Tested positive for Covid debating how to handle disclosure at work (1 Viewer)

[Mitchie]

so here's the situation normally this prob wouldn't be a huge issue but last week we had an offsite where our entire dept got together from all over the globe for a few days. I felt a tiny bit sick last week but generally was fine and went out eating and drinking, etc. really thought nothing of it but got a lot worse over the weekend and now i tested for Covid.

so now debating what to do about telling people, feel i should do this, is the right thing to do tell my boss tomorrow morning and let the info trickle down from the managers, or should i send a email to our whole DL, like 75 people saying I have Covid? that feels a tad weird maybe a tad violation of privacy but guess not a huge deal.

I'm also not going to be in the office the next couple weeks anyway so could potentially just not say anything but don't think want to do that.

figured what better way to get an answer than ask the shark pool and might as well do a poll

 

[FreeBaGeL]

If your boss is a manager then he gets paid to handle this kind of stuff. Just tell him, imo.

 

[Don Quixote]

Do you have an HR policy in place on this?

 

[Scoresman]

I think you let your manager know.

If it were me who was exposed, I’d want to know especially this being Thanksgiving week and people might be around vulnerable family members.

 

[culdeus]

Wouldn't do anything but stay home and get better.

 

[CletiusMaximus]

I would text / email HR or your manager now, today. Would strongly recommend against sending the email yourself.

 

[DA RAIDERS]

Do nothing.

 

[Mitchie]

thanks to all who replied/voted looks like option 1 is looking like the winning choice, glad i asked as was very close to emailing the dept today which is coming in last.

 

[TripItUp]

Send an email to HR and Boss and ask them how they would like you to handle it.

pretty straight forward.

 

[TripItUp]

thanks to all who replied/voted looks like option 1 is looking like the winning choice, glad i asked as was very close to emailing the dept today which is coming in last.

I think that's actually wrong. HR should be made aware in parallel.

 

[DA RAIDERS]

What is the upside to making them aware?

 

[PIK95]

I would tell the whole world.

 

[titusbramble]

What would you have done in 2018 if you were feeling like you are right now? Do that.

 

[Tom Servo]

Do nothing.

This. If you’re not going to be around any coworkers, just keep it on the down low.

 

[Mitchie]

What is the upside to making them aware?

i guess common courtesy, but a lot of people are going to be visiting family this week, possibly elderly parents, etc. if someone is at risk I don't want to be indirectly responsible for their illness/death.

 

[DA RAIDERS]

What is the upside to making them aware?

i guess common courtesy, but a lot of people are going to be visiting family this week, possibly elderly parents, etc. if someone is at risk I don't want to be indirectly responsible for their illness/death.

I get that. But it’s been a week. That ship has sailed. Literally. And he may not have been contagious At the early onset.

 

[jobarules]

If you had a cold or flu would you tell the whole company?

Even if you tell everyone nobody is going do anything different

I say do nothing

 

[IvanKaramazov]

My sense is that nobody cares if you have covid these days. It's no big deal. Just take some sick leave and don't sweat it otherwise.

 

[CletiusMaximus]

My sense is that nobody cares if you have covid these days. It's no big deal. Just take some sick leave and don't sweat it otherwise.

The main reason to report it I think is just compliance and avoiding a sanction of some sort rather than any actual health-related concern. This depends on the corporate culture and the specific facts. Many larger companies likely still have certain mandatory reporting obligations in place where there is a known potential exposure.

 

[Sand]

I recommend calling an all hands meeting.

 

[Mrs. Rannous]

My sense is that nobody cares if you have covid these days. It's no big deal. Just take some sick leave and don't sweat it otherwise.

I care very much. Mr R is immune compromised.

 

[Mrs. Rannous]

I recommend calling an all hands meeting.

But only if everyone touches each other. Amiright?

 

[krista4]

Voted for all three because I could.

 

[jvdesigns2002]

What is the upside to making them aware?

i guess common courtesy, but a lot of people are going to be visiting family this week, possibly elderly parents, etc. if someone is at risk I don't want to be indirectly responsible for their illness/death.

Common courtesy? Common courtesy would have been to take a covid test when you felt a tiny bit sick before possibly exposing all of those people to covid. In any case, at this point I’d probably send an email to your manager and cc it to HR as others have mentioned.

