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AIBU?

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Original poster

My friend is going to call in sick on Boxing Day

115 replies

00100001 · 17/12/2016 07:00

My friend works in retail on Oxford Street. Somehow he managed to get the week leading up to Christmas off. But it was on the understanding he must work Boxing Day.

He doesn't want to work that day so he has repeatedly said he's just going to call in sick Xmas Shock

AIBU in thinking that's a bit of a dick move? And it will be really obvious he's not ill as he requested the day off initially.

OP posts:
chipsandpeas · 17/12/2016 10:00

i once had to work boxing day with tonsilitis as my work would never have beleived i was ill if i called in sick i was a student and needed the job so couldnt afford to be sacked, the worst is when i went in the fuckers realised i was really ill had been at the OOH docs on christmas night and they still made me work my shift

in my current job we have a system of volunteers to work the 27th and the 2nd of jan this year as overtime (in reality all staff are in either day) and we have been told if we dont turn up/call in sick then it will be treated as a normal working day and subject to sickness and disciplinary policies

CaptainHammer · 17/12/2016 10:02

What a dick!
Eng True for some but this guy isn't on a zero hours contract.

I'm working Christmas day/new year etc and would love not to but I knew when taking the job it was 365 days a year! At least he has the week and Christmas Day off, greedy fucker.

Singlelady · 17/12/2016 10:10

I work in a hotel. we are closed over Christmas but someone has to stay and 'house sit' essentially. So I agreed to do a 12 hour shift on boxing day on the groups of new years day off. However my boss has given me the week before Christmas off to say thank-you (I also had holidays to use that I wanted to take off before Christmas as they have to be used before the NY and my birthday is the 21st but she had originally said no due to policy when I wasn't doing boxing day). My point is I would never in a million years dream of phoning in sick and passing the buck to a colleague unexpectedly. Dick move indeed. I don't think I would have a job to come back to if I done that.

ChuckGravestones · 17/12/2016 10:15

Loyalty has to be both ways, zero hours contracts do not instill loyalty in the people who have them

That is very interesting as a stand alone fact. However as the OP says:

He's not on a zero hours contract. Nor minimum wage.

And - he hasn't actually done anything yet.

NataliaOsipova · 17/12/2016 10:15

Slightly off topic, but I think it must be unbelievably awful for anyone who is genuinely sick over Christmas and is meant to be working. For example, one of my DDs came down with a 24 hour vomiting bug which lasted from the afternoon of Christmas Day to the afternoon of Boxing Day. She was sick every two or three hours over that time....but fine on Christmas Eve and by the 27th.

Your friend is being dishonest and should expect to lose his job, especially if he's going round telling lots of people that he plans to be dishonest! People talk - and someone at work will inform on him I'm sure.

ScarletForYa · 17/12/2016 10:20

Hmm, thing is its retail, it's not anything important like a care setting or hospital.

Businesses are just money making entities so I wouldn't feel any loyalty to them.

It might be argued that some other staff member will get a call to come in but they can choose to say no, not answer the phone or answer they phone and say 'I'm pissed, I can't come in'.

harderandharder2breathe · 17/12/2016 10:45

I think considering he's got all the week before off it's a dick move (would have more sympathy if he was working crazy hours all up to Christmas). And he better not expect any favours from management or colleagues for a long time.

I had to call in sick with
Christmas Eve and felt terrible about it but I really was ill! I don't think I'd asked for it off, and was working the days in between Christmas and new year which I did (after feeling like crap Christmas Eve, Christmas Day and Boxing Day). I didn't get in trouble, but then my job is quiet Christmas Eve and they always send people home early, so the opposite of retail!

TaliDiNozzo · 17/12/2016 10:49

I once got a virus between Christmas and New Year. I can't remember what year it was so not sure how the bank holidays fell, but I made it in for one day that week and then was floored. I'd like to think my work believed I was genuinely ill because I'm not one to call in sick willy nilly but you can understand why some employers get cynical when there are people like the OP's friend.

Not to mention that I had a colleague who was fired for habitual sickness on Monday mornings etc.

