How many sick days are you allowed to take?

I've re-read this thread. I can't get over the posts, I'm literally staggered by it. I myself am never ill, neither are my ds's, but if you think you can work with a proper cold you're wrong, because they can be nasty and some literally can't get out of bed.

I simply can't accept that 2 x 2 days is that extreme, agree with @xogossipgirlxo

"Didimum
I don’t think 4 days off in 7 months is a lot. I would barely notice.

Exactly. It’s like having a cold in i.e. November and sickness bug in February. What’s so weird and excessive about it."

@AndCoronets Employers only behave this way because employees allow it. I'm always surprised on Mumsnet by how many people are supportive of these types of policies.

It's because people get fed up of the skivers whose antics result in more work for other, more conscientious, people to pick up.

I've always had to have a return to work meeting after every absence, in the private and public (and charity!) sectors. Currently 7 months pregnant and had one day off last week with a horrible cold, bedbound all weekend and on this one day. Dragged myself in with it as it was getting worse 2 days the previous week due to work (teaching) commitments and came back after one sick day as I was running exams.

Still got warned (reluctantly by my LM) that as I'd also had one other day sick in the last 12 months (rolling) if I had 2 more sickness absences I think it's a work capability meeting.

We're also around hundreds of children with their germs every day who will get very close to you and then tell you their whole family has a vomiting bug, for example.

A previous charity job, if you had 3 sickness absences (eg 1 day each) in 12 months it would result in a disciplinary.

Is it a job where you're able to WFH if you're feeling not well enough to go in but still well enough to do something from home?

I won't work for an employer with draconian attitudes to sick leave now. I'm rarely ill so not a work dodger at all. The only time I've been ill a lot in a job was the only time I worked for an employer where everyone felt they had to work through sickness, there were constant viral type illnesses doing the rounds all winter, it was awful. The staff were treated badly in other ways too.
Employers only behave this way because employees allow it. I'm always surprised on Mumsnet by how many people are supportive of these types of policies.

Exactly. And there’s no medals in life for working through illness and subjecting your colleagues to you sniffling and coughing or prolonging feeling shit because you can’t rest.

99.9% of the time there is absolutely no productivity or work ethic difference between someone who has taken 5 sick days in a year and someone who has taken 1. It’s completely arbitrary.

You haven't had a really bad cold! You can't get on with it when you're sneezing uncontrollably (literally) , aching all over and feeling too ill to sit up straight. Colds are all different.

Exactly. It’s like having a cold in i.e. November and sickness bug in February. What’s so weird and excessive about it.

My most recent workplace had statuatory sick pay, so they weren‚t questioning you being sick, but ultimately you weren’t paid or used your annual leave. I think sickness pay policy in the UK is outrageous

I think ‘allowed’ is the wrong word. If you are ill and cannot work, you self-certify and then get a fit note if it continues. Individual companies will have sick absence policies, some of which are draconian. Others will hopefully have a more realistic policy, but eventually poor attendance, past a certain point, is unsustainable, both for the company and the employee.

To be fair that rather depends on what you do for a living.

if you mainly work alone and don't have to speak much that's fine, if you work in a control room or call centre where you talk all shift eg. for me having a cold and throat infection for a 12 night shift where I'm dispatching emergency services and giving constant verbal instructions to my units or taking 999 calls is rather different to someone working on an admin function in a bank back office for 8 hours 9x5. I can't do my job from home and I work in an air conditioned control room where one person's Cold will easily spread round 50-60 people in a matter of a couple of days.

I can understand that if you work in this situation, you have to be careful about germs. However, it doesn’t sound like OP works in such a place. 4 days in 7 months is a lot and if I was their manager I would be concerned that this may become a pattern. Sounds like the OP feels that’s ok though, so I’m not surprised their both is taking a stand.

We always have a return to work meeting so we can have any adjustments made.

If we have 3 absences it triggers the first stage to check if there is anything they can do. Or if it's longer than 4 weeks.

It's what they do to cover themselves. It started for me in 1996 when I worked in Greggs. So for me it's normal x

You seem to struggle with rules OP. Your workplace sounds like they have rules and structure to stop people taking the piss. Because most people take the piss, if you let them.

6 days / 3 occurrences for us

I don’t think 4 days off in 7 months is a lot. I would barely notice.

That depends on one's situation - I've worked in a setting where we were explicitly told not to come in if we had colds, because we saw people who were clinically vulnerable or immunicompromised. It's why making it possible to WFH is such a good idea. My current role is hybrid, it means that if I'm snotty, I can WFH, be as effective and not share my viruses with other.

Surely that depends on where Madarinaduck lives? Not everyone lives in the UK. You can't self certify for 7 days where I live. From day 3 onwards you need a doctor's note.

Four days in seven months is a lot. Personally, I don’t think having a cold is a reason not to go to work. Take some Lemsip and get on with it. I would only stay off work if I was vomiting or I had a high temperature.

I was just reading this. I'm in a end of life and vulnerable people type job. I had the actual flu in February and had 6 days off. I had 1 day of in july with a fever
I had 2 days off in August with a stomach bug. I've just woken up with fever and chills. My throat is burning too.Everyone at works had it! So I have called in sick for today. But I've had 10 days off now. But I pick up most of it at work and I could potentially kill somebody with my germs or give them it and itl lead to pneumonia etc. Yet our work still use Bradford scores and warn us. It's a tricky one!

Legally you can self certify for a week. No Dr will give you a sick note for 2 days.

13 weeks then pay starts reducing 75/50/25%, and just as well I’ve had cancer twice.

Law firm.

B&Q three absences in 18 month you're fired. (Obvioudly exceptions for long term conditions). My daughter had one day upset tummy, two separate days migraines and was fired after 8 months

@Abigail47 If I were your manager you'd already have been given the heave-ho.

DP has just had 6 weeks of certified sick leave. During his probation period. Fully paid. Passed probation. Boss came and picked him up and took him for a coffee for their "back to work meeting" which was to make sure they didn't put too much on him when he returned. He's due to go on paternity leave shortly, 3 months full pay. There has not been an utter of any of this being an issue. Granted he suffered a major injury that required surgery and is an amazing worker when he's there. But they have gone above and beyond, his last employer would have left us in the shit, in fact they still owe him his last wage packet. Octopus energy, literally the best company ever. We both recommend them to everyone.

I've had COVID 3 times, each time I was rough as a dog and couldn't possibly have done even half a day's work.

Fortunately we've been allowed to wfh once well enough (but still coughing/contagious) but isn't it logical to keep away from folks if you can whilst suffering from any illness?