Last week my current employer decided to have team building exercises where all members of my current department went into the office to that we could get to know one another.
We have not been in the office for 2 years now and this was the first week we all were required to come back into the office. At the start here I was very nervous to go back into the office as COVID near where I live is still pretty rampant. I also suffer from an autoimmune disease and if I get covid my disease (HS) flares up and gets really bad.
During the week i was the ONLY one wearing a mask and I kept my distance from all of my team members. At the end of the week I was called into my director's office and I was reprimanded for being “Distant” during the week and for not being social with the other team members. I explained that I was distant because I cannot afford to get covid and that it was actually quite dumb of the organization to have a get together like this while covid numbers in my area were spiking like crazy.
Now this monday I receive emails from my team and director. My director has COVID and now SEVEN other members of my team have tested positive for covid. Luckily, I have tested negative, but have been feeling sick.
I just cannot believe I was essentially “Written up” for being distant / non social during an event at work when I was looking after my own health. Since that day I have already applied to multiple jobs externally and several positions internally. i am not going to work for an idiot who demands I'm more SOCIAL during an event where people are spreading covid and with my auto immune disease, it could have caused my a TON Of pain / issues with my body