Working in retail

[ej0820]

First part: I came home from college one summer and really needed a job. The place I had worked before couldn't hire me back, so I went searching all over town. I finally got a job at a local bagel shop...what a mistake. I cough way to much to work in the food industry. Has anyone found this to be true as well? It's not like I would cough on people's food or anything, and I would always wash my hands and wear gloves and that...but customers would hear me coughing and I could tell they were secretly worried about catching whatever they think I had. Just wondering if anyone's found that working in a food place isn't ideal for our coughing.

Second part: I now work in craft store (nothing really edible there, lol). I don't work on a register too much but when I do and I start coughing, almost EVERY customer has to make some classic comment ("You should be home in bed!" or "That doesn't sound good, I hope I don't catch that." or "You sound just like my sister...you both must have what's going around.") What do you guys say to people who say things like this? I try my best to be polite and say, "oh I'm fine," or "oh don't worry about me," etc...but sometimes it makes me stir crazy being asked over and over again, lol. I once had a lady freak out on me after she heard my cough, "Oh no no no, I can't catch that! That must be the flu, that's too harmful for me, I'd better not catch that. You shouldn't be at work with that, you could get people sick!" What do you all say to people who say things like this when you're at work and can't really explain a whole lot and have close to no choice but to be polite?

 

[ej0820]

First part: I came home from college one summer and really needed a job. The place I had worked before couldn't hire me back, so I went searching all over town. I finally got a job at a local bagel shop...what a mistake. I cough way to much to work in the food industry. Has anyone found this to be true as well? It's not like I would cough on people's food or anything, and I would always wash my hands and wear gloves and that...but customers would hear me coughing and I could tell they were secretly worried about catching whatever they think I had. Just wondering if anyone's found that working in a food place isn't ideal for our coughing.

Second part: I now work in craft store (nothing really edible there, lol). I don't work on a register too much but when I do and I start coughing, almost EVERY customer has to make some classic comment ("You should be home in bed!" or "That doesn't sound good, I hope I don't catch that." or "You sound just like my sister...you both must have what's going around.") What do you guys say to people who say things like this? I try my best to be polite and say, "oh I'm fine," or "oh don't worry about me," etc...but sometimes it makes me stir crazy being asked over and over again, lol. I once had a lady freak out on me after she heard my cough, "Oh no no no, I can't catch that! That must be the flu, that's too harmful for me, I'd better not catch that. You shouldn't be at work with that, you could get people sick!" What do you all say to people who say things like this when you're at work and can't really explain a whole lot and have close to no choice but to be polite?

 

[ej0820]

First part: I came home from college one summer and really needed a job. The place I had worked before couldn't hire me back, so I went searching all over town. I finally got a job at a local bagel shop...what a mistake. I cough way to much to work in the food industry. Has anyone found this to be true as well? It's not like I would cough on people's food or anything, and I would always wash my hands and wear gloves and that...but customers would hear me coughing and I could tell they were secretly worried about catching whatever they think I had. Just wondering if anyone's found that working in a food place isn't ideal for our coughing.

Second part: I now work in craft store (nothing really edible there, lol). I don't work on a register too much but when I do and I start coughing, almost EVERY customer has to make some classic comment ("You should be home in bed!" or "That doesn't sound good, I hope I don't catch that." or "You sound just like my sister...you both must have what's going around.") What do you guys say to people who say things like this? I try my best to be polite and say, "oh I'm fine," or "oh don't worry about me," etc...but sometimes it makes me stir crazy being asked over and over again, lol. I once had a lady freak out on me after she heard my cough, "Oh no no no, I can't catch that! That must be the flu, that's too harmful for me, I'd better not catch that. You shouldn't be at work with that, you could get people sick!" What do you all say to people who say things like this when you're at work and can't really explain a whole lot and have close to no choice but to be polite?

 

[point]

I usually sign-off my coughing, etc. to sinus and allergy problems - since I have those as well. Then I tell them that unless they can develop a broken arm be/c someone else has one, they don't need to worry about it.

 

[point]

I usually sign-off my coughing, etc. to sinus and allergy problems - since I have those as well. Then I tell them that unless they can develop a broken arm be/c someone else has one, they don't need to worry about it.

 

[point]

I usually sign-off my coughing, etc. to sinus and allergy problems - since I have those as well. Then I tell them that unless they can develop a broken arm be/c someone else has one, they don't need to worry about it.

 

[coltsfan715]

I tried going back to work earlier in the year and I got a part time job at a grocery store. Yeah that was a no no - just like you said people hear me coughing and freak. I wouldn't cough on food. I always turned my head, covered my mouth and would use a sanitizing wipe afterwards or even would try to step away if I could and go to the bathroom. Still I realized it wasn't the best place for me to work.

I also always got the oh that cough sounds horrible or oh are you sick or whatever other comments you can think of. I also wrote them off as allergies on most instances. It is easier to explain as allergies than to get into the other.

