Businesses only allowing sick leave if taking Tamiflu

I'm really infuriated about this so I have to vent! My boss is off sick with swine flu at the moment (has knocked her for six) and after everything I've read on here, I advised her to not get the tamiflu. Speaking with the big boss, he has said she is only allowed time off sick if she is taking it (despite my protests!). You only need to speak with her on the phone to hear how ill she is, this is ridiculous! Has anyone else found that their work has the same requirements? Is this a governmental requirement? I know it's easy enough to lie, which I've recommended her to do now but it worries me to Hell that this can be enforced. He also said 'if she takes the tamiflu she will then be immune and won't get the swine flu again.' I know he has obviously been grossly ill-informed but if this is the kind of information that is being passed around, it's abit scary.

Attack of the swine Nazi's has started, people who have no medical background are suddenly Quincy M.E, I'm tired of it

The cat in your avatar looks like my long gone sooty cat (best cat ever)

Aw bless him, you can't beat cats! Most beautiful creatures in the world!

Media's fearmongering is working though, she said that she's worried she'll die if she don't get the tamiflu! Bloody ridiculous how much this has been blown out of proportion.

Originally posted by JennyJen
Aw bless him, you can't beat cats! Most beautiful creatures in the world!

Media's fearmongering is working though, she said that she's worried she'll die if she don't get the tamiflu! Bloody ridiculous how much this has been blown out of proportion.

Bloody ridiculous is right. You should print out Jane's lawsuit and give that to your boss. He'd probably have a coronary as the info would be so shocking. Good place to start, there's lots more documents and web pages you could use.

Although the brainwashing is hard to get through, it happens once in a while.

This whole swine-flu idiocy is interesting. I don't talk to many people outside of ATS but I keep coming across people who are saying they aren't afraid of the swine-flu, and these are people who aren't in touch with what is really going on. Maybe the constant and nagging fear mongering is working against the propaganda. After all the crap that's happened in the last year or so, bailouts and such, I think, THINK, people are starting to get to the point of not trusting their government.

I hope, at least. Not a scientific survey I've done, just what I've been hearing from the person on the street.

As for cats, mine is pretty but I don't know about beautiful - she keeps bringing me dead birds(and occasional live ones I have to try and rescue), cicadas, moths and frankly I'm tired of the "gifts".

Hmmm. Perhaps she can trick them by getting the prescription Tamiflu and not taking it.

It's a very unfair situation, but this isn't Solitaire, this is a two player game, here. Is she able to lie about it and show whoever a receipt of their prescription for Tamiflu?

If this were to happen to me, I would just quit the job, or take the hit on my missed days off work.

As I work at a hospital, I hope for this to NEVER become a requirement.

Sorry but isn't that considered invasion of privacy? Isn't that what the HIPAA laws are all about?

I think some serious looking into needs to be done there... No way they can have that as a requirement


EDIT :

Ahh doh I just noticed you're in the UK.. I don't think you guys have an equivalent for the HIPAA over there, do you?

[edit on 1-9-2009 by Jomina]

reply to post by TheLoony


Haha yeah, they like to be 'nice' like that. Luckily mine don't kill them (or that they've shown me anyway), they just pick them up really carefully and bring them in for me. In the past week I've rescued two mice and a bird so the little 'uns are lucky survivors round my way!

I definately think people are cottoning on to the government and media being fearmongering liars. My friends Dad also told her to not get the tamiflu and my Mum works at a pharmacy and advises against it too, and neither of them research all this stuff. At least people are learning, slowly!

Yeah, shes going to lie and say she got it, I guess it's not worth fighting back against. If my boss wants to be a close minded, media accepting git then I guess when the vaccine comes out he'll find out the hard way that there is more to this than just a naturally formed flu that we are being 'saved' from.

Undefy.gravity, I feel really sorry for anyone working in the medical profession with this whole thing going on. I hope they don't make the vaccine mandatory for you. My Mum has the same concerns and says that if they try and force it on her she'll just quit her job.

reply to post by JennyJen

she said that she's worried she'll die if she don't get the tamiflu!

