I am convinced I now have a life threatening virus.
This morning, I caught an unusually early train. One of those nights when you just don't sleep well, wake up early and know you're not going to nod back off, so might as well get up and go to work. The 6.54 was full of people that ought to be in hospital, or at the very least confined to their beds with something steaming, hot and lemony.
The cacophony of coughing, sneezing, and sniffing was almost deafening. I dread to think how many germs were on the tables and seats because people were blowing their noses and then wiping their mucussy hands everywhere. One person stank of Olbas oil, another of TCP (yes, I know, only suitable for the drains!).
Why are most of these people going to work? They are ill, they should be at home! Their workmates won't thank them and neither will their employers if they give their diseases to everyone else. I suppose they must feel under pressure to be there - pressure to perform, to meet targets, not to let their teams down, to ingratiate themselves with their managers because they are worried about keeping their jobs.
There's only one thing for it. Tomorrow, I will take an antiseptic spray and as I get on, liberally spray it round the carriage, focusing it at all the sniffers and snufflers. I will hand out bottles of antiseptic hand rub and spend the journey with my nose firmly wrapped in my scarf so as to avoid breathing in the noxious bugs and smells. In that way, maybe I'll get to Christmas bug free. After all the expense, that's the least I can hope for.
Ahhh, but what of those of us who are self employed?
ReplyDeleteWe don't get paid for sick days, holidays or when the school
is closed due to teachers striking!!!!...... No work, no money.
It is a common problem here too. My company has a fairly strict policy about coming into work when you are ill. They actively discourage you but we only get a fixed number of hours sick each year. If you exceed those, you have to take vacation time and after that, unpaid leave. Consequently, at this time of year when people have used up their time off quota, many come into work when they should be tucked up at home with a Lemsip. I am guilty of this too, but I do have the excuse that I'm 'working from home' so I can keep up with emails and such but not actually have to go into the office.
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