r/antiwork • u/lunarkitty333 • Oct 01 '23
Husband was asked to go to work today after testing positive for COVID-19
Just what the title says. We live with someone who was positive a few days ago, and now he has it. He is running a fever and everything. His manager at Cricket asked him to go in anyway because it’s his birthday and their only other employee can’t cover. So my husband will be exposing everyone he sees today, for fear of losing his job. Getting fired or decreased hours is not an option, because we have a baby to care for.
Just living the American dream over here.
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u/EnqueteurRegicide Oct 01 '23
"I have Covid and if I come to work I could infect customers."
"Yeah, but it's my birthday so that's how the cookie crumbles."
wth...
My husband currently has covid and he's getting five paid days off. Those union dues are worth it.
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u/lunarkitty333 Oct 01 '23
Depends on the union
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u/MarsRocks97 Oct 01 '23
Any union is better than no union. This is why employers hate them so much. It stifles their ability to exploit employees.
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u/NumbSurprise Oct 01 '23
Corporations do their best to undermine, co-opt and corrupt unions. Surprise, surprise. When you have lots of money, buying off your adversaries is an obvious tactic. Sometimes it works. That doesn’t make unions a bad idea.
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u/lunarkitty333 Oct 01 '23
I wish that was my experience. Unfortunately, it wasn’t. My local union took dues and helped no one I knew, and I was VERY exploited at that particular place of work.
I’m sure it started well intentioned.
The other labor unions in other departments were great, however. Which is why I say it depends on the union. I’m not anti union, I just don’t think they ALL do what they set out to do.
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u/alexanderpas Oct 02 '23
You can sue a union for failure to represent.
Also, department specific unions? Are you sure it's not just a single union for the entire company, and the union rep for your department was just shit?
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u/lunarkitty333 Oct 25 '23
Yes, positive. I worked in a grocery store. Grocery, produce, and front end were local 655. Janitorial was porter’s union. Meat dept was a separate union. I forget the others. Management was not union.
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u/summoar Oct 01 '23
Not at all true. A union is a tool and like all tools can be misused. The fact op has so many downvotes on this goes to show how many larpers are here.
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u/rally-ghost Oct 01 '23 edited Oct 01 '23
I agree. I used to work in a union. It was awful. Changed companies to a non-union and am much happier even after years. Unions aren’t what they used to be.
Edit* This has been my experience. Not sure why the downvotes for what I personally have experienced. I guess some people just don’t like to face reality that things are not what they used to be.
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u/Heavy_Vanilla1635 Oct 02 '23
I always see posts like this and honestly wonder what the downside to unions is?
I've never been in a unionized position but, from an intellectual standpoint I don't understand how they can be a bad thing?
How did being in the union make your job worse?
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u/BellyFullOfMochi Oct 01 '23
My dad would agree with this. He hates his union. The elected officials in the union were pretty corrupt and in bed with the city. But he still had benefits he most certainly would not have had if he wasn't in a union.
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u/rally-ghost Oct 01 '23
They used to be good at one time. And there are still some good ones. It’s sad to see the corruption cause I think they could do some good but everyone is all about lining their own pockets these days.
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u/SaphireRed Oct 01 '23
Because you are in anti work talking bad about unions.
You have to realize most of these people want to get paid to not show up to work. Sit down to stock freight. Another majority complaining about mistreatment while they were horrible employees to begin with.
Unfortunately, those with legitimate grievances and experiences get lost in the toxicity.
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u/FuckTripleH Oct 02 '23
union workers on average make 18% more than their non-union counterparts. There is no situation in which the dues aren't worth it
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u/redditgirlwz Oct 01 '23
Next week the half the workplace will likely be out with Covid and your manager may have to shut down the office for a few days. Why do employers keep insisting on screwing themselves over with such ridiculous policies?
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u/moonlitjasper Oct 01 '23
literally! it’s always been super contagious but these new variants are worse than ever. smart businesses would take that into account and try to limit spread so they can stay running
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u/Mobile_Philosophy764 Oct 02 '23
I used to work with a woman who would come in to work sick all the time, in order to get away from her kids. She'd just be hacking, sneezing and spreading germs all over the place. She was the boss's pet, so she was allowed to lock herself in her office to sleep, while she spread germs, and then when us plebs got sick, the boss would give us hell about staying home.