I'd be worrying of dying if I had the Tamiflu, there will be no flu shots tablets or anything going into my body

reply to post by Jomina


Yeah, I can't see how they can enforce it at all but I work for a fairly big company so I guess they had their lawyers check it out first!
Not sure about the HIPAA, I'm sure we must have the equivalent but I guess there's always a way around everything.

Edit to add...

Pockets, I said that to her too! The risks far outweigh any supposed benefits!

[edit on 1-9-2009 by JennyJen]

reply to post by JennyJen


Well it sounds like you've done all you can do by warning your friend,I've told my family and friends not to have it if they get the piggy flu but they aren't listening, so I've done all I can do as well, sure I read somewhere before that Donald "known unknowns" Rumsfeld had something to do with it all if so that = BAD

reply to post by JennyJen


these folks really have it all figured out, havent they...
I think they push tamiflu so bad, because they want to get the earnings on the batch that has been made long ago, before they push the new one..(Bastards).

I was snooping around Norways Emergency plans, we have, or they, the military, have I think it was 30 Mill. tablets of Tamiflu in the Dumb's..Smart.
First they get every one down in an closed bunker, then gives them dangerous drugs.. ?? What are they thinking ..

[edit on 1/9/2009 by ChemBreather]

you guys are nuts, i'm going to stock up on all the anti-swine flu products. i'll camp out if i have to just so i can be the first to have the vaccine. it's all reverse psychology you see, people are telling you to not get it because they want all the vaccines for themselves. i'm going to have me a anti-swine flu bag of medication so big i can hug it and go to sleep at night or walk around hugging it..and you guys can't have any so nyahh!

I would love for my boss to dictate my medical treatment! I would be RETIRED!! You see, if the boss is not a doctor, then acting as a doctor is breaking several laws! Also, it is creating a hostile work environment for many reasons! Especially since Tamiflu is not the only antiviral on the market and the boss probably owns some stock in the company!!

Hopefully her doctor will give her several treatment options and if the boss tries any funny business, she should go straight to a Labor attorney!

In the end she rang up her doctor who even advised against taking it aswell. I told the big boss he'll have to take it up with the Doctor if he's still got issues with it!

DOADOA, you are more than welcome to the drugs, I'd rather place my trust in what nature has to offer than chemicals that pharmacutical companies chuck together to line their own pockets.

So far as I know, if you are sick and company policy gives you sick time, then you can take it regardless of what medication you are on. For your employer to know what medication you are on and to CONFIRM it, they would need a note from the doctor that not only says you are ill, but the note would also have to describe your current treatment plan, which is a violation of HIPPA. BOTTOMLINE: you employer can not ask for or require such information be divulged...it's illegal!

EDIT: Forgot to mention that your boss could get in BIG trouble for having that stance...that is practicing medicine WITHOUT a license. You should anonymously report him to the authorities...get an attorney...and enjoy early retirement.

[edit on 1-9-2009 by Aggie Man]

I think it ends up being more a case of whether they give you paid sick leave or not. My other halfs lung collapsed and he was in hospital for a couple of weeks and when he went back to work they told him that he wasn't allowed anymore time off sick for the rest of the year. In my last job at AXA (a huge company over here, at least) I was told that I had to get a doctors note for even one day off (which would cost me), otherwise I would get a disciplinary. I think that's the way my place works also but I argued it out with the manager and told him exactly what I thought, except in much politer terms than I wanted so he backed down in the end.

Has got me thinking though, if they are trying to force people to take tamiflu then it wouldn't surprise me if they make the vaccine mandatory also or the job is on the line which is abit worrying.

Is anyone else having problems at their work with the swine flu?

Originally posted by Aggie Man

EDIT: Forgot to mention that your boss could get in BIG trouble for having that stance...that is practicing medicine WITHOUT a license. You should anonymously report him to the authorities...get an attorney...and enjoy early retirement.

[edit on 1-9-2009 by Aggie Man]

Oooo my mate would love that!! She already put in a grievance against him for bullying which the company ignored so anything more to back up her claims would be awesome! Thanks!

reply to post by JennyJen


I did not notice that you are in the UK. your laws may be different, but I would imagine that they are similar to those here in the US.