Is there a nice way of telling someone to go away?

pangolin

Two women in my office in my office have colds. One can barely speak. She was off sick yesterday but back in today. She sits a little way behind me but keeps wandering over to talk to the people sitting opposite me, standing right over my shoulder while she does.

I'm torn between being concerned that my leaning away from her while she does this is too blatant and a bit rude, and wanting to just tell her to go away as I don't want a cold.

What would you do bikeradar?

It's also harder to look at BR with someone standing over my shoulder...

PBo

Cycle more, better fitness and bug resistance.

Simples

iPete

PBo wrote:

Cycle more, better fitness and bug resistance.

Simples

is it possible to cycle too much and be less resistant, think I'm in that zone :!:

walkingbootweather

Make a small purchase from here.

Casually put on your purchase when the lady next appears at your shoulder.

pangolin

Haha! I am doing about 100 miles a week at the moment. Cycled today. But even the ideal amount doesn't completely immunise you, and I catching a cold would reduce the miles for a week or so, which I don't want either...

msmancunia

I'd get on it with the antibacterial gel and wipes, cleaning everything that she goes within five yards of.

If she asks why I'd just say I have a Very Big Important Cycle Race on Sunday and I don't want to catch her cold.

pangolin

That's not a bad idea! I am genuinely doing a 300k on the 22nd so a cold this week would ruin 'training' a bit.

gabriel959

pangolin wrote:

Haha! I am doing about 100 miles a week at the moment. Cycled today. But even the ideal amount doesn't completely immunise you, and I catching a cold would reduce the miles for a week or so, which I don't want either...

Take vitamins.

Kieran_Burns

Sit there wearing this:



She *might* get the hint

woodnut

Don't shower, then people keep their distance..works for me.

Headhuunter

iPete wrote:

PBo wrote:

Cycle more, better fitness and bug resistance.

Simples

is it possible to cycle too much and be less resistant, think I'm in that zone :!:

Yes it certainly is possible to lower your immunity through too much cycling/exercise!

EKE_38BPM

Just say:
"You are a virus bag and I don't want to get an infection from you because of your lack of hygiene and lack of consideration for everyone in the office who you are exposing to your germ filled spittle."

Its not rude if you preface it with "No offence, but..."

rick_chasey

EKE_38BPM wrote:

Just say:
"You are a virus bag and I don't want to get an infection from you because of your lack of hygiene and lack of consideration for everyone in the office who you are exposing to your germ filled spittle."

Its not rude if you preface it with "No offence, but..."

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T6wOhtk3 ... detailpage

Wallace1492

Can you not ban them for a week? Like admin did with DDD?

EKE_38BPM

Rick Chasey wrote:

EKE_38BPM wrote:

Just say:
"You are a virus bag and I don't want to get an infection from you because of your lack of hygiene and lack of consideration for everyone in the office who you are exposing to your germ filled spittle."

Its not rude if you preface it with "No offence, but..."

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T6wOhtk3 ... detailpage

I said preface it with no offence. Its the height of rudeness to say it at the end.

il_principe

Headhuunter wrote:

iPete wrote:

PBo wrote:

Cycle more, better fitness and bug resistance.

Simples

is it possible to cycle too much and be less resistant, think I'm in that zone :!:

Yes it certainly is possible to lower your immunity through too much cycling/exercise!

This. There is research which indicates heavy training can lower the immune system. One of the reasons why British Cycling are so keen on washing hands properly etc etc.

jonomc4

I always tell people straight to their face when they have a cold to keep away from me.

Heroes who struggle into work with a bad cold or flu and then give it to everyone else in the office / on the train, really grip my sh1t - and I point out that fact to them - I think it is really selfish of them!

pangolin

jonomc4 wrote:

Heroes who struggle into work with a bad cold ... really grip my sh1t

That sounds equally unhygienic.

