Please or to access all these features

Add post

Watch this thread

Save thread

Start a new thread

Flip thread

Hide thread

My feed

Active Unanswered threads

Getting started FAQ's

Unanswered threads Acronyms Talk guidelines

Hide shortcut buttons

Talk

AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Flip

1 2

Original poster

To be pissed off with presenteeism

37 replies

ChuffinAda · 23/06/2015 07:54

Because due to an idiotic colleague coming in, declaring they have a d&v bug, and going home sick half way through the day I will be spending today getting better acquainted with my toilet.

Not impressed.

Why do people do it? If you're sick with something nasty stay home!

OP posts:

velvetspoon · 23/06/2015 07:59

Why do people do it?

Because they don't get sick pay, or have already used their sick pay entitlement, so can't afford not to.

Because it's the 3rd absence in 12 months so will trigger a disciplinary process.

Or perhaps because they have other reasons to fear for the security of their job if they don't struggle in.

Not that hard to understand really.

Original poster

ChuffinAda · 23/06/2015 08:01

So it's OK to spread it round the office without knowing the state of colleagues health already then is it? Fwiw we get w very good sick pay package.

OP posts:

TelephoneIgnoringMachine · 23/06/2015 08:04

If you get a good sick pay package, YANBU. We get 5 days paid per year, so I get 3 as I work p/t. And I've used all of them in 6 months due to migraines. Not sure what I'll do if I actually get ill - go to work I suppose.

TinyManticore · 23/06/2015 08:06

They don't have any excuse then. Were they just trying to get sympathy or making themselves lion like a brave soldier for coming in anyway? Very inconsiderate behaviour.

WhyCantIuseTheNameIWant · 23/06/2015 08:06

If I know I am ill, or dcs are ill, we stay home.

But as you have just found out, these things can appear fairly suddenly.

When did colleague start having symptoms?

After arriving at work? Unlucky. Yabu.

Before coming to work? Yanbu. Idiotic behaviour.

ACSlater · 23/06/2015 08:08

I've had 3 sickness absences in the past 12 months. If I have another they will start disciplinary proceedings. If I have D&V I'll go to work because I can't risk losing my job.

ACSlater · 23/06/2015 08:08

Oh, our sick pay is also generous.

thatsshallot · 23/06/2015 08:10

I am that person and am struggling in on day 2 of diarrhoea and horrific cramps, already been to loo 6 times since getting up.

I am going in as have triggered HR. review due to two certified but long absences in the past year, one to rule out suspected cancer (was ulcer) and another for flu.

Do you know I hope my managers do get it so they can see what I've been struggling with, and how stressful the whole thing is.

So, YANBU but sometimes the system is

DuchessofNorks · 23/06/2015 08:11

DH went to work and didn't know he was ill until he started to feel unwell at work.

That and he is the only senior in right now so, basically, if he doesn't do the work it doesn't get done.

RiverTam · 23/06/2015 08:17

The vompanies that institute disciplinary proceeding after 3 days are totally buying into presenteeism, and overall I would say they don't appear to give a fuck about their staff if it means going into work with a highly contagious virus. Before MN I'd never heard of workplaces doing that, I think it's appalling.

KittyLovesPaintingOhYes · 23/06/2015 08:23

I was in the food industry, which rarely pays any sick pay at all and then insists on the 48hr rule.... recipe for disaster ( scuse pun)

ilovesooty · 23/06/2015 08:25

It's not 3 days RiverTam it's more than 3 episodes of absence over 12 months.
My company (who are actually great to work for) instigates Stage 1 procedures after the second absence in a 6 month rolling period.

whois · 23/06/2015 08:34

My company (who are actually great to work for) instigates Stage 1 procedures after the second absence in a 6 month rolling period.

