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I am that cougher - I have lung damage from chemo and cannot control it. It's worse when it's very cold or when my allergies kick in (not to mention the twice a year bouts of bronchitis I tend to get!), which means I get about a 2 month reprieve every year. I am followed carefully by a whole team of doctors and while it's not contagious, it's certainly obnoxious. People reminding me how obnoxious it is does not help and I shouldn't have to explain my medical history to everyone who questions me about it. Maybe she *has* seen a doctor but doesn't think it's any of your business?
I have a coworker who has been coughing since September. Seriously. I'm not really sure how someone lives with a cough for 9 months, but whatever. The problem is that not only is she constantly coughing, but it's LOUD open-mouthed HACKING. And she never bothers to cover her mouth. She can be sitting across a conference table (or worse, the lunch table) and just cough right in front of you. No turning, no covering.
We've got a relatively quiet office environment, but the quiet is shattered every few minutes with the coughing. It's quite maddening. And headphones don't really help ... I only wear one earbud because I need to be able to hear if someone comes up behind me and starts talking to me.
To the best of my knowledge, she hasn't bothered to go to a doctor. She claims it's annoying to her, but she doesn't seem to do anything about it. To be honest, I'd be happy if she just learned to cough less forcefully (if that makes sense) and learns enough decency to cover and turn. She's got to know it bugs people. We've tried the "friendly teasing" route, which had no effect. Anything more direct is going to be met with hostility (because she's naturally a very snippy person)
To complicate matters, she's very buddy-buddy with our supervisor. So I can't really go that route.
I've thought about getting a Costco-sized bag of cough drops and leaving it anonymously on her desk.
if she has allergies, I bet she has post nasal drip.... that creates a "tickle" in the throat and a major coughing fit......
During the times of year when my allergies flair up, I take Zyrtec or Claritin and use one of the nasal sprays, Flonase or the other one whose name escapes me......
I am that cougher - I have lung damage from chemo and cannot control it. It's worse when it's very cold or when my allergies kick in (not to mention the twice a year bouts of bronchitis I tend to get!), which means I get about a 2 month reprieve every year. I am followed carefully by a whole team of doctors and while it's not contagious, it's certainly obnoxious. People reminding me how obnoxious it is does not help and I shouldn't have to explain my medical history to everyone who questions me about it. Maybe she *has* seen a doctor but doesn't think it's any of your business?
I understand what you are saying, but the OP's cougher doesn't bother covering her mouth.
Do you have an HR department or someone above the supervisor to speak to?
You have a right to a work environment that doesn't involve someone spewing germs across the table.
I have a large team and we just went through allergy season. Had one person very similar to your situation. Staff started calling in sick because they didn't want to be around her so I sent her home and told her she couldn't come back until she had it under control and she had a doctor's note saying she was fit for work. 3 days later she was back, on meds, and no problem since.
I am that cougher - I have lung damage from chemo and cannot control it. It's worse when it's very cold or when my allergies kick in (not to mention the twice a year bouts of bronchitis I tend to get!), which means I get about a 2 month reprieve every year. I am followed carefully by a whole team of doctors and while it's not contagious, it's certainly obnoxious. People reminding me how obnoxious it is does not help and I shouldn't have to explain my medical history to everyone who questions me about it. Maybe she *has* seen a doctor but doesn't think it's any of your business?
It's not just the cough. It's that's it's a loud, uncontrolled, open-mouthed hacking. Think of the obnoxious coughing that's employed as a comedic effect in movies when the cougher is obviously faking ... then amplify that.
If it weren't for the fact that it's been going on since September, I would wonder if she were faking just to be obnoxious.
I have asthma, and at times I cough a lot, but at least I cover my mouth even though I'm not contagious.
But apparently all your coworkers hate you and want you to quit. Aren't people just charming? I don't know about you, but when I have a cough it's just so fun, I love it, it's so easy to sleep, and is never annoying or painful.
i work in health care and after coughing for 30 minutes i was told by my boss to go home. if someone is non-contagious and coughing and has to be at work, they wear a mask. Whether they are patients or staff or visitors or family, we hand them a mask if they are coughing. there are boxes of them all over the clinic.
one of the nice things about working in health care is there is a high level of awareness and practical steps taken to protect the health of patients and staff alike. we also have a "no shaking hands" policy, which i absolutely love. there are signs all over the clinic. i am so glad we do that, and now I do it even when i am not at work, that is NOT shaking hands with anyone.
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