Not sure what to do

[ModreB]

I am a junior manager responsible for supervision for about 16 members of staff. 1 male member of staff is due to go on paternity leave very shortly, due date is very close, it is their first DC. For the whole of the pregnancy, he has attended all ante-natal appts with his DP, and has taken pre-booked leave for this. Appts have always been on a Tuesday or a Thursday.

Today, he was due to be on an essential training course, and called in sick this morning, with D&V. The course has been booked in since the end of September.

1. I think that he is lying and wanted to go to his DP ante-natal appt today, she is so close to due date that she has weekly ante-natal appts, and rather than speak to me about this, chose to go sick.
   

1. Is it worth challenging him about this, does the legislation about pg related appts also apply now to DP's of pg women, where would I stand legally.
   

BTW - if he had spoken to me and asked to go on the appt, I would have happily made some sort of arrangement, let him leave a bit early or something like that.

[Lougle]

I don't think you can do anything here. If he is generally trustworthy, then it would be very wrong to accuse him of taking a sickie simply because it happens to be on a Tuesday.

I would let it go.

[ModreB]

No, he does have a bit of a history of being unwell when it suits him. Just pissed me off as we have bent over backwards to accomodate him having leave a short notice to go with his DP to appts etc.

[Wollstone]

Do not jump to conclusions! Suggest you chill out

[ModreB]

I know, I know. But I just hate it when 1 person takes the piss and everyone else has to pick up the slack.

If you are ill, you are ill, no question. But he didnt even ring in, he sent a text to my work mobile and then had his switched off all morning.

THEN rang at 2pm saying he felt better and would I like him to come in for the afternoon

[flowerybeanbag]

He's been to all the antenatal appointments? He has a history of convenient tummy upsets? He texts to avoid having to speak to you when he's off sick then switches his phone off.

Sometimes bending over backwards isn't actually the best thing to do.

You are probably right, but rather than accuse him of something he can easily deny and then act all outraged at the suggestion, pick him up on the actual thing he's done wrong, which is texting rather than phoning. I would imagine and hope that your procedure is that someone needs to actually ring and speak to someone if off sick. If it isn't, that needs to be your procedure. If someone can just text or send an email, it makes throwing a sickie way too easy.

[onimolap]

It is suspicious, but I don't see how you can take action on it.

If however he has missed essential training, he may have to live with the consequences if that. Not knowing, the workplace or the training, I'm not sure how direct these consequences are (or could be presented to be).

If you do need to restrict his deployability until catch-up training has been completed, it would of course be quite unfair if you to say something along the lines of: "I'm so sorry you can't XYZ now; so unlucky you were ill on the training day. Especially as it would have been possible to adjust round just about anything else. Still, you might able to catch up in the next round in 6mths time"

[DaisySteiner]

If he's got D&V then surely he should be off for 48 hours after last symptoms? What's his sickness record like overall? Could you tackle him on this aspect?

Got to say I'd be tempted to innocently ask whether he'd been well enough to go to his wife's antenatal appointment and see if he is stupid enough to will admit it?

[ModreB]

No, our proceedure is that if you are ill, you ring and speak to a manager before 9.30am. If no manager is available at that moment, one will ring back before 10am to speak to the ill person direct, but obviously I couldn't do that as the phone was off, not just going to voicemail but off.

The other thing that made me very suspicious is that when he rang at 2pm, he said it was as a result of a meal that he ate last night, and when I asked if his DP was ill as well (having shared the meal), as she is so close to the due date she must see a Dr if she was poorly as it could have a serious effect on the baby. He hummed and hawed and said, that no, she was ok.

Maybe I am too suspicious after years of DC's doing the tummy upset thing to get off school.

WRT the training, if it isn't completed he won't get a capability increment in Jan, and will have to wait until next year for the increment.