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AIBU?

Are they allowed to do this

9 replies

Mushybanna23 · 21/09/2017 15:06

Sister works in retail clothes shop she was recently feeling a bit ill. I said to take the day off if it gets worse, she said She couldn’t apareantly work hound you when your off I’ll with texts. She said they where texting one of her friends telling her that they needed her in next week even if she wasn’t better she was on steroids for bronchitis. They also won’t send you home either one of the girls has a condition where she can be sick every ten mins for hours, it happens about twice a year she said they put her behind stock sorting so she could go to the toilet and wouldn’t let her home. I’m really worried as when my sister gets ill she always gets a cheast infection and struggles to breath. They also fired one of the girls and hinted it was because she was off I’ll

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LIZS · 21/09/2017 15:10

They can't hound you but yes a poor sickness record can result in disciplinary action. A chronic condition may be covered by the Disability Discrimination Act.

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Mushybanna23 · 21/09/2017 15:14

But what is a poor record two weeks for bronchitis or just one day or a sick day every month. My sister has anxiety and is scared of being ill

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LIZS · 21/09/2017 15:18

The gp certified 2 weeks is likely to be seen as better than odd self certified days. She needs to check the wording of the sickness policy as to what triggers their absence policy and in relation to sick pay. She should expect a "back to work" meeting after a period of absence. How long has she worked there?

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Mushybanna23 · 21/09/2017 15:20

Since beginning of summer she’s still on probation untill she’s been there six months

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LIZS · 21/09/2017 15:22

Unfortunately within 2 years they can legally let her go for any reason apart from limited protected circumstances (ie, pregnancy or discrimination).

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Sweetpea55 · 21/09/2017 15:43

Time to find a new job me thinks..

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KityGlitr · 21/09/2017 15:58

Most workplaces count periods of sickness as a block of time you're off, so a two week period is seen the same as a three day period. It's better to be off for ten solid days than be off for three, back for two then off for five.

Anyway, no, workplaces aren't supposed to hound you if you're off sick but plenty do. Usually terribly paid insecure low skilled jobs I've found. The pressure to work while sick is immense unfortunately. It's hard to fight back against as they can easily get someone else in the role. It's important to be in a union so you have back up if this kind of thing happens but in a lot of cases the worker has zero leverage. I've had jobs in food service where if you were off sick you'd have your hours docked next week (zero hour contract) and as it was so badly paid people couldn't afford to be off anyway. So you'd get people going to work making pizza with diarrhoea and vomiting.

Decent employers don't do this. Best to find somewhere else if she's able to.

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mamawoo · 21/09/2017 16:14

I recently had tricky impacted wisdom teeth extracted (2 wisdom and 2 back molars) under GA my consultant then signed me off work for the week (surgery Monday - rest of week to recover back to work the following Monday) I was texted and called every day from 6am to 6pm asking when I would return until I gave in and went back the Thursday. With some nice purple bruising to show my colleagues from the surgery. It was fine as I work in an office and not client facing but the fact I was hounded AND signed off did bother me.

A member of my team recently commented they had the same treatment from our manager.

It happens, sick days cost money I get that but imo it's not right to hound your staff. We have a robust sick procedure with any 3 periods or 3 days in any one year period would find you in the disciplinary route albeit 'informal' to start with and 'Return to work' interviews carried out routinely.

Is it a large chain? Is there someone up the line these behaviours could be reported to? or as PP have suggested maybe look for something new whilst working there.

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StormTreader · 21/09/2017 16:58

"3 days in any one year period would find you in the disciplinary route"

Wow, three days in a YEAR is seen as worth that? My place is 8 days, we sent someone home on Monday for sneezing with a nasty cold (because we didnt all want it as well). Surely if you make ill people come in, they just make more people ill and you lose even more manhours?

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