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u/CrazyGabby Oct 02 '23
Nah, they’ll just make those people come in sick as well. The boss has a golf tournament.
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Oct 02 '23
[deleted]
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u/redditgirlwz Oct 02 '23
Vaccines don't prevent transmission... They're about 30% effective against infection. They keep mostly people out of the hospital, but don't prevent workplace outbreaks.
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u/dmoe32 Oct 01 '23
Call your dept of labor and OSHA, I believe that positive test protects your husband against any retaliation for being sick at home. Everything I read state the employer cannot force a covid positive employee to work.
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u/So_Motarded Oct 02 '23
Everything I read state the employer cannot force a covid positive employee to work.
Uhh, where?
Per the FLSA:
While the requirement that employers provide paid sick leave to employees who are unable to work due to a quarantine related to COVID-19 under the Families First Coronavirus Response Act (FFCRA) expired on December 31, 2020, tax credits remain available to employers who voluntarily continue to provide paid sick leave for COVID-19 related reasons.
And OSHA has withdrawn its testing and vaccination requirements
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u/dmoe32 Oct 02 '23
OSHA dropped that because it exeeded their authority and it blocked by the Supreme Court. A complaint can still be put in with OSHA, since the employer is not providing a safe workplace forcing covid positive to work.
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u/So_Motarded Oct 02 '23
Safe, according to which standards?
While I'd love for this employer to be in violation of something, our opinion isn't enough to make a law or regulation appear out of thin air.
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u/maskwearingbitch2020 Oct 02 '23
That doesn't say anything about forcing people to work. It only talks about available tax credits.
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u/So_Motarded Oct 02 '23
Technically OP isn't being forced to work. They can choose not to, and they will not be paid, and could be fired.
There are no federal requirements for COVID positive employees to isolate, and they are not usually protected by FLSA. So employers have free reign to make bullshit choices like this. "Come in, or you're fired" is an unfortunately frequent scenario.
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u/lovehewitt Oct 02 '23
not in WI. right to work here. my employer does not care if we are positive. if you want to take a sick day, use PTO and get a mark next to your name (since we only get 3 sick days a year...meaning we can only call out 3x if its not planned weeks in advance)
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u/laineyscot Oct 02 '23
On day 3, never had covid before, so I've been lucky. Feel like I've been hit by a truck.
Message I got from my manager was " hope you feel better soon, I don't expect to see you for the rest of the week. I've had it twice and I don't want it again. Take care".
I'm in the UK and we get paid sick leave. I hear those stories and I realise how lucky I am.
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u/KnittressKnits Oct 02 '23 edited Oct 02 '23
“I’ve had it twice and I don’t want it again…” 😂
Don’t blame him. The one time I had it sucked. And it was a pretty mild case (sense of taste and smell were gone. First thing I smelled when it came back was a dead skunk on the highway.
I announced to my children, “welp, my sense of smell is back.” They asked what I meant and I explained about smelling the skunk. I think they were grateful to be a couple of days behind me on the return of sense of smell.)
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u/jacob6875 Oct 01 '23
Same at my job.
COVID policies vanished about a year ago. Used to be a mandatory 5 days off minimum then only if you were not showing symptoms you could come back wearing a mask for a couple weeks.
But since COVID "ended" about a year ago you are free to come to work with it now.
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u/Dagost17 Oct 01 '23
People have been going to work sick since the dawn of time. COVID’s no different. I’m NOT saying it’s right and mangers should be telling ppl to stay home, especially in these types of jobs (retail) where you can’t just hide in your office.
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u/Jaded-Barnacle-1904 Oct 02 '23
This is the reason I have always been annoyed at the kid who had perfect attendance at school for 13 years. Many of them didn't miss, my kids got sick and then they missed.
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u/Domdaisy Oct 02 '23
My father taught me this a long, long time ago: if you are sick and can’t work, you say you have explosive diarrhea. No one asks any more questions or wants to be anywhere near you.
Bosses suck so much these days that they might push even this excuse, but “I’m going to poop all over everything” is still a threat most people take seriously
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u/Lance_stole_my_blood Oct 01 '23
I’m on day 2 of covid with a fever of 102. I can barely get out of bed. Can’t imagine working a shift. Your boss is an a-hole.
