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Original poster

Call in sick if can’t get time off?

99 replies

OctoberRainStorm · 13/01/2024 08:42

we have arranged a week long cottage holiday to celebrate DM’s big birthday. It’ll be me and my family, and my sister and her family plus DM and DF. We are all very excited. It’s in April.

DN is 19 and has a minimum wage job in a chain pub. She asked for the time off and they said no as other people already off the same time. DN explained about family trip and they wouldn’t budge. It’s not a great work place. The people who are off work different jobs to my DN. And there’s a high rate of calling-in-sick so staffing is never as they planned.

the cottage is too far to pop back for her shifts. DN says she’ll call in sick. I don’t feel bad for her employers as they aren’t good to her. They make her stay late unpaid. They make her attend staff meetings unpaid on days off. They change shifts last minute. But my question would be, could she get into trouble for this as they know she wanted those days off? Would they have to prove she wasn’t ill?

she can’t just quit really as there aren’t a lot of jobs where she lives. Though if she got fired she’d be alright. But we don’t want her to have that happen really.

OP posts:
FrogsWormsandCaterpillars · 13/01/2024 08:44

It’s a risk you take when you book something before requesting the holiday from work. Regardless of if they’re a bad employer or not it isn’t a great thing to do and I’m sure she could get into trouble as they know she’s already asked for the time off

DustyLee123 · 13/01/2024 08:45

I hate lying, so personally I’d put in my notice to finish before the holiday.

lunarleap · 13/01/2024 08:45

She absolutely could get in trouble yes

strawberryandtomato · 13/01/2024 08:46

Nah eff it. Lie away. If she gets found out. So what. Unpaid days at work. No thanks.

FireworksAndSparklers · 13/01/2024 08:46

It's some way away yet. She needs to find another job and quit this toxic environment, regardless of the leave issue!

ExtremelyJoyous · 13/01/2024 08:47

Just tell her to put in her notice. I was in the same position once and they managed to let me have the time off rather than let me leave. Was a bit awkward though.

Mumof1andacat · 13/01/2024 08:47

Normal practice in any job is to check you can get the time off before booking a holiday.

Toomuch44 · 13/01/2024 08:47

It's in our contract that if we call in sick at a time we'd previously been refused time off, it'll be investigated. Can she afford to be without a job?

Pygtrail · 13/01/2024 08:48

I would be looking for a new job and leave.

SirChenjins · 13/01/2024 08:52

You should always check that you can get the time off before booking holidays.

Yes, she could get into trouble or they could fire her so the best thing to do is to try and find another job before April - she should mention the holiday if/when she is offered the new job. Sounds like an awful place and she’s better off out of there anyway.

orangegato · 13/01/2024 08:52

Lots of part time remote customer service jobs she doesn’t need to get a job where she lives! Don’t lie as that could equal bad reference, but just say holiday is happening and she will quit rather than not go.

NoTouch · 13/01/2024 08:54

She runs the risk of being fired and not having a reference when applying for other jobs.

So really it depends if she needs the job or not.

If it was ds I'd tell him to either hand notice in or miss the holiday this time, I wouldnt encourage calling in sick.

TrashedSofa · 13/01/2024 08:55

I'd call in sick. They don't sound like they're in a position to be picky about their staff, and as a pp pointed out, if they do sack her over it there are remote jobs.

Original poster
OctoberRainStorm · 13/01/2024 08:55

Actually she checked the roster for both possible weeks before we booked and they were all clear but a couple of her colleagues nabbed the time off as we were sorting it all out. It was hard as so many people involved in our trip, and had to be school Easter holidays… by the time she went to get the time off both possible weeks were gone. Just bad timing.

OP posts:
Exasperatednow · 13/01/2024 08:55

I think she should hand in her notice. Much better to resign than be fired.

mum11970 · 13/01/2024 08:58

If she’s asked for the time off now and been refused they are very unlikely to remember in April. Wouldn’t do it to a decent employer, but it doesn’t sound like they are, so I would have no qualms about calling in. Meanwhile I would encourage her to look for better employers.

Crispsandwichrock · 13/01/2024 08:58

Could she not just attend for a couple of days? Whenever she is actually off. Her presence isn't essential for the full week.
Failing that, she does need to resign (or tell them she is resigning and hope they might give her the time anyway). Resign = can get a reference. Being caught being dishonest = well that won't be a good reference will it!

Hiddenvoice · 13/01/2024 08:59

It’s hard when booking over school holidays as most people might want them off. She could risk getting into trouble and might want a sick line as proof.
If it’s already not a great job then I would encourage her to look elsewhere and put her notice in. Least with a new job she could tell them advance about pre booked holidays.

HermioneWeasley · 13/01/2024 08:59

Well of course she could and probably will get in trouble - it’s a reasonable assumption that when you phone in sick for a time you’ve been declined holiday, that you aren’t actually sick at all.

of she’s on min wage and they’re making her work unpaid then that’s a breach so she can report to HMRC

jannier · 13/01/2024 09:02

Perhaps it's time to look for another job

Anjea · 13/01/2024 09:04

Of course. People aren't daft.

Mrsm010918 · 13/01/2024 09:05

Yes she can get in trouble, and they don't have to prove she wasn't sick, they can ask for evidence that she was in fact sick. I had to do this when I was a manager in retail and that included asking for evidence of an appointment, a simple text confirmation would have done, with the doctor that the employee had claimed to have had. They were in fact caught sat drinking a coffee in a cafe in Cornwall (5 hours away from us) with their girlfriend who had posted it on social media. They got fired for gross misconduct in the end.

If she's not happy there she's better off looking for a new job with your holiday dates as pre-booked holiday so it can't be denied.

underneaththeash · 13/01/2024 09:05

The job sounds awful, it's a few months away - she can start looking for a new job now and when offered it, can say that she already has rebooked holiday for the dates she's away. I can't believe there's not many jobs in hospitality.

cunningartificer · 13/01/2024 09:07

Actually, you can't be dismissed for being on holiday when you're sick... If you are really unwell you can still go on holiday, and that's fair enough as you could be unable to work but still able to travel. See for example www.davidsonmorris.com/going-on-holiday-while-on-sick-leave/#:~:text=An%20employee%20could%20be%20justified,be%20helped%20by%20a%20holiday I wouldn't ever advise lying to your employer and agree with others that it would be better to resign because the job sounds awful, but if for example their bad working practices led her to need time off for a stress related illness then it would be entirely reasonable for her to go on holiday with her family to help her recover.

ImCamembertTheBigCheese · 13/01/2024 09:07

I'd hand in my notice rather than lie. If she is on social media then someone could see pics of the trip.