I really don't like that. It just encourages people with a stinking cold to go in, work at about 30% effectiveness and spread their cold to everyone else!

ilovesooty · 23/06/2015 08:41

We don't get a lot of absence, and not many people actually seem to catch other people's colds which seem to be few and far between. Actually I have far fewer colds now than I got in any other workplace. At least after the 8 month probationary period we get paid for the first day - one of our partners doesn't do that.
I'm actually off now - thankfully my last absence was unrelated to this one and more than 6 months ago.

Hygge · 23/06/2015 08:56

Because of the disciplinary procedure. They are too scared to do anything else.

I once cut through my finger at work (it was reattached) and was told I still had to come into work. When I pointed out I couldn't do my job because my hand was bandaged up and I couldn't use it, they told me to just answer the phone and memorise stuff until someone else could write it down.

I was signed off work for three weeks by the doctor because my hand was a mess. I've never been in more pain or felt so helpless to look after myself. My DH was away and I had to rely on my neighbour to help me wash my hair and even at first help me get dressed.

When I went back to work they made me travel to head office 100 miles away for a disciplinary meeting. They said if I didn't go I would lose my job.

The man running that meeting told me that he never took any time off and that he expects other people to do the same. Although two weeks later he cancelled a meeting with our manager because he was off with the flu . And after that my boss completely changed, we used to get on well but all of a sudden everything I did was wrong, he was complaining about my work, I wasn't working fast enough or well enough, he changed the hours I was there for, complained about what I wore for work, which was the same as everyone else as we had a dress code. Just everything I did for months was wrong.

The next time I was ill, I went to work. I was too scared to do anything else.

ilovesooty · 23/06/2015 09:01

Oh Hygge that's horrible. At least none of our managers berate you if you're sick and they urge not coming back until you're well enough.

The main worry in our place has been redundancy due to cuts. People are well aware that sickness (unless disability related) is included in the points scoring system.

Bluetonic123 · 23/06/2015 09:09

I think your annoyance should be directed at companies that make their employees feel unable to take a day off if they are sick rather than the employees themselves

BoyFromTheBigBadCity · 23/06/2015 09:46

I worked in a place where calling in sick was seen as letting down the boss and the team. You didn't get any sick pay at all, so had to just lose the money. I had d&v and so was off for a week and boss made it clear i'd 'let them down'.

Dowser · 23/06/2015 09:53

IT sounds horrendous.

What a horrible uncaring society we appear to be turning into.

Dowser · 23/06/2015 09:54

Btw...I had no idea what the word meant.

I thought it related to behaving like a tv presenter.!

KittyLovesPaintingOhYes · 23/06/2015 10:01

It's bad enough when people infect their workmates, work in a pizza factory and you can infect thousands... so you are not supposed to come in with d & v and for an extra 2 days as well... but you don't get any sick pay... and all the newthink disciplinary crap if you are unlucky...so people lie. Great system.

addictedtosugar · 23/06/2015 10:04

ChuffinAda hope your at home, and feel better soon.

RiverTam · 23/06/2015 10:06

ilove it's stull crap however you look at it. Thankful that I don't work in an industry with shite like this going on. I'd be interested to know what sectors have this nonsense going on.

code · 23/06/2015 10:14

It is sad that people experience this and sad if employers /managers are not able to exercise common sense about sickness absence. Having said that I work in the NHS and so many people over the years have taken advantage of the generous system that it's now been ruined for everyone. I have lost count of the number of people who have been totally unreliable because of sickness absence.

mankyscotslass · 23/06/2015 10:18

I work for a charity.

We don't get sick pay, apart from SSP which kicks in after 3 days. So unpaid if we are off with a heavy cold for a few days or D&V for the recommended 48 hours.

We get monitored for absence, after 2 absences in a rolling 12 months we get put on amber, or monitored. If we are off sick again we go to red and get taken through disciplinary procedures.

I have gone in when I shouldn't have as if I don't I loose the days pay - which is equal to a weeks food shopping or my childcare for a week - which I would still have to pay anyway.

It's not great, but everyone who works there does the same.

Flip

1 2

Swipe left for the next trending thread