 

[Mitchie]

What is the upside to making them aware?

i guess common courtesy, but a lot of people are going to be visiting family this week, possibly elderly parents, etc. if someone is at risk I don't want to be indirectly responsible for their illness/death.

Common courtesy? Common courtesy would have been to take a covid test when you felt a tiny bit sick before possibly exposing all of those people to covid. In any case, at this point I’d probably send an email to your manager and cc it to HR as others have mentioned.

i don't think most people would've done that in today's environment.

 

[jvdesigns2002]

What is the upside to making them aware?

i guess common courtesy, but a lot of people are going to be visiting family this week, possibly elderly parents, etc. if someone is at risk I don't want to be indirectly responsible for their illness/death.

Common courtesy? Common courtesy would have been to take a covid test when you felt a tiny bit sick before possibly exposing all of those people to covid. In any case, at this point I’d probably send an email to your manager and cc it to HR as others have mentioned.

i don't think most people would've done that in today's environment.

Hard to say. I think there are a lot of people that learned after the pandemic that if you don’t feel well—take a home test or just don’t put yourself around masses of people. Even if you gave people a cold right before Thanksgiving—that‘s still not cool. For example A couple months ago-I thought I had a cold the night before I was scheduled to work the next morning. Took a covid test and tested positive. Immediately contacted my boss and was instructed to not come to the office the next five days.

 

[Doug B]

My sense is that nobody cares if you have covid these days. It's no big deal. Just take some sick leave and don't sweat it otherwise.

Depends on one's individual circle, individual personal interactions, employment situation, and so forth.

I would think that a strong majority of American adults today don't worry much about having COVID personally. However, I think a good many American adults feel that knowingly passing COVID to other people is a preventable act about which one should feel guilt.

Why was it different for, say, flu pre-2020**? I don't know ... was it? People then certainly didn't appreciate others coming into the office, the store, the restaurant, etc. coughing up lungs all over the place. Someone dealing with the public and with a leaky nose, frequent nose blowing and sneezing, etc. was always off-putting. But then, lack of specific knowledge of their own illnesses certainly helped flu carriers who didn't want to adjust their schedules, miss work, and such. Unless you truly couldn't get out of bed, you could just play off your flu symptoms as "a cold", "sinus trouble", etc. Few people ever got tested for flu, anyway -- so there was plausible deniability built into the pre-COVID ethic.

For my wife and I, COVID cases in the household are very disruptive because it means (1) Everyone has to start testing frequently, (2) Son misses school if positive, (3) My wife has to stay home from work with any household cases because she works with senior citizens, (4) Daughter works closely with uncovered food and can't work while knowingly infected or with respiratory symptoms, and (5) Much of our social circle becomes off-limits.

Others' mileage may vary.


** And RSV in the COVID era -- where did that come from? Both my kids had it as infants and their pediatricians treated RSV as 100% a disease of infants and toddlers that adults never had to never, ever give a second thought to. Us parents weren't even slightly advised to take precautions in dealing with our RSV-infected babies. Now there are adult vaccines for RSV. Something changed in the last 15-20 years regarding knowledge of RSV, I take it.

 

[Mitchie]

What is the upside to making them aware?

i guess common courtesy, but a lot of people are going to be visiting family this week, possibly elderly parents, etc. if someone is at risk I don't want to be indirectly responsible for their illness/death.

Common courtesy? Common courtesy would have been to take a covid test when you felt a tiny bit sick before possibly exposing all of those people to covid. In any case, at this point I’d probably send an email to your manager and cc it to HR as others have mentioned.

i don't think most people would've done that in today's environment.

Hard to say. I think there are a lot of people that learned after the pandemic that if you don’t feel well—take a home test or just don’t put yourself around masses of people. Even if you gave people a cold right before Thanksgiving—that‘s still not cool. For example A couple months ago-I thought I had a cold the night before I was scheduled to work the next morning. Took a covid test and tested positive. Immediately contacted my boss and was instructed to not come to the office the next five days.

well maybe you're a better person than I but don't think everyone's running out for a Covid test every time they have a scratchy throat.

 

[IvanKaramazov]

What is the upside to making them aware?

i guess common courtesy, but a lot of people are going to be visiting family this week, possibly elderly parents, etc. if someone is at risk I don't want to be indirectly responsible for their illness/death.

