Calling in sick - what's the deal when you are made to feel like sh** over it!

[colnelcustard]

I work part-time in a call centre. I have called in sick yesterday and today as I have flu like symptoms. Sore throat, temperature, achy etc. I do not want to sit on the phone for three hours taking abuse off people.

I have also had quite a large amount of time off due to an ongoing medical problem. I have been admitted into hospital and had an operation over this.

That aside I've maybe taken two or three days off due to migraines that I suffer from.

I'm generally a very reliable employee, always on time, never late etc. etc. but have phoned in today and there was lots of tutting about it and was asked 'whether I For starters how am I supposed to know and secondly, I do genuinely feel ill I'm not faking but I almost feel like I'm being made to go into work.will feel up to coming in next week'.

[LoveMyGirls]

Sounds like we have the same thing so I have sympathy because it's really horrible, temp, feel sick, cough, sore throat, headache, ache etc I would be calling in sick for the rest of the week too if i could, I had Tue and Wed off but can't afford more days off, I'm sitting here with dd2 watching tv (she's ill too) mindee is asleep and my kitchen is covered in cous cous and I know I will have to sort it (prob as soon as I've pressed post) but the thought of bending down to do it is making me wish I could go and curl up in my bed! I'm better than I was the waves of feeling sick are horrible! Was nice of one mum (who happened to have booked the week off anyway) to have said she wouldn't send her dc's today so I could have a rest that was nice of her. As soon as dp comes home i'm going to bed!

[themoon66]

Call centres are the pits apparently for staff welfare. I've had friends work in them and last only 6 months max. They burn you out.

[Rookietherednosedreindeer]

Do you think your ongoing medical problem may be covered under Disability Discrimination Act ? If it is, then any time off associated to that would not be included in any review or discussion of being sick.

I ask because I have now been diagnosed with a chronic condition and have had 4 absences in the past year, but all bar one is associated with the condition. If you take it into consideration then my attendance record is pretty good, but otherwise is bad and sets off all the triggers for non attendance.

May be worth having a chat with HR or occupational health to see if it is covered as I know as a manager I am sympathetic to genuine illness but if I suspect that someone is taking a lot of time off and isn't that unwell then my tone is slightly more forced shall we say when wishing them well.

[colnelcustard]

i work in claims so am not phoning out people are phoning it. becoming increasingly aggressive as everyone wants money and fast so its getting v. difficult massive turn over of staff.

i've been there two years and returned this year from maternity leave. before went away on mat leave was rarely off sick if ever.

had bad luck since i've been back and now made to feel as if i'm being punished for it.

[colnelcustard]

I don't know its basically an abdominal pain that has not been diagnosed, i was admitted to hospital earlier in the year with it and it basically is a cycle thing comes once a month without fail (i'm not taking the piss its not period pains). am in agony with it and can barely move. have been given tramadol which i can only take when the dc's are in bed as it completely spaces me out.

last few months have gone into work and gritted teeth even though have been in pain. they know this as well.

on this occasion feel crappy, i have been in before with colds and stuff so its not like i take every opp. to get a day off. just pees me off.

[Rookietherednosedreindeer]

Hi, just so you know I have endometriosis which means that my time off is at period time and it is so painful there is absolutely nothing I can do about it. So glad I have been diagnosed now because like you I just worried because it sounds so bloody crap when you say that you can't come in because of your period.

Anyway sorry back to you. You sound very conscientious. It could be that your manager is handling a lot of sickness at the moment and is finding it hard to discriminate between genuine hard workers and the small number of people that abuse the system.

When you get back I would ask to see her/him and explain your concerns ( but don't be peeved or unpleasant about it) and stress that you would never take a day off unless you absolutely had to. I think most reasonable managers would be impressed by someone who managed the situation proactively.

[LoveBeingAMummyKissingSanta]

Surely they are only asking if you think you'll be up to going i next week cause of the volume of work at mo?