To find work absence procedures frustrating?

Usually employers are not that caring.

It’s literally just because it’s easier to lie by text, and phoning in sick in person is more of
a deterrent to the dishonest…

It's designed to make you feel uncomfortable and induce guilt. I got dh to phone in for me when I had my work induced mental breakdown.

It's because if you can email/text/WhatsApp, rather than telephone (or somebody else telephones if you are too ill), it will be proven statistically that sickness absence rates go up ... as its "too easy".

Unfortunately I agree.There are certain people who just skivers who do not have a work ethic!

This is for safeguarding reasons. Someone could have hurt you and email in on your behalf. They need to speak to you to make sure you are safe.

I've been like this in previous workplaces (current manager is happy with an email).

I feel like I'm a child trying to bunk off school, rather than a responsible adult who has a good relationship with my manager, not much sickness history, and is genuinely too ill to work!

My husband phoned my work once to say I was in bed feeling awful with laryngitis, a really bad headache and suspected (turns out it was) chest infection. Boss demanded to speak to me. DH handed me the phone, but I couldn’t make a sound. Boss thought I was taking the piss and started berating me. DH heard and took the phone back to tell her to catch a grip.

Samw boss tried to sack me for having too many miscarriages. Said had breached the regulation maximum 2 absences. Twice as needed hospital admission for ERPC because I was haemorrhaging so badly.Again berated for not phoning myself (the fact I was having emergency surgery wasn’t a good enough reason for my husband to phone apparently). Once I took off the day I was actually miscarrying and went back the next day to a row.

Yes - even genuine sickness absence can lead to warnings and dismissal. It’s about the impact on the business not whether it’s genuine or not

My workplace has that rule, but I'm not aware of it being widely enforced. It's obviously up to specific managers, but from what I've seen, most are happy with an email.

We trialled a system of 'Email OR ring'. Everyone emailed and the level of absence increased significantly by a number of staff. For example, we had one who had 6 grandads die, another who had terrible tonsillitis and bad backs- but was smoking and playing guitar in a band in pubs and clubs.
It caused more work all round following them up, finding cover, putting attendance procedures in place.
People take the piss if it is easy to do so. We all have to telephone our line manager now and we all have return to work interviews. It's amazing how the piss-takers' health and attendance has improved.

Because it’s much easier to send a text or email so suits piss takers much better than having to speak to someone. It’s a shame for genuine employees but blame the lazy skivers that have led to employers being mistrustful in the first place

YABU

Yes, and I bloody hate having to speak to someone. I'm not off sick often, but I actually get anxiety before phoning, and I'll put it off for up to half an hour before I've plucked up the courage. I know I sound soft, I just don't know what it is?

I had to did this too, back when I worked in the NHS. Calling in sick for MH issues can feel impossible. How do you word it? I tried to plead my case that when I was unwell, I could not even get out of bed, let alone make a phone call. My partner of the time offered to call them for me.... and they would not accept him calling.

This^
I think it's considered good HR practice to speak to employee who's off and when they return. It's because it's easier for people to take the piss if they just send a text and then never have to speak to anyone about it while off or on their return

Tbh as a line manager it can be quite entertaining.
I used to have a member of staff who was "sick" pretty much every time his favourite football team had won the day before. I could never prove he was lying but the stories he was coming up with got crazier as time went on, and he would put on this stupid raspy voice like he was speaking his final words on his death bed. He was a dickhead for doing this, but the bad acting was also amusing.

for me im similar, how is a text any different at least with text you can send it eg 2am so then you know they have it

Thankfully I can just send a WhatsApp. I rarely take time off but when I do, I would be really too unwell to have a chat on the phone! Surely if you’re throwing up you wouldn’t be expected to call would you? This sort of controlling and mistrustful approach would make me want to work elsewhere.

'Just don't understand this level of distrust that employers have, does anybody else have this in their contract?'

They probably read Mumsnet before they wrote that into your contract. It astounds me how many people on here think it's perfectly acceptable to call in sick for no reason at all. We had one today who had been told they may be fit to go back to work, (post an operation), after a couple of days but wants to book 4 weeks off! The distrust is there because so many people are dishonest.

They do it because it’s unpleasant, it’s a deterrent if you’re faking.

I agree it’s ridiculous. My current workplace don’t expect a call - email/text is fine.

In my experience sickness issues are either related to an individual or endemic in a shitty business.

Neither of which is solved by making people call in.

We have a very low sickness rate and have no daft requirements because people are treated like adults.

It's standard practice in NHS to have to speak to line manager. It's not as simple as just being off sick. May have work needs to be passed on, need to give reason why we're off, idea of timescale etc.