Common courtesy? Common courtesy would have been to take a covid test when you felt a tiny bit sick before possibly exposing all of those people to covid. In any case, at this point I’d probably send an email to your manager and cc it to HR as others have mentioned.

i don't think most people would've done that in today's environment.

Hard to say. I think there are a lot of people that learned after the pandemic that if you don’t feel well—take a home test or just don’t put yourself around masses of people. Even if you gave people a cold right before Thanksgiving—that‘s still not cool. For example A couple months ago-I thought I had a cold the night before I was scheduled to work the next morning. Took a covid test and tested positive. Immediately contacted my boss and was instructed to not come to the office the next five days.

This. If you're sick, just stay home. I don't care if you have covid, a cold, or ebola. Stay home.

 

[STEADYMOBBIN 22]

My sense is that nobody cares if you have covid these days. It's no big deal. Just take some sick leave and don't sweat it otherwise.

The main reason to report it I think is just compliance and avoiding a sanction of some sort rather than any actual health-related concern. This depends on the corporate culture and the specific facts. Many larger companies likely still have certain mandatory reporting obligations in place where there is a known potential exposure.

Mandatory reporting?!??

If it’s mandatory I say do nothing.

Otherwise, I would just report that you’re out sick like you would any other time that you’re out sick.

 

[Gally]

The right answer is to follow your company's COVID procedures (most companies have protocols in place). This is most likely to notify your manager at the minimum and some will also want HR notified (but that can be done by the manager in most cases).

 

[Doug B]

well maybe you're a better person than I but don't think everyone's running out for a Covid test every time they have a scratchy throat.

Especially in advance of a "don't want to miss" social event. A lot of people are rationalizing their symptoms and taking the gamble. Even at my wife's work (senior recreation and meals program), the "Do I really want to know?" mindset is in full effect with their patrons. Being seniors, they generally test more than the rest of the population ... but they often withhold knowledge or suspicion of their illness until after the fun group events. Then the next day, they call the center and tell them they tested positive for COVID.

 

[NutterButter]

I'd ask hr the process

 

[Mitchie]

What is the upside to making them aware?

i guess common courtesy, but a lot of people are going to be visiting family this week, possibly elderly parents, etc. if someone is at risk I don't want to be indirectly responsible for their illness/death.

Common courtesy? Common courtesy would have been to take a covid test when you felt a tiny bit sick before possibly exposing all of those people to covid. In any case, at this point I’d probably send an email to your manager and cc it to HR as others have mentioned.

i don't think most people would've done that in today's environment.

Hard to say. I think there are a lot of people that learned after the pandemic that if you don’t feel well—take a home test or just don’t put yourself around masses of people. Even if you gave people a cold right before Thanksgiving—that‘s still not cool. For example A couple months ago-I thought I had a cold the night before I was scheduled to work the next morning. Took a covid test and tested positive. Immediately contacted my boss and was instructed to not come to the office the next five days.

This. If you're sick, just stay home. I don't care if you have covid, a cold, or ebola. Stay home.

sure but it was a very mild discomfort the first day or so, otherwise felt perfectly fine. a lot of time that happens and goes away.

 

[jvdesigns2002]

What is the upside to making them aware?

i guess common courtesy, but a lot of people are going to be visiting family this week, possibly elderly parents, etc. if someone is at risk I don't want to be indirectly responsible for their illness/death.

Common courtesy? Common courtesy would have been to take a covid test when you felt a tiny bit sick before possibly exposing all of those people to covid. In any case, at this point I’d probably send an email to your manager and cc it to HR as others have mentioned.

i don't think most people would've done that in today's environment.

Hard to say. I think there are a lot of people that learned after the pandemic that if you don’t feel well—take a home test or just don’t put yourself around masses of people. Even if you gave people a cold right before Thanksgiving—that‘s still not cool. For example A couple months ago-I thought I had a cold the night before I was scheduled to work the next morning. Took a covid test and tested positive. Immediately contacted my boss and was instructed to not come to the office the next five days.

well maybe you're a better person than I but don't think everyone's running out for a Covid test every time they have a scratchy throat.