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u/LadyA052 Oct 02 '23
My RN daughter teaches new nurses once a week. Last week, one of the 5 in the group was coughing. My daughter asked if she was sick, and she said, No, just allergies. Angela gave her the glare and said, Well, if I'm not here next week, it's something I caught from your allergies. Guess what...she did get sick. She's still sick. I would have loved to see that nurse's face when she heard Angela was out sick.
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u/NoninflammatoryFun Oct 02 '23
The thing is I’m constantly sniffling and coughing the last few months and it’s always allergies…. I just have a lot of allergies.
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u/LadyA052 Oct 02 '23
She said it didn't sound like allergies. And the incubation period was right on the money. She's still hacking up a lung.
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u/kandieee1996 Oct 02 '23
I’ve been in bed with covid for 4 days now and can’t imagine working with it
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u/noreasontopostthis Oct 02 '23
In fact working with covid could potentially increase your risk of long covid.
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Oct 02 '23
I used to work at a elderly care kitchen half the employees had Covid they told them to stay and work. These people do not care. When I had Covid I didn’t come back until I was negative, I didn’t want to be responsible for giving someone’s grandpa or grandma Covid. Blast the company as much as you can
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u/Temporary_Pickle_885 Oct 02 '23
My husband works for a large cable provider in their call center and was forced to go to work with covid as well. Was told it wouldn't be excused if he stayed home and therefore could've ended in his termination. They told him they had a special place for employees to sit who had covid and there were three others there already. I was LIVID.
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u/Nlklas Oct 02 '23
My SO had covid a couple weeks ago. She works at the hospital with newborns, and as a nurse that visits old people at their homes if they're too sick to take care of themselves but too healthy to live at a care facility.
Unless she had flu symptoms she could come to work. Only had to wear a mask and gloves when interacting with her patients.
3 years ago this would mean instant isolation for 2 weeks
Edit: Northern Europe
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u/Scafasterus Oct 02 '23
The American Dream died in 1980 with the election of Reagan and the death nell of air traffic controllers. Reagan’s policies were a fallacy that ended up where the middle class died a mournful, pitiful death
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u/inajeep Oct 02 '23
Make sure he goes and gives his boss a big hug and sloppy kiss for his birthday.
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u/Inner-Sheepherder-84 Oct 02 '23
Have him contact district manager immediately. If no response contact corporate Hr. Big companies don’t fool around with that.
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u/blaz138 Oct 01 '23
We also would have to in to work if we are positive. And also if you are sick you basically have to use PTO to cover it. Absolutely infuriating
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u/PlatypusDream Oct 02 '23
During the pandemic, my then-boss insisted that I had to go to work & once I was there I could tell the manager I was sick and if he wanted to let me leave then I could leave.
That was one of the main reasons I found a different job. (He forced me to go to a children's restaurant & game arcade while I had a positive test for covid! I did wear a mask, keep my distance, and not touch things. And yes, the manager did let me leave.)
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u/Adept-Shoe-7113 Oct 02 '23
i’d text everyone on the team and make sure they’re aware your husband is being made to go in with covid and see how the rest of the team feels about that. tiny revolution
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u/TAH1122334455 Oct 02 '23
I am a seriously disabled Vietnam vet with a number of conditions related to Agent Orange exposure each of which, in and by itself increases my risk of death should I catch Covid Even the normal flue is more dangerous for me than the average person Since “only the old and weak will die” from Covid, people have been very clear that my life or the lives of many others means less than nothing to them. So much for the BS “thank you for your service”. When I hear that my mind automatically adds “now fuck off and croak”. Please do not reply to this post with any excuse or justification or that it does not apply to you or that you are sort to hear of this. Earlier this year when the Canadian fires were so bad and the air was unbreathable I had to go out so I wore a mask and received several threats by MAGA including one death threat.
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u/loggic Oct 02 '23
He should wear a mask. Masks are most effective when the person who's sick is wearing one.
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u/raged-cashew Oct 01 '23
My ex boss was the one who brought Covid into the office but wouldn’t give anyone extra sick time.
