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Original poster

Work colleague off sick but on holiday

113 replies

Toomanyfecks · 25/09/2025 22:29

We have a work colleague in our small team that goes of sick (fully paid) with mental health or physical health prior to going on annual leave to lovely places.Its happened 4 times now at least. When they are in work they are mostly great, if a little intense but the pattern of absence has been noticed by all our colleagues but not management it seems. Am I being unreasonable to be at my wits end with what appears to be someone taking the mick??

OP posts:
AliceMaforethought · 26/09/2025 09:50

YABU. Don't be a Lickspittle.

OneFootAfterTheOther · 26/09/2025 09:47

A million years ago, when I had some HR responsibilities, I gave a few members of my team a pie chart of their absences and pointed viruses did not know what day of the week it was so the prevalence of Mondays and Fridays was interesting.

Am quite sure that this is no longer an acceptable approach - however it did work.

LittleBitofBread · 26/09/2025 09:47

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No they don't.
Oh really?
That's funny, I must have imagined the three or four times friends and colleagues of mine have been recommended a holiday for their mental health. Silly me. Hmm

bugerandnosauce · 26/09/2025 09:42

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Deepbluesea1 · 26/09/2025 09:42

one off is ok esp if MH related. If they get routinely signed off before holidays, it's a piss take. I think there is nothing you can do other than raising the impact of workload with management.

LittleBitofBread · 26/09/2025 09:41

This shit again?
Sometimes doctors recommend a holiday for health reasons. Deal with it.
And you and all your colleagues need to stop gossiping and focus on your own work.

nosleepforme · 26/09/2025 09:39

ilovesooty · 25/09/2025 23:15

You're not their manager and you shouldn't be involved in how their sickness is managed. If they're being gossipped about management should put a stop to it.

This

TorturedParentsDepartment · 26/09/2025 09:37

Isometimeswonder · 26/09/2025 09:34

People saying mind your business, do your own job, etc seem to have no idea how morale sinks when people are treated differently.
It is so unfair on those who work hard and don't take the piss. And sooner or later those people leave as they are fed up!

It sucks (and we've got one at the moment who's a skiver and pain in the arse) however, at the same time, if you dwell on it too much and are in a situation where management aren't going to do anything about it - it'll eat you up and have more of a negative impact on you than the skiving does.

Also gossiping about why people are off sick never ends well - resident skiver tried doing that when I was off for a period of genuine ill health and it got back to me and I took it up to management so she ended up in at least some hot water for that.

TY78910 · 26/09/2025 09:35

It really depends on the deeper context - their manager will probably have this if they’re managing absence correctly.

If you have MH issues and you’re going away for a break from reality, or visiting family + friends in your home country - I can see that.

If you’re off for a physical illness and you’re signed off to recuperate, I would question if you’re on a jet ski.

If you’re off with a terminal diagnosis, and you’re living your best life - I’d be more understanding.

Perception isn’t always reality and although it feels unfair to the people watching by, you won’t be privy to the detail. I’d trust management to get the full picture.

JDM625 · 26/09/2025 09:34

OP- I wonder if your colleague is mine! My boss is based abroad and has openly said she doesn't know when we are on leave, when are working etc- we all work different days! She even asked us to go back over the past year and try to recall when we had sick days to add to a new system!

My colleague has had the most ridiculous excuses (none are MH) as to why she has an incident, sudden illness or other reason to have a day or 2 off before booked leave. When asked how she is when back- more than once she has completely forgotten the sudden illness!

Isometimeswonder · 26/09/2025 09:34

People saying mind your business, do your own job, etc seem to have no idea how morale sinks when people are treated differently.
It is so unfair on those who work hard and don't take the piss. And sooner or later those people leave as they are fed up!

CantHoldMeDown · 26/09/2025 09:33

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Nodecaffallowed · 26/09/2025 09:33

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Hankunamatata · 26/09/2025 09:33

Urgh we have one of those. They book holiday then they are 'sick' say before holiday starts then they use sick leave for holiday so they still have more leave to use

HelplessSoul · 26/09/2025 09:32

mjf981 · 26/09/2025 09:26

How's the holiday going?

Show quote history

Swimmingly.

mjf981 · 26/09/2025 09:26

HelplessSoul · 26/09/2025 07:58

Keep your beak out.

Got sod all to do with you.

How's the holiday going?

Neemie · 26/09/2025 09:25

ilovesooty · 25/09/2025 23:15

You're not their manager and you shouldn't be involved in how their sickness is managed. If they're being gossipped about management should put a stop to it.

Management can’t stop gossip. All they can do is stop people telling them the gossip.

bugerandnosauce · 26/09/2025 09:25

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ShortColdandGrey · 26/09/2025 09:22

You can go on a holiday while you are off sick especially if it is a pre booked holiday. In my work it goes down as annual leave while sick and it comes of their annual leave entitlement. Are you all pissed off because you think if she feels good enough to go on leave she shouldn't be off work? If it is a pattern that she is going off sick leading up to her annual leave that is for your manager and HR to discuss with her.

bugerandnosauce · 26/09/2025 09:22

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bugerandnosauce · 26/09/2025 09:21

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DramaLlamacchiato · 26/09/2025 09:16

I don’t blame you for being pissed off but it’s for management to deal with. If I were managing him I’d be getting occupational health to get some input about the pattern of this

PermanentTemporary · 26/09/2025 09:16

Min your own business; which includes making your manager aware of the workload you’re dealing with and any issues you’re having.

bluebettyy · 26/09/2025 09:13

Mind your own business

LakieLady · 26/09/2025 09:08

I had several long spells of sick leave in one job, all stress-related, and went on holiday during some of them. My doctor was fully supportive of this, felt it would help my recovery and there was not a thing they could do about it.

(I was diagnosed autistic a little while ago, and now suspect that I was having autistic burnout.)