Dear Liz,

I have a new workplace issue to deal with.

My manager “Steve” is on an assignment in the Far East and won’t be back until June at the earliest.

We have a temporary manager, “Marcy,” who is evil. She doesn’t want to hear from us. She stays in her office with the door closed.

Marcy is vicious. I have never seen a manager like her. If she interacts with us, she criticizes us.

I am a workaholic and I know it. I am at the office a lot more than is probably healthy for me. I like my work. I get here early and I leave late.

Last week I was sick in bed with the flu. I haven’t had the flu since 2011 but I got a bad case last week.

I came in on Monday but I was dragging the whole day and I felt like I was going to pass out. I was nervous driving home. When I got home on Monday night I went straight to bed. Before I fell asleep I called Marcy and left her a voice mail message saying that I wouldn’t be in on Tuesday.

On Tuesday morning Marcy called me and said “How did you know last night that you wouldn’t be in today?” I was shocked. I said “I was sick as a dog last night and I still am.

“I could tell I was heading into flu territory. I was going downhill all day Monday and worse on Monday night. I didn’t expect to be better by the morning, and indeed I have a high fever now and all the other flu symptoms. You don’t want me at work making everyone else sick.”

Marcy said “It’s just that I have heard it all before. You could come in for half a day, at least. Are you really so sick you can’t get in here at all?”

I had to bite my lip to avoid saying something I would regret. I just said “I’ll let you know how I’m feeling tomorrow” but I didn’t make  it in the next day either.

I took off Monday and Tuesday with the flu and I really wasn’t fully recovered when I went back to work on Wednesday. I told everyone to keep their distance from me so they wouldn’t get sick themselves.

What kind of manager forces people to come to work when they’re sick? Apart from trying to avoid the flu between now and June when Steve gets back, what else can I do?

Thanks,

Severine