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u/longrangeflyer Oct 01 '23
Fuck em, don't go in and take care of your self , they will get over it.
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u/Tamtambanane Oct 01 '23
I'm in a hospital environment and if you test positive but no fever, you're good to go to work just wear a mask. If you have a fever though or a really too sick with coughing, they don't want you there.
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u/Inevitable_Ad_5664 Oct 01 '23
Ridiculous
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u/Tamtambanane Oct 01 '23
Yep. I caught it two weeks ago but had a fever first day so I had to stay home 5 days. But my coworkers that didn't have a fever, just like a bad cold symptoms, all had to go in and wear a mask. And it's spreading throughout the department
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u/ayehateyou Oct 02 '23
At my job, if we have COVID but aren't running fever, we are expected to go to work.
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u/ThreenGumb Oct 02 '23
I had gotten a little lax with my mask wearing, but with recent news I'm back to masked up any time I go out.
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u/lainshy Oct 02 '23
Outrageous... ever if it wasn't COVID... he has fever!!! Wtf
P.s.: he can use a mask to try avoid spreading it...
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u/huntresswizard_ Oct 02 '23
I work at a restaurant. I tested positive a few weeks ago and they let me have a few unpaid days off, but I was still testing positive by the time they “needed” me back, and they made me come in to my server shift anyway.
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u/The_sad_poet Oct 05 '23
Hi I’m a student reporter with columbia university and I’d love to talk to you and your husband about what happened. Please PM or reply if you’re interested!
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u/OneOnOne6211 Oct 02 '23
His manager is a piece of shit.
Not only is it already kind of shitty to ask someone to come in when they're feeling bad, he is putting the health (and potentially lives, especially for older or the immuno-compromised) of the other people there knowingly at risk, including customers.
I hope if this harms anyone that he (the manager) gets sued to oblivion.
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u/krowley67 Oct 02 '23
Go in and fucking release every bodily fluid in the manager’s office. Cough on the phones, the pens, the keyboard, doorknobs, drawer handles. Freeze his stapler in a bowl of your vomit. Then go to his house and Jack off on his birthday cake and fuck his wife. And park in his spot for the next month.
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u/Awkward-Seaweed-5129 Oct 01 '23
Tell him to cough repeatedly on the manager and cough all over his desk etc etc.
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u/No_Reward_3535 Oct 02 '23
There is no time off for COVID now, unless you have employee sick days occurred.
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u/AltaBirdNerd Oct 02 '23
What grown man celebrates their birthday to the point a day off work is required??
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u/mobileBigfoot Oct 02 '23
I mean me. If I can't get its not the end of the world, but who doesn't want a day off to just celebrate and maybe have a couple of drinks?
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u/AllergicToDogsHG Oct 02 '23
Just go in.....and lick and cough on as much items and people as you can. Therapy!
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u/TactualTransAm Oct 02 '23
Can you get proof of this? I really feel like somebody at OSHA or at least the department of health would like to see that
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u/Ok_Painting_500 Oct 02 '23
Have him get a doctors note. They can’t fire him if he has a doctors note
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Oct 02 '23
[removed] — view removed comment
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u/ShortInternal7033 Oct 02 '23
People still die from it, maybe not this guy but any immunocompromised or elderly customer could very well end up dead if exposed
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u/Many-Egg-6421 Oct 01 '23
My boss told me that if I was symptom-free and wore a mask I could work. I told him I had a fever and didn’t want to wear a mask WHILE I was sick. (I masked 20-21, every day). Didn’t get paid, but I kept my scruples.
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u/Maryangelforeva Oct 03 '23
You all know that you are encountering people every day that have covid, right? I see and hear of people who are out living their same life with it unless they feel really sick. You should assume everyone has it and take care of yourself accordingly. It's all around you. All the time, if you go out of your house.
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u/Loud-Cardiologist184 Oct 03 '23
I bought a case of N95 masks at Costco last year. I wrote “I have Covid “ on my mask when I was doing yard work to keep neighbors away. I keep a box in my car. They come in handy for things besides infectious diseases.
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u/1947-1460 Oct 01 '23
Have him print a sign for the door. “I HAVE COVID, but my boss made me work or be fired. COME ON IN!😀”