Its not only about taking a Covid test if you have a scratchy throat- its about not exposing people to any disease (cold, fliu, covid) needlessly. You said yourself that it was a night of eating and drinking and enjoyment. If I have a scratchy throat- out of common courtesy I would be avoiding the office party. To knowingly attend a function when you are feeling unwell and then to label it “common courtesy” that you want to report possibly exposing people to disease after the fact feels far more like “guilty conscience” than it does common courtesy. Jmo.

 

[Mitchie]

What is the upside to making them aware?

i guess common courtesy, but a lot of people are going to be visiting family this week, possibly elderly parents, etc. if someone is at risk I don't want to be indirectly responsible for their illness/death.

Common courtesy? Common courtesy would have been to take a covid test when you felt a tiny bit sick before possibly exposing all of those people to covid. In any case, at this point I’d probably send an email to your manager and cc it to HR as others have mentioned.

i don't think most people would've done that in today's environment.

Hard to say. I think there are a lot of people that learned after the pandemic that if you don’t feel well—take a home test or just don’t put yourself around masses of people. Even if you gave people a cold right before Thanksgiving—that‘s still not cool. For example A couple months ago-I thought I had a cold the night before I was scheduled to work the next morning. Took a covid test and tested positive. Immediately contacted my boss and was instructed to not come to the office the next five days.

well maybe you're a better person than I but don't think everyone's running out for a Covid test every time they have a scratchy throat.

Its not only about taking a Covid test if you have a scratchy throat- its about not exposing people to any disease (cold, fliu, covid) needlessly. You said yourself that it was a night of eating and drinking and enjoyment. If I have a scratchy throat- out of common courtesy I would be avoiding the office party. To knowingly attend a function when you are feeling unwell and then to label it “common courtesy” that you want to report possibly exposing people to disease after the fact feels far more like “guilty conscience” than it does common courtesy. Jmo.

well ones common courtesy is anothers guity conscience, we can leave it at that on this point.

 

[TLEF316]

Our company had an official procedure that required notifying your manager. They would tell HR and then HR would send out a note to the people you may have exposed. (keeping patient zero anonymous to the people that got the email)

But they officially shut that down about a year ago from what I remember.

 

[Scoresman]

To me, having Thanksgiving come up is a difference maker. I'd be definitely telling people and not exposing others this time of year. Otherwise I Think people are right that people dont care much anymore. It's a bit of a shame that we as a society didnt really learn much from the pandemic, but you also cant stay in pandemic mode forever.

 

[belljr]

I am stuffed up daily..... zero chance i'm taking a test unless i start to get severe symptoms......

 

[jvdesigns2002]

I am stuffed up daily..... zero chance i'm taking a test unless i start to get severe symptoms......

Right- but if you are stuffed up daily- that is your “norm”. In this case the OP clearly was aware that he wasn’t feeling normal- but just assumed it was benign. There’s a big difference.

 

[Scoresman]

That's true. I've been exposed probably a half dozen times by people who all claimed "It's just allergies" then a day later comes the "I just tested positive text/email". I roll my eyes every time I hear someone say that now.

 

[beer 30]

Lotta uptight folks in here. My wife had it a month ago, she tested positive after the 5th day of not feeling well. She phoned me at work, I packed up my stuff and worked from home for a week. I sit in a cube farm and told the 2-3 folks I interacted with that day. Didn't seem like a big deal to be courteous to others but apparently I'd be run out on a rail if I worked with some of you.

 

[Witz]

Sorry if I missed it but from that entire offsite meeting - have you received notifications that anyone else tested positive from covid? If the answer is no, imo nothing really to say. Doubtful you are patient zero.

We’re in a world now where people are going out, no one’s wearing masks any longer and getting sick especially in these colder months is going to happen.

Hope you feel better though.

 

[IvanKaramazov]

Lotta uptight folks in here. My wife had it a month ago, she tested positive after the 5th day of not feeling well. She phoned me at work, I packed up my stuff and worked from home for a week. I sit in a cube farm and told the 2-3 folks I interacted with that day. Didn't seem like a big deal to be courteous to others but apparently I'd be run out on a rail if I worked with some of you.

That's how this would go at my place too. We no longer have an official "protocol" for covid.

