"He is also very social when he is sick. He loves stopping by desks to chat. He leans in to show you something on his phone. He offers to help by borrowing your stapler or hovering over your computer screen. Then he coughs into his hand and touches the office door handle, the coffee pot and the communal pen like he is trying to make sure his germs have a full social life, too."
"I do not want to embarrass him, and I do not want to create tension in a small workplace. At the same time, I am tired of worrying every time he walks past my desk. We have co-workers with kids and older parents. We also have one colleague who is immunocompromised, and watching Carl stroll in coughing and cheerful feels less like dedication and more like carelessness."
Carl routinely comes to the small office visibly ill and treats not taking sick days as a badge of honor. He socializes while symptomatic, leaning close, borrowing items and touching shared surfaces after coughing. Coworkers have given gentle hints without success. Presence of a colleague who is immunocompromised, employees with children and older parents heightens risk. The situation calls for a private, direct conversation that emphasizes team safety and concrete options: stay home, work remotely, wear a mask, or limit close interactions. If the coworker refuses, escalate the concern to a manager or HR to protect vulnerable staff.
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