Work sickness policy

[Mosschopz]

It's the local authority's policy to arrange a formal meeting and set targets if an employee at my school has either 10+ days of absence or 3+ occasions of absence in a rolling year.

I'm rarely ill and always strive for 100%, but have been ill three times this year; one day off last week due to a flu bug (I was Ill for four days but only took one sick), another day for a sickness bug and a third day for pregnancy symptoms (sickness again). I later miscarried but as this happened in the summer holiday, and even though I was hospitalised for best part of a week, I had no further time off and although the summer was awful I though at least I could return to work in September and put it behind me

AIBU to resent going through this process of target setting when I know my commitment to attendance is sound and I've been through a traumatic enough event without having to re-live it through procedural discussion? Or should I just suck it up and accept the law is the law?

I can understand why you feel the way you do, but nonetheless yabu.

The pregnancy related leave shouldn't count, it should be excluded.

I'm sorry about your miscarriage

I'm sure it's going to be difficult for you to have to relive it but these rules are in place for a very good reason.

Won't make it any less tough though.

Check your employer's sickness policy. Normally pregnancy related sickness isn't taken into account, to avoid discrimination.

Pregnancy related disorders should be discounted from your sickness. My problem with LA and civil service sickness policy is that they have no or very little human discretion, it's very much computer says no. One of my colleagues was attacked whol working her second job then a few months later her Father passed away after a terrible illness, she had been caring for him and took some time off with a stress related disorder - she got a written warning and 2 years probation. I think that's a scandal. I'm very sorry for your loss

You need to speak to them because they can not include anything pregnancy related into a sickness procedure so they need to disregard your third sickness which means you only had 2 occasions so no meeting needed.

I agree with pp, the pregnancy related day off should not be counted in your sickness record.

If it does, they are the ones falling foul of the law, not you.

I agree that the time off for reasons of pregnancy shouldn't be counted as sickness absence and they are on dodgy ground if they try to do so - is there any way you could tactfully point this out to your line manager?

What Eeyore said.

I think sickness management can be used sympathetically to identify issues at work which may need consideration (stress for instance).

I apply it to all staff regardless of my sympathy with genuine illness. It's done carefully, sensitively and sympathetically in my workplace (I'd like to think!)

I work for a LA and if you have three 'incidents' of sickness in a year you are 'reviewed'. You could have three single days, or even half days and be reviewed. Or two month long absences and not be reviewed.

Here you go, something to back you up:

Pregnancy–related sickness should be recorded separately from other kinds of illness. You should not count pregnancy-related sickness towards an employee’s total sickness record. You should not use pregnancy-related sickness absence as a reason for disciplinary action or when selecting for redundancy or for any other detrimental purpose.

from here:

www.equalityhumanrights.com/advice-and-guidance/before-the-equality-act/guidance-for-employers-pre-october-10/guidance-on-managing-new-and-expectant-parents/managing-pregnant-women/sickness-before-during-and-after-maternity-leave/

(Sorry, don't know how to do that groovy thing where you put different words into the link.)

I only know because my sick leave record has been atrocious this year. I had a month off for bleeding in pregnancy and then a miscarriage, followed by getting pregnant again and having more bleeding, morning all bloody day sickness, etc. I've had no days off for normal illness, and usually work through anything, so I'm really relieved that pregnancy related things are exempt.

my useless boss did ask me after the miscarriage if he needed to start formal proceedings or refer me to occupational health. The idiot hadn't read the bloody guidance, which might be the same with your boss.

I agree the policy is a good thing, it's just made me feel a but...raw.

Not helped either, when the head's secretary moans that she and other support staff work through school holidays and teachers 'ought' to be able to manage to get in every day for term time as they can 'rest' at half term.

At least I saved the school money by having the miscarriage in summer holidays!

As others have said, pregnancy related absences shouldn't count, assuming that you reported them as such at the time.

The rest of the policy sounds ok though. As a manager, I like the fact that the review process can be applied consistently for all staff, and as tireddog says, I try to ensure that it is supportive rather than accusatory. Most people are genuine when they take time off sick, but there is nothing like a good absence management policy to deterthe skivers!