your company should train your employees on good hygiene to prevent themselves from illnesses. And about your example, thats sounds like a workmans comp case and he should be reimbursed all that time missed and doctor visits.
July 14th, 2009 at 1:31 pm
Bill: Hangovers, earaches, some sore throats, allergic reactions, and headaches are not contagious, therefore these people can stay at work. AIDS is contagious, but one doesn’t get it merely by working with someone with AIDS. Please focus on the original point — that people who are contagious need to leave the office until they are no longer contagious to protect co-workers from getting sick.
My fellow employees follow great personal hygiene habits. But that makes my point in that even the most diligent employee in practicing safe hygiene habits can get sick from a sick co-worker. And it is not fair to the well employee to have to work with a sick co-worker and become sick and makes everyone else sick. Yoiu should really rethink your wellness policy at work.
July 14th, 2009 at 1:54 pm
Aida, I don’t see why you are calling Bill a slave driver, he is actually standing up for what the sick person has decided *they* want to do, and he is also standing up for the sick person by saying if the company makes the decision to send a person home, that day shouldn’t count against their sick pay. I agree, teach people some basic hygiene - with Swine Flu, one can be contagious at the very beginning before even exhibiting any symptoms.
July 14th, 2009 at 2:09 pm
Aida, you seem to think I’m in charge of things here. I don’t know how your company handles things but when I want to revise a policy of any kind it first goes to a managers meeting to be accepted. Then it is discussed at a board meeting for them to decide if it’s right for the company. So stop trying to point the finger at me. Also the topic in question is about everything I just mentioned before. Read the topic again. And I stand by what I said before, and you even agreed Quote “Therefore these people can stay at work”. Remember, you Aida agreed with me. (See your response above) I’m all done here
July 14th, 2009 at 2:13 pm
P.S. The word contagious isn’t even mentioned in the topic. Only you mentioned it.
July 14th, 2009 at 2:22 pm
Bill: The article uses the words, “spreading sickness at work”, which means being contagious. Stop splitting hairs; it’s petulant.
July 14th, 2009 at 5:04 pm
Aida,
“Slave driver”, “petulant”, do you really need to resort to those adjectives, i.e. name calling, to get your point across and to avoid answering some of the other points Bill makes? I think you each have some perfectly good points but you don’t seem to acknowledge any of his. And I think the worker’s comp idea is an excellent one.
July 15th, 2009 at 8:38 am
Aida, Whatever. You still agreed that employees shouldn’t be sent home with the sicknesses I named and the ones in the topic. If you read everything you wrote it’s like you can’t make up your own mine on the subject. Contagious: a disease transmitted by CONTACT. If you leave the person alone, do your own job, and practice good hygeine (Hygeine: conditions and practices that contribute to DISEASE PREVENTION) chances are you’ll be alright. There is no reason for people to be touching others or getting in other peoples faces at any job except in the medical field. Remember to wash your hands before you bring anything to your mouth. Also, was it ever proven that the man in your example got the mumps from that woman? What did he do with her to get them? Did the mumps just jump off her onto him? He could have had that transmitted from anyone, even by someome who was in the early stages and didn’t know they had them at the time. People who are sick have a right to work if the chose to (as long as they are productive) and if others don’t like it, they can use their personal time and stay/go home.
October 19th, 2009 at 2:38 pm
I followed this link innocently and then got caught up in the Bill/Aida soap opera. Thanks to both of you; reading it was lots of fun! And there was good food for thought as well.
October 26th, 2009 at 12:23 pm
Whoa!! I’m almost afraid to post this, but I think it’s good to learn things from eachother…. Our company just put a policy into effect that gives 5 extra paid sick days exclusively for the FLU (seasonal or H1N1 - both are Influenza A). A doctor’s note is required and days must be used consecutively, since the flu may last 3 - 10 days. This policy is only in effect when there is a pandemic. We also have items available such as masks, disinfecting wipes, and touch free dispensers with hand sanitizers. So hopefully these sick days are enough incentive to stay home while sick.
October 26th, 2009 at 1:14 pm
Unfortunately we live in a selfish society where everyone thinks of themselves first rather than the greater good for all concerned. Bill makes a great point, protect yourself! Hygiene is extremely important although no guarantee for not catching any thing contagious or airborne. Obviously the person that may be sick did not protect themselves with good hygiene. Right Bill? Aida, my suggestion would be to wear a mask and rubber gloves when interacting with anyone that you feel maybe sick/contagious to you. Also, keep a can of Lysol handy to disinfect anything that comes from someone you feel is contagious to you. If they come to work and act like they are not sick, then you have the same right to come to work and act like they are sick. Be consistent, anyone that ‘looks’ sick/contagious to you is fair game.
October 27th, 2009 at 10:57 am
What Ben says is often true. I work in a 5 person company. We have one person who seems to catch everything and then brings it in to work and WILL NOT practice good hygiene. I have boxes of tissues and hand sanitizer everywhere, and never once have I seen him use either. He coughs into his hand, then uses the freight computer and opens doors. While it’s tough when even one person is out, his job is the easiest to cover. As long as people have that attitude that it’s all about them, everyone is at risk. And my company has a pretty liberal sick leave policy, if you need it, use it.
July 20th, 2010 at 9:39 am
My company has no paid sick time.
Therefore people work when they are seriously ill. We do offer 100% pay during short term disability which is the trade off. Unfortunately that means that when someone comes to work ill, it goes around the office for 30 days or more.
We do offer free flu shots every year, but they are not mandatory. Top management tells the staff if we offer paid sick time we will take away the 100% PTO during short term disability. As the safety manager I am not sure I agree with this policy. There is no incentive for people to come back to work and work on getting better.
I think I would rather give people 3 or 4 paid sick days to use when they are really sick, but some how most of the time these days get abused and people take them as vacation days and then take unpaid time when they are sick anyway.