SteppenHerring

Certain foods are proven to have a preventative effect on transmission of communicable diseases in the office. These include garlic, onion and brussel sprouts. I can knock you up a recipe for sprout bhaji that will definitely solve your problem if you eat enough.

t4tomo

SteppenHerring wrote:

Certain foods are proven to have a preventative effect on transmission of communicable diseases in the office. These include garlic, onion and brussel sprouts. I can knock you up a recipe for sprout bhaji that will definitely solve your problem if you eat enough.

A garlic onion and brussel sprout bhaji will keep people well away from you for a variety of reasons, it sounds fansmellyfartgarlicoozyporecurrybreathtastic

CiB

Why not just tell her nicely? My boss pre-empted me once saying don't come in if you have a cold - for valid medical reasons he was v keen not go down with one himself at the time. There's no reason why she should take it in any way other than how it's intended, unless you leave the nicely bit off & tell her to sling her hook whilst she's got that stinking cold, coming over here passing her filthy germs around etc.

fossyant

Worth making sure you aren't near anyone with a cold/bug just after you finish your ride as your immune system will be low. I read it's about 30 minutes, but not being in near contact with folk for a bit of time will help - i.e, as you get in, straight off to get cleaned up, changed, brew made. Then to the desk !

chilling

Just have some kids. After about 5 years you will have had every conceivable minor illness know to man and should have built a good base of immunity.

spen666

jonomc4 wrote:

....
Heroes who struggle into work with a bad cold or flu and then give it to everyone else in the office / on the train, really grip my sh1t - and I point out that fact to them - I think it is really selfish of them!

I agree, but my employers have changed their policy so that each day I am off ill will count against my at appraisal/ review / promotion time

Thus we now have people clearly unwell and infectious coming in to work to avoid being discriminated against. The scenario of ill person infecting office was raised, but employer doesn't care and wantrs everyone in everyday irrespective

suzyb

jonomc4 wrote:

I always tell people straight to their face when they have a cold to keep away from me.

Heroes who struggle into work with a bad cold or flu and then give it to everyone else in the office / on the train, really grip my sh1t - and I point out that fact to them - I think it is really selfish of them!

I worked with a guy that did this (fortunatly not in the same office). He would struggle in when he had a cold and end up giving it to others in the office who usually took it worse than he did. As a result they had to take time off and were penalised for it when it came to appraisal time whereas he got praised (and a pay rise iirc) for struggling through it.

To sort of answer the original question. You could just take a leaf out the book of one woman that worked in the office with the guy. She would tell him to f*** off if he came anywhere near her when he was sick. He thought her "overreaction" was funny, no one else did.

SimonAH

Absolutely. I detest the attitude of coming into the office with a cold - and tell people off when they do.

Kieran_Burns

We have developed a much more relaxed attitude to working from home now. So if someone is 'ill' but not so ill they can't work but bad enough they'll infect everyone else; we kind of insist they bugger off and work from home.

mudcow007

Kieran_Burns wrote:

We have developed a much more relaxed attitude to working from home now. So if someone is 'ill' but not so ill they can't work but bad enough they'll infect everyone else; we kind of insist they bugger off and work from home.

the reason why VPN was invented!!

our contracts have just been changed so if you are off sick more than once you dont get paid - so loads of people struggle into work now coughing goo an bogies up

its not pretty

SimonAH

Kieran_Burns wrote:

We have developed a much more relaxed attitude to working from home now. So if someone is 'ill' but not so ill they can't work but bad enough they'll infect everyone else; we kind of insist they bugger off and work from home.

Exactly the same policy here.

Can cause a bit of friction with the two ladies in the office who only have desktops though.

walkingbootweather

Two ladies?

A bit of friction?

VPL?

Sorry, I think I need to go off and get a tissue and I never even had a cold when I came in this morning so it must be catching

pangolin

Quick update. She left at 4. She only came over a couple more times during the afternoon, and I just wandered off both times.

Will I be ill?
Won't I?

Stay tuned.