Wedding Woes

Ugh, WWWWD--awkward

HeffalumpHeffalump member
First Anniversary First Comment 5 Love Its First Answer
edited February 2016 in Wedding Woes
My boss is out of town.  Coworker was out sick yesterday, back today.  Boss just emailed me to ask if Coworker "really seems like someone recovering from the flu."

Y'all, IDK--I dropped off one thing for him this morning and that was that.  He wasn't dancing a jig, he wasn't lying on the floor moaning. 

There is this whole political thing:  Boss was passed over for a promotion.  They gave it to this outside guy who was a disaster (didn't last a year).  There was no love lost between Boss and Outside Guy.  Outside Guy brought in his own guy (Coworker), it was a whole Thing.  Now Boss is acting director, and he is gunning for Coworker (he keeps telling us he goes to HR to see if he has enough to fire Coworker yet).

I don't want any drama.  I don't want to be a narc, especially since I'm not sure there is anything worth narcing on.  There was idle speculation that Coworker called in sick to interview elsewhere, but AFAIK it was just idle gossip--he was only close with Outside Guy, who is now gone. 

I'm just going to tell Boss that I saw Coworker briefly and he said he was feeling a little better, but if he keeps digging, WWWWD?  Just keep saying "I don't know?"  What I'm really thinking is "It's hard to make a medical diagnosis based on three minutes of conversation" but Boss doesn't have a proper appreciation for snark.

ETA:  sorry, re-reading it, I may have been unclear.  The WWWWD is basically "How do I get boss to drop this and leave me alone?" not "Would you say anything about CW or not?" because as far as I am concerned on the latter, there is nothing to tell, other than that he was out sick yesterday and is back today.

Re: Ugh, WWWWD--awkward

  • Ugh.  I wish you could employ snark and be all, "Well, it didn't seem he was dying, but I haven't dusted off my medical degree in awhile."  I'd stick to "IDK" for any further questioning.  If your boss does want to get him out and takes any missteps that could lead the guy to suing you guys for unjustified termination or something, you don't want it to come out that you had any part in feeding information to your boss. 

    ::fingers crossed:: he was on an interview and resigns before your boss can follow through will 86-ing him. 

  • ::fingers crossed:: he was on an interview and resigns before your boss can follow through will 86-ing him. 
    Yeah, I mean, he's not a bad guy.  He's a little...odd, but in a harmless way.  If he left of his own volition, I wouldn't miss him, but I don't harbor any ill will toward him.  He's just a guy down the hall.
  • Ugh, what an awkward position your boss has put you in.  I think the IDK response is all you can do.  
    image
  • "Sorry boss, I really couldn't say. Everyone recovers differently after all! So, how about that xyz task?"
    ________________________________


  • I knew it wouldn't shut him up.  He replied to my IDK email with "Does he look or conduct himself like someone battling the flu?"  Seriously?

    I told him I haven't spent much time with him today, but that was my impression.  I so badly wanted to say "IDK, want me to go take his temperature?"  

    So now I'm wondering, when I was out sick a few weeks ago, did he scrutinize me to see how sick I actually seemed?  Was he making mental notes?  "Hair looks clean, but kind of limp.  Color is poor.  Sounds very congested."


  • "Sorry boss, I really couldn't say. Everyone recovers differently after all! So, how about that xyz task?"
    I really thought about doing something similar.  I was afraid it might sound evasive, which then would make him more suspicious, yada yada.
  • *Barbie**Barbie* member
    First Anniversary 5 Love Its Name Dropper First Comment
    edited February 2016
    tell boss you didn't want to get too close, just in case. 
  • teddygirl9teddygirl9 member
    First Anniversary 5 Love Its First Comment Name Dropper
    edited February 2016

    I'd probably say something like "Oh I don't know. I just dropped something off real quick and got out of there. I don't want to get sick myself!"

    Your boss sounds like a bit of a control freak though. I did lol a bit at the notes. I can absolutely picture someone doing that.

    image
  • Would boss respond well to, "I'm uncomfortable with making any other statements that I can't back up" or something similar?  I mean, you don't really know.  I've been at work with a fever before b/c shit had to get done.  Doesn't mean I didn't feel like hell doing it.
  • That is so awkward and annoying. My old boss was the same way. In fact, if one of us happened to have to call in on a Monday, she assumed we were hung over and would go around telling everyone that she didn't think we were really sick (WTF???). I agree with Barbie. Maybe just tell him you didn't want to get too close to him in case he was still contagious.

  • Was the guy only off for 1 day? Flu is no joke, idk anyone that would only have one day off for flu. Unless he really means he had the cold I guess. I had a boss like yours and he did make snide comments whenever any of us was off ill.  It makes for a really unsettling environment. Probably bean dipping is the only way to go - maybe you had some kind of child related errand to run so you were only there very briefly. Or like you say, just call in sick till he forgets about it!
                 
  • Heffalump said:
    banana468 said:
    I'd say something like, "Given everything going around, I just dropped the things off on his desk and left.   I don't want to expose myself to anything that could keep me from coming in so I went back to my desk."

    Snarky me would want to say, "I took his rectal temp and it's just slightly elevated.   I have a saliva sample in your top drawer but I can send it to the lab for analysis if you'd like."  
    Maybe I'll do the reverse.  ::cough, cough::  "I think I have to go home sick.  I think I caught whatever Coworker had.  Oh, if only I hadn't been asked repeatedly to go check on his medical condition, maybe I could have stayed healthy!"  ::cough, cough, cough::

    Okay, not really, but it's worth a minute of daydreaming.
    Or "Dude, I would have had that spreadsheet all set but you had me playing Dr. Quinn over here."


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