An employee asks to telework one day because he has a fever. His boss tells him that if he can work at home, he can come to the office

News JVTech An employee asks to telework one day because he has a fever. His boss tells him that if he can work at home, he can come to the office

A categorical refusal

The world of work is changing. The Covid-19 pandemic has accelerated the adoption of teleworking, offering greater flexibility to employees. But this new organization raises many questions, in particular on the definition of the limits between professional and private life, or on the conditions of working at home.. It is in this tense context that an exchange of messages between an Australian employee and his boss quickly makes the rounds on social networks. The story is simple: an employee, feeling slightly unwell, asked his superior for permission to work remotely. His request was categorically refused.

According to the employee's testimony, he woke up with a fever and flu-like symptoms. Concerned not to contaminate his colleagues, he suggested to his employer that he work from home. The latter, however, categorically refused this request, arguing that if the employee felt well enough to work, then they should come to the office.

This decision aroused the incomprehension and indignation of many Internet users. On social networks, comments poured in, condemning the attitude of the boss deemed “inflexible” and “irresponsible”. Some also stressed the importance of prioritizing the health of employees, while others recalled that teleworking can be an effective solution to limit the spread of diseases. However, it should be kept in mind that not all countries have the same regulations, some workers around the globe do not benefit from paid sick leave. Fortunately, in France, the situation is somewhat different.

What is happening in France in this regard

France has seen the emergence of an interesting phenomenon in recent years. While traditionally people requested medical leave when they were sick, with the increase in teleworking since the pandemic, many people decide to work from home on sick days in order to avoid the office and infect others. Even if this starts from good attention, it poses a problem: sick people do not always rest.

At the same time, when a person takes sick leave, they experience a reduction in pay. The public service says: “Daily allowances are equal to 50% of the basic daily salary. If you are paid monthly, your basic daily salary is equal to the total of the last 3 gross salaries received before stopping work, divided by 91.25..