It's easy for me to say because I have an over a year of banked sick leave, way more than I'm allowed to cash out at retirement. But I do wish we would do exactly what you described and just send people home when they're ill, even if it's just a cold. First, my case of covid was exactly like a cold, which makes me inclined to think that a lot of people with colds are bringing covid to the office. But also, colds suck anyway. We should encourage people to take leave or WFH.

 

[beer 30]

Lotta uptight folks in here. My wife had it a month ago, she tested positive after the 5th day of not feeling well. She phoned me at work, I packed up my stuff and worked from home for a week. I sit in a cube farm and told the 2-3 folks I interacted with that day. Didn't seem like a big deal to be courteous to others but apparently I'd be run out on a rail if I worked with some of you.

That's how this would go at my place too. We no longer have an official "protocol" for covid.

It's easy for me to say because I have an over a year of banked sick leave, way more than I'm allowed to cash out at retirement. But I do wish we would do exactly what you described and just send people home when they're ill, even if it's just a cold. First, my case of covid was exactly like a cold, which makes me inclined to think that a lot of people with colds are bringing covid to the office. But also, colds suck anyway. We should encourage people to take leave or WFH.

Yes, I cringe anymore when folks come into work and you tell they are sick. As a company, we proved out every single person in the organization that is at "corporate" can WFH. No reason to bring that nonsense to the office. I realize this isn't how it works everywhere but for our situation (and probably many) it is.

 

[Scoresman]

Lotta uptight folks in here. My wife had it a month ago, she tested positive after the 5th day of not feeling well. She phoned me at work, I packed up my stuff and worked from home for a week. I sit in a cube farm and told the 2-3 folks I interacted with that day. Didn't seem like a big deal to be courteous to others but apparently I'd be run out on a rail if I worked with some of you.

That's how this would go at my place too. We no longer have an official "protocol" for covid.

It's easy for me to say because I have an over a year of banked sick leave, way more than I'm allowed to cash out at retirement. But I do wish we would do exactly what you described and just send people home when they're ill, even if it's just a cold. First, my case of covid was exactly like a cold, which makes me inclined to think that a lot of people with colds are bringing covid to the office. But also, colds suck anyway. We should encourage people to take leave or WFH.

This was my takeaway from COVID. Colds suck enough that we as a society should really try and do better to keep ourselves from getting sick whether its COVID, colds or flu. It's simple for most, stay home from work and if you must go out, wear a mask. This requires companies to have good sick time policies but has anything changed in this regard? I don't think so. But suggesting anything like this in American culture gets you called uptight or you get told to man up and go to work sick. It's ridiculous that we developed this mindset.

 

[belljr]

Until you allow me to WFH if I'm sick I will continue to come in not feeling well..... I'm not burning my days if I am slightly under the weather.... Sorry you can blame employers for not allowing this to happen. YMMV

 

[acarey50]

Some of these comments make me really value my company/department/manager and our policies:

1. We still have a notification procedure companywide. If you test positive for Covid and were at a work location, we have a simple form you send in and a notification procedure that keeps it confidential but let's all employees at that facility be aware of the potential exposure. If you get the email, it's low risk as you were not identified as a close contact. If you were a close contact, you get a different notification letting you know about the close exposure.

2. Since many of our jobs can be done from home, at least in my department, if you're not feeling well, just stay and work from home if you are well enough to work, otherwise, take your sick time if you need the day off.

 

[AAABatteries]

Until you allow me to WFH if I'm sick I will continue to come in not feeling well..... I'm not burning my days if I am slightly under the weather.... Sorry you can blame employers for not allowing this to happen. YMMV

We have (essentially) unlimited sick days. There’s no concept of taking a sick day as a personal day or a set number of sick days.

 

[ignatiusjreilly]

Until you allow me to WFH if I'm sick I will continue to come in not feeling well..... I'm not burning my days if I am slightly under the weather.... Sorry you can blame employers for not allowing this to happen. YMMV

One reason I hate the move to "PTO" (vacation + sick days) is because it encourages exactly this behavior. To be clear, I don't blame @belljr or anyone else who comes in a little under the weather. It's a totally rational response to a dumb policy. And that's not even counting the hourly workers who, if they don't show up to work for any reason, don't get paid at all.

I also think that, in most white-collar jobs, there should be no such thing as sick days. If you're sick, either WFH or take the day off