Take Care,
Lindsey

 

[coltsfan715]

I tried going back to work earlier in the year and I got a part time job at a grocery store. Yeah that was a no no - just like you said people hear me coughing and freak. I wouldn't cough on food. I always turned my head, covered my mouth and would use a sanitizing wipe afterwards or even would try to step away if I could and go to the bathroom. Still I realized it wasn't the best place for me to work.

I also always got the oh that cough sounds horrible or oh are you sick or whatever other comments you can think of. I also wrote them off as allergies on most instances. It is easier to explain as allergies than to get into the other.

Take Care,
Lindsey

 

[coltsfan715]

I tried going back to work earlier in the year and I got a part time job at a grocery store. Yeah that was a no no - just like you said people hear me coughing and freak. I wouldn't cough on food. I always turned my head, covered my mouth and would use a sanitizing wipe afterwards or even would try to step away if I could and go to the bathroom. Still I realized it wasn't the best place for me to work.

I also always got the oh that cough sounds horrible or oh are you sick or whatever other comments you can think of. I also wrote them off as allergies on most instances. It is easier to explain as allergies than to get into the other.

Take Care,
Lindsey

 

[dbtoo]

I tell them "You can't catch this, it's hereditary. " If they press on, I explain "it's a progressive degenerative disorder called Cystic Fibrosis, usually diagnosed in childhood." Quickly followed up by "Would you like to contribute financially to the eradication of the disorder by making a donation to the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation?" That gets them moving on.

(ej0820 - admit it, you are secretly eating the glue - just like in kindergarten!)

 

[dbtoo]

I tell them "You can't catch this, it's hereditary. " If they press on, I explain "it's a progressive degenerative disorder called Cystic Fibrosis, usually diagnosed in childhood." Quickly followed up by "Would you like to contribute financially to the eradication of the disorder by making a donation to the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation?" That gets them moving on.

(ej0820 - admit it, you are secretly eating the glue - just like in kindergarten!)

 

[dbtoo]

I tell them "You can't catch this, it's hereditary. " If they press on, I explain "it's a progressive degenerative disorder called Cystic Fibrosis, usually diagnosed in childhood." Quickly followed up by "Would you like to contribute financially to the eradication of the disorder by making a donation to the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation?" That gets them moving on.

(ej0820 - admit it, you are secretly eating the glue - just like in kindergarten!)

 

[sue35]

I say its a chronic cough and that they can't catch it. if they still go on about it then I say its a genetic disease

 

[sue35]

I say its a chronic cough and that they can't catch it. if they still go on about it then I say its a genetic disease

 

[sue35]

I say its a chronic cough and that they can't catch it. if they still go on about it then I say its a genetic disease

 

[loriz65]

dbtoo,

Tthat's exactly what I should have said to the woman sitting below my 5 year old niece at Seaworld/Orlando in the stadium. Gillian had a bad cough that day and this woman kept looking over her shoulder at us. I have to tell you it took all my strength to "sit" on my hands and not give her a CF Class 101 right then and there! I didn't want to embarrass or upset anyone so I just kept quiet! Before we knew it, the show was over and we were on to the next.

Lori / aunt to Gillian w/cf 5 years old

 

[loriz65]

dbtoo,

Tthat's exactly what I should have said to the woman sitting below my 5 year old niece at Seaworld/Orlando in the stadium. Gillian had a bad cough that day and this woman kept looking over her shoulder at us. I have to tell you it took all my strength to "sit" on my hands and not give her a CF Class 101 right then and there! I didn't want to embarrass or upset anyone so I just kept quiet! Before we knew it, the show was over and we were on to the next.

Lori / aunt to Gillian w/cf 5 years old

 

[loriz65]

dbtoo,

Tthat's exactly what I should have said to the woman sitting below my 5 year old niece at Seaworld/Orlando in the stadium. Gillian had a bad cough that day and this woman kept looking over her shoulder at us. I have to tell you it took all my strength to "sit" on my hands and not give her a CF Class 101 right then and there! I didn't want to embarrass or upset anyone so I just kept quiet! Before we knew it, the show was over and we were on to the next.

Lori / aunt to Gillian w/cf 5 years old

 

[dbtoo]

When you see people giving you the 'ole "evil eye", look them dead in the face and say " It's herediatary " ( give a big sigh) then - shaking your head say " Just thank God that you don't have to live with it every minute of <b>YOUR</b> life."

Should give them something to think about. (Ohhh, did I sound cynical?) <img src="i/expressions/face-icon-small-shocked.gif" border="0">

 

[dbtoo]

When you see people giving you the 'ole "evil eye", look them dead in the face and say " It's herediatary " ( give a big sigh) then - shaking your head say " Just thank God that you don't have to live with it every minute of <b>YOUR</b> life."

Should give them something to think about. (Ohhh, did I sound cynical?) <img src="i/expressions/face-icon-small-shocked.gif" border="0">