OliviaStabler · 17/12/2016 11:21

Businesses are just money making entities so I wouldn't feel any loyalty to them.

To me this is not about profit making, this is about shafting your colleagues. Making them pick up the slack on what is a busy day in retail anyway. It is a crap day to work and then your colleague lands you in it and you have to work even harder than normal.

I hope he is careful with his social media. If he posts photos of himself out and about or tucking into Boxing Day lunch and they are seen and reported back, he is bye bye from that job.

ilovesooty · 17/12/2016 11:53

Given that he's been given the week before Christmas off on the understanding that he works on Boxing day, if he does pursue this course of action he's incredibly stupid and totally without any care for his colleagues.
If he gets sacked for gross misconduct he has no one to blame but himself.

WeirdAndPissedOff · 17/12/2016 12:07

Scarlet - but even if no other employee is pressured into coming in (unlikely) that just increases the workload on the one who are there.
This sort of thing never, ever affects the business owners, or the one who make the devision to open. It's always the other employees - who will also be stuck working Boxing day when they don't want to, and will now have to do extra work because they came in as agreed.

Housemum · 18/12/2016 17:35

Downside of working in a hospital, if you call in claiming D&V they can ask for a stool sample...

Craigie · 18/12/2016 17:40

Your friend is a selfish prick.

Buxtonstill · 18/12/2016 17:44

I work with selfish arseholes like this. He is sticking two fingers up at those he works with and leaving them to cover his work. What a prick. I hope it comes back to bite him big style.

BrendaMarx · 18/12/2016 17:48

Retailer's in general treat their employees like commodities that can be replaced at the drop of the hat with zero hour contracts, crap money and zero benefits. I do not blame any retail employee for having a bad attitude and having a few sick days.

ilovesooty · 18/12/2016 17:51

This person is not on a zero hour contract or minimum wage.

Andbabymakesthree · 18/12/2016 18:03

If this was my friend I'd actually tell him what I thought of his idea.

SherbrookeFosterer · 18/12/2016 18:21

It's only a good idea if your friend wants a P45 and a crap job reference to see the new year in!

BrendaMarx · 18/12/2016 18:34

I will gladly say this man is being a very naughty boy to his employee and colleagues by calling in sick on boxing day if the op could confirm..... That this scoundrel is paid at least the the living wage of £9.75 for standard hours, is on a contract that has enough secure hours for him to live on so doesn't have to rely on overtime, and is paid at least time and a half when working unsociable hours/ public holidays/Sundays?

If not then the old saying "If you pay peanuts, you get monkeys" comes to mind.

GabsAlot · 18/12/2016 18:37

my husband ha to work all over xma its his year to do it so he h gto suck it up-he woldnt pull a sickie and leave a mess to clear up

your friend has no morals

MoneyPit2016 · 18/12/2016 18:38

If he goes through with this, your friend can get used to....
...last dibs on holiday requests
...a sudden inability for his colleagues to swap shifts with him
...shit detail - 8 hours on tills usually goes down badly

GabsAlot · 18/12/2016 18:43

brenda to me thats irrelevant hes letting his colleagues down who have to take the slack thats not on-seeing as he ha a week off as we speak

Bmh54 · 18/12/2016 18:52

So annoying..but nothing will be done..unf!..They are totally selfish people that dont care about their colleagues at all...just themselves!..I worked with people that rang in sick...excuses of:..my baby poorly, i am poorly, I got a migraine..etc...but they dont mention the fb pics of themselves partying on the previous Sat...when their darling child didnt matter...sorry..just got cynical taking the calls Monday morn from these people!!

Mammylamb · 18/12/2016 19:00

Ok, it's a bit shit on his colleagues to call in sick. But really, it's a job, and most retail jobs pay shit wages for shit terms and conditions so I don't think he should give a flying fucklet about his employers

EveOnline2016 · 18/12/2016 19:12

I one had to take New Years off for being off with the flu, it was bad a doctor had to come to my house as I literally couldn't pick my head off the pillow. ( I didn't know it was flu and DH was extremely concerned)

I felt guilty for a long time.

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