She should just let me be ill in peace

Again we have to phone in
The times I haven't been able to- having an asthma attack, with either ambulance crew or on nebs in a&e my husband will phone in on my behalf which is our policy... As normally I can say one word and need a min or two to recover. They still get funny about that....

I can't stand pettifogging managers like that. I couldn't tell you what our policy is re sickness leave - for all I know it does say you have to call in but if one of my team says they're ill then I believe them and want them to get better. I couldn't give a shit about them phoning in; it doesn't make a blind bit of difference.

Hope you feel better soon and that your bp calms down a bit. I bet you can’t wait for maternity leave! Though your new manager then will be even more controlling - 24 hrs a day - but at least will give you warm cuddles and may even sometimes sleep! 💐

It sounds like you are difficult to manage and heading for a disciplinary action if you don't change course soon. Just do what you are required to do and try to build a better relationship with your manager. Things will go a lot easier for you and it sounds like you really do need to reduce your stress right now not increase it by falling out with your manager.

Neither of that applied to you.

I mean, you informed her you were sick so I don’t see why it matters if you did it via a Phonecall or not. It’s not like you just didn’t turn up, but as you can see lots of people are very petty when it comes to rules, even if they are pointless.

If the sickness policy says you need to speak to a manager daily whilst self certifying then you should have done that. This should have been covered in your induction. She kept calling you because from her point of view you were AWOL.

Sorry if I missed this or misunderstand but I'm confused if you are that sick and the guideline was to rest, why didn't the doctor sign you off? Saying the doctor said that and then that you are self certified is odd? Or would you not take certified leave so you could finish the recruitment? I'm always weary of self certified leave incase my boss thinks I'm pulling a sickie - purely my own worry, theyve never said or done anything to make me think that! 🙈🙈🙈

Ive been in the boat before where I self certified and had no voice and I still phoned them! There have been a few occasions where Ive had to email if the phonelines were down and we were told to. Honestly I've never been able to switch off until I get the reply from work to acknowledge my absence but I am a panicker about that stuff.

I’m not sure if it is correct that work can contact you when you’re a sick? Surely that must be breaching some form of employment protection law? Agree with previous poster about contacting go for formal sign off,

also believe pregnant employees also benefit from enhanced protections in workplace.

definitely put baby first!

I've had tonsillitis numerous times in my life and yet managed to make a short phone call to work. It's really not difficult, and if it's the policy then you should have done it.

We're supposed to call in daily but if I speak to my boss day one, a croaked I've got tonsillitis will be out at least until the end of the week, he will use discretion and I'd text him any follow up, but you hadn't spoken to anyone at all, according to policy you're AWOL. A very brief call would've taken you less time than the email you sent, you might not have wanted to do, but neither does anyone else if they're ill.

This was posted entirely tongue in cheek. Although I really can’t abide micromanagers!
My more serious view and advice was posted a little further up the thread.

This was posted entirely tongue in cheek. Although I really can’t abide micromanagers!

My more serious view and advice was posted a little further up the thread.

You have to adhere to policy or risk discipline. Get a medical note asap.

Management is not in the business of giving a damn about people. They are in the business of business. You did the right thing taking care of yourself (what a miserable time). BUT. Apologize and in the future, do everything by the book if you want to stay in this job.

I’ve always had jobs where I’ve had to call, and I hate it. Yet people I know who are in more well paid jobs can just send a message.

If you're signed off sick officially, no they shouldn't keep calling/hounding you I don't think but I think they are allowed to phone.
I don't know why you just didn't tell them the truth, rather than just sign yourself off sick? Would that not have stopped this ill feeling?
Also, don't think it's useful comparing yourself to other situations that are not relevant, sorry. I don't suppose any workplace will hold it against someone if someone has been in an RTA and couldn't get to the phone.

A good employee will know the policy, follow it, or if they cant follow policy at least be proactive in explaining why they can’t comply in that particular instance.

You’re just ignoring the policy and arguing the toss. Actions like that aren’t nice to manage.

I'm on your side. I am male so never been pregnant (!) but used to suffer with regular tonsillitis ...absolutely awful from childhood to mid twenties. Did shift work in chemical/ pharma factories often out of hot steamy workplace then working on forklift out in tbe cold night air . Eventually had to have a meeting with manager about constant time off...don't know how he did it ( old boys network?) but think he was able to get me bumped up the list to have tonsils out . Result , it worked, no more time off !! But for OP to be pregnant too...her boss should be more sympathetic.

I just do it, it’s the same in every job I’ve been in
like when I went off for a laproscopy and they knew I would be off for weeks, I still had to ring in on the day of my op until I had my fit note from the hospital

You weren't unconscious or psychotic, I called from the hospital both when I and my child were in hospital. You have to follow protocol.

The policies the policies right?

Just make sure you don't work a second over you hours, or do any work outside of your job description and make sure you don't go back to work too soon, maybe think about getting the GP to sign you off.

Work should be give and take - but that only works if both parties are up for that.

But hardly professional and very junior behaviour. Comply with the policy in the way your manager wants. It’s very simple and so clear via such things who is worthy of promotion (ie will behave professionally in any given situation and understands the bigger picture) and who isn’t/doesn’t.

During the heatwave, I'd adjusted my hours to start at 7 and work til 3.30 as we don't have core hours. She started monitoring my teams status and claiming I wasn't working.

It sounds like she has concerns about whether you skimp on work hours anyway, OP. I don't know how valid that is (certainly doesn't sound valid from your bit about powering through the recruitment for the sake of the team). For the most part my experience is that managers who are like this are poor managers and don't get the best out of their teams, but you do get some who are just good a spotting people who are a bit work shy.

But given that she seems to have concerns, from her perspective it wouldn't be that appropriate for her to apply discretion if all you'd told her was that you were self-certifying. So I think you should probably have expected to have to comply with policy.

She does sound officious, though, and I'd be wondering about finding a better environment to work in that was trusting and supportive instead.

I had pregnancy sickness whilst working and they relaxed the rule about calling in. Our rule was we had to phone our line manager before 10am. My line manager already accepted text, email or slack. He and HR agreed that I didn't need to message before 10am if I was needing the day off as this was peak sickness time for me but I had to message as soon as was reasonably possible.

In the case of tonsillitis and self certifying we would still be expecting to make contact daily by 10 am preferably but by the time it has been a few days as long as it was by 11 say it was usually ok.

The only time I haven't had to message every day was when I was self certifying because I was an inpatient and had been there for 2 months already but I had been on maternity leave during that period. Its a fairly standard policy and exceptions are for those that really can't practically make that phone call daily.