Zoe Ball....sorry for her loss but the general public don't receive 950K per year and get tiled to take an indefinite length of bereavement leave

[mids2019]

I have had a period of bereavement leave (2 weeks) after the death of my father. Given the nature of deadlines at work I had to send emails during that period.

Am I right to question Zoe Ball paid by the licence fee payers being told to take 'as much time as you want' on a vast salary?.Does this show a good between the celeb existence and that of us mere worker drones?

Well thank you for the feedback but I will continue to use wow in comments if I feel like it - whether a stranger thinks I’m being snide or not is not a massive concern

I think yabu, I’ve had 6 weeks off following the sudden death of my brother and I’m NHS. I tried to return to work but he isn’t even buried yet and I couldn’t cope!

Grief is horrific, people should be able to take the time they need.

Also, I’ve just read her m7m died a few months ago, she’s been off since early August. So it isn’t even bereavement leave by the sounds of it?

People are making assumptions about why she’s off with no idea.

Maybe she’s had a delayed reaction/breakdown…….but that’s not bereavement leave, that’s been off sick with mental health issues.

she could have been physically ill for all people know, it’s nobody’s business.

💐, I'm so sorry for you. How awful.

What a horrible post

I think THisbackwithavengeance post today at* *06:13 wins that prize.

OP is grieving

It is when the licence payer funds her wages.

I'm interested to hear if @THisbackwithavengeance would really only give extended leave after "the unexpected loss of a spouse" or include those who've seen said spouse die a horrible painful death over many months or years.

we also pay nhs workers or teachers wages … do we have a say on bereavement ?

Yes generally 6 months full pay.

Teachers get 3 days not 6 months ffs.

It really is not. Any health issues whether physical or mental are private and confidential. Like I said it’s months since her mother died so this is not bereavement leave, she’s off sick. Are you really saying because you have a tv licence you’re entitled to know all her medical stuff? See her medical notes?

would you say the same about teachers and nurses because you “pay their wages”.

Im talking sick leave not bereavement.

I pay your wages! 🥱

From This Is Going To Hurt, by Adam Kay

I'd have a lot more sympathy for the death of a spouse or the death of a child. But the death of an elderly parent is something everyone (should) have to deal with.

I understand it's difficult given that Zoe Ball is a breakfast show host and has to be cheerful and upbeat. But given she's being paid £950,000 a year, she should be back at work by now. Most of the people who pay the licence fee would be, and the vast majority of them work far more difficult jobs for far less money.

I was told to take as long as I needed when my dad died. I don’t know anyone who wasn’t.

Doesn’t the taxpayer pay sick leave or teachers or nhs ? Should we say a say and decide as well how long should they take ? Or is it only this person who annoys you because you pay the license fee (which is optional btw)

I think it’s quite sad that you feel you’ve a word in someone’s beaverement and / or sickness leave just because you pay a small portion of their salary. I thought we all cared about each others mental health , seems we care as long as you’re not wealthy then back to work soon!

Just because it’s something most of us deal with doesn’t mean it has to impact everyone the same way.

Of course you can show empathy to a situation and highlight certain unfairnesses or apparent inequity .... but you can do that without highighting one person, who by definition will be grieving themselves.

One person whose situation we only know half a story - no idea if it's bereavement or sick leave being used, or maybe unpaid?? We only know some of that story because of her role .... there's probably some people "taking advantage" of even more "generous" packages but because they're not household names the Daily Mail will never mention them. By all means highlight the inequity .... but campaign to raise a standard, not lower them.

But unless you know loads of BBC employees * , how do you know there is inconsistency? And surely as everyone else's stories here demonstrate, different people will feel / react differently .... thus "inconsistencies" may be driven by the employee as much as employer.

*and in many organisations, BBC included, "staff" can be freelance / contracting thus are just "not working" as opposed to being on any kind of leave. Another inconsistency to factor in ,,,,

Where do you work where 6+ weeks is normal?!

People who are working in the NHS and teaching get such shit leave while being expected to be bubbly and positive working in really shit conditions.

I'm a social worker, at the time my mum died I was in a role that involved a lot of teaching and training other professionals. I had 6 weeks off work completely and restricted duties for another 6 weeks because while I could do reading and research, I couldn't have delivered the teaching element of my job. I think it's a good thing to recognise loss hits people differently and may mean they aren't up to speed or able to "perform" for a while. Public sector workers generally have good sick leave provision if they aren't ready to be back at work after however much bereavement leave is available to them.

It’s ridiculous and I bet junior staff don’t get paid indefinite leave, which opens them up to hr issues. It’s a bloody joke. BBC need to fuck off then fuck off further.

So people aren’t allowed to take time off sick? That would save the government a few trillion pounds statutory sick pay, which we all pay through our taxes etc.