Why do people come to work when they are ill??!

We have to. People are literally berated for staying off. Staff will be awful to your face for any absences. But then of course it spreads through everyone.

Do read the pps who state that they work in one of those professions that have 6 months full pay/half pay once you’ve been there a number of years. That doesn’t mean that you can just take a total of 6 months off for whatever cold/headache/UTI you fancy to a total value of 6 months though. Absence levels will be triggered and disciplinary processes followed. This system includes the NHS.

I never make my staff feel guilty for taking time off, if they're too sick to work, then that's what sick leave is for.

Doesn't mean I don't have to uphold my company policy on back to work interviews and discipline measures if they go off for a 3rd time in 12 months. I don't agree with it, but I'm bound by company policy.

The best I can do is ask them to manage till after lunch, then get them to go home/log off and not mark them as off sick for those few remaining hours. But I can't do that too often, as I'll get into trouble myself.

@Anothercoffeeafter3 - we don't all get ill at this time of year. And if we do it's mainly because of selfish people spreading their germs.

Are you taking a union rep to the meeting?

I work in one of those professions that have 6 months full pay/half pay once you’ve been there a number of years. That doesn’t mean that you can just take a total of 6 months off for whatever cold/headache/UTI you fancy to a total value of 6 months though. Absence levels will be triggered and disciplinary processes followed.

Love how you've had a quick Google to try and correct your post 😄 not sure we need to be so pedantic, I was just highlighting that I'm not privileged but it is in fact mostly the norm in public sectors and most large corporate organisations.

Not all and not always. Re Burgundy book scheme for teachers and sliding scale entitlement according to aggregated service; similarly NHS employees get six months after four years so also dependent in length of service.

So what happens if you e.g. break your leg?

Teachers and all NHS get 6 months sick pay and all civil servants. Your comment only shows your naivety.

we are absolutely not allowed to go off sick between christmas and new year

people cant win
stay off sick, annoy people
go into work, annoy people

Probably because if they called in sick straight after Christmas, no one would believe them, and they'd be accused of lying.

The fact you happen to work in high wealth industry explains it. The majority of workers do not have the same benefits. Pretty sure that ordinary retail workers, teachers, nurses and people on low pay do not get six months full sick pay. Your comment only shows your entitlement.

@SicknessMadness - that's appalling and I'd be so angry and upset too.

It baffles me you can still see your line manager as lovely. I would feel so let down and unsupported if my boss did this after cancer treatment when they could reset it as a reasonable adjustment. She should definitely reset it and read the bloody policy properly! That's her job. She sounds a bit lazy / not up to the job...

I am in teaching so do get paid if off sick.

However, as others have mentioned, there are stringent absence management systems in place, so it's not a case or just being able to stay off. I have never had an absence management review but have colleagues who have (only stage 1).
All their absences were genuine but they still got called to a meeting with HR and a deputy head to discuss. They are also reminded that further absence will lead to a further review etc.

In addition, if I am off sick, someone has to cover my classes, I need to set cover work first thing which a non-specialist can manage. Kids generally don't cope well with change. When I get back in, there is undoubtedly things I need to catch up with (I'm a head of dept as well so not just my own stuff but management stuff as well). I then need to pick up with my classes.

Honestly, unless I can't get out of bed, it's easier to go to work.
Viruses have been rife the last half term so if I stayed off every time I had a cold, I'd hardly ever be there!

That's not true - gestation length for flu can be as short as one day. See NHS guidance on it.

@Confused228 - totally agree with you. I had to go to a work meeting last day before my Christmas leave and came down ill the following day with a cold/flu. It has completely wiped out Christmas. I've been on antibiotics and oral steroids since last Wed and still not over it. My husband and son have now got it so looks like it will wipe out New Year's too.

The murderous thoughts I have about selfish people who go " oh it's only a cold FFS".... well it might be for them, but for other people it can be really really serious and have a massive impact on their health.

People should stay at home and be able to WFH that day so not spread it.

There should be sanctions against people who have so little care for others they don't care if they pass it on in my view - can't see any way you could enforce that though.

I’m a teacher and if 4 of us stayed off with a cold it would be absolute chaos. Sometimes even though you can technically stay home the reality is that unless you’re on deaths door you have to struggle through

I’ve working in places where three incidences of illness spark a warning. I had a really bad run of odd illnesses where I had a bad eye infection that meant I couldn’t see to drive, followed a few weeks later by an ear infection, followed a few months later a migraine that put me to bed. I then had a miscarriage that ment I had to take two days off, and they tried to discipline me - I had a big argument with HR over this and the fourth illness was pregnancy related.

anyway, I don’t now take time off for colds etc, because having migraines and knowing some things can really put you to bed with no option, I don’t want any more nasty meetings with HR!

We seem to have forgotten that it’s good for the immune system to have regular exposure to the common cold. Before the pandemic we would not have thought anything of people being at work with sniffles.

I always take time off with a virus. I have same sick policy as OP so very lucky. I tend to take to my bed for a few days, sleep and sleep and sleep, then recover really quickly. Friends who struggle in to work when clearly unwell seem to take weeks to recover. So it doesn't feel worth exposing everyone to their germs.

I was off work mid December with a cold, which then turned into a chest infection requiring antibiotics. I was signed off for a week for the chest infection.

Some people get colds or sniffles all the time in the winter, but can still do their jobs. I can't imagine just staying home because of that level of a cold. My workplace has a reasonable sick policy but it is a problem to have a few people out, there aren't enough people to provide services.

Things like colds are around everywhere at certain times of year, and often people are not yet symptomatic. So the fact is that if you work with other people you'll get exposed pretty regularly.

I think a better way to try and cope is being careful about exercise, diet, and especially sleep. So you will be better able to fight off the germs you will inevitably be exposed to.

I'm with you. I once worked next to a team whose boss came in to work really sick. He spent three days telling everyone how ill he was. Coughing and sneezing all over the place. He barely did any work, he was really disruptive. Over the next week, one by one the people who worked near him were off sick and he complained about them being off, saying he had made it in and so should they. I did mention if he had stayed off, given he barely was able to work anyway, then the rest of his team wouldn't now be off sick. He said it was a point of pride for him he'd never had a day off sick in his life. A ridiculous response as, he was so unproductive that it made no difference that he came in to work.