AIBU to not go to work today ... or for the rest of the week

[Zaberwocky]

I'm asking because I feel well, guilty. Before this job I've only ever called in sick once in 7 years.

My current job has been horrendous, the worst four months of my life. And between HG and other pregnancy issues, I've called in sick a few times. I've always been a really hard worker, and I think this is why I'm struggling a bit to decide if I'm right or wrong about calling in this week.

Anyway I've got a new job, references all sorted, and I just don't see the point in going in for the last week of my notice. In the last four months, I have had NO work to do. And I mean none, tried to resolve this at various levels of management and was basically told just to get on with it and everyone else does nothing too. Which is true, everyone spends their days browsing online. They've now deauthorised my computer, so I can't even internet browse. They want me to come in, and sit for ten hours playing on my phone to pass the time until Friday. I've asked about cleaning the kitchen, helping other departments, even reading a bloody book. It was a no to every suggestion, and they suggested I just 'sit quietly' ...

I'm paid to be off sick, and while I don't feel great, I do feel okay enough to go in. I just don't want to sit and do nothing all day. It makes me feel a thousand times worse.

So. AIBU to call in sick and stay home where I might actually be able to do something useful with my day?

I left a temp job in the dept of health
It was several people on high pay plus a temp for admin support. Nothing to do.

I told the agency I couldn't be in receipt of health funds for that.

Doesn't seem any party will deal with it. For every team doing nothing, there's a team along the corridor who are overworked!

I feel that there should be a punch line concerning it being acceptable to play on a phone for 10 hrs but not read a book!

4 months of being paid to do nothing-incredible!

I think the higher-ups like to keep people in these roles "just in case" they need the post in the future. If they cut the post now, they'll never regain the funding to set it up again in say 3 years time when it might be needed.
It's absolutely abhorrent that people working with the homeless, disabled, jobless etc are worked to the bone while people like me sit here spinning on chairs just because we work in a department that is very, very unlikely to see big cuts. My post is funded until March 2018 and I won't be tripping over myself to try and get another job in the civil service after that.

Can you draw the attention of the MP and local councillors? Quietly?

Barry
I was on a team of five consultants who had been brought in for two years to get nurses to fill out more paperwork about their jobs. I think they hoped to find ways to cut nurse jobs. The nurses were all saying ot was irrelevant and it was.

The consultants were on pay from 50k to 80k and one had hotel expenses paid as he wasn't a Londoner.

They had trouble keeping a temp admin, I think they knew they would because it was so unethical.

It's jobs for the boys
Voting Tory or labour makes no difference.

I'm public sector and have about 2 weeks worth of work dumped in my inbox everyday. So annoying if there's so much waste elsewhere!

Reading this, makes me wonder whether we really need a bigger public sector.

OP, good luck on your new job. Good move.

I think YABU taking sick pay when you're not.

Same here, Stripy, I'm overwhelmed and have two vacancies they have procrastinated about for a year, to save money. Not all local gov departments are like yours, OP. Come and work with us? :)

Giggorata I'm sorry. Nothing could make me stay in the public sector! I'm delighted to be getting my career back on track and have no desire to leave it behind again. And well, back to being happy I guess. The last few months have been soul destroying. I've never been so unhappy, it's actually scar

RedHelen for what it's worth, I don't want the sick pay. I do feel unwell, as I said in my OP, I could drag myself in. I just don't see the point sitting and puking in someone else's toilet and sitting playing on my phone all day.

In this situation I would defo call in sick!

I think YABU taking sick pay when you're not.

As opposed to going in and getting paid to do NOTHING all day?

This is the problem with public services.
Underfunding the frontline, whilst over funding certsin positions.

It needs sorting asap.
I hope labour would do it, but I don't think so.
Tories won't do it, they just cut where they fancy, and backroom jobs for some reason are ignored while they cut 20,000 police instead.

But at least she'd be at work if some work came up to do.

But at least she'd be at work if some work came up to do - which could be redistributed among her colleagues who are apparently all also underworked and browsing the net for hours at a time.

Zaberwocky ,I'd not blame you or any one else in such a job,it's incredible that it's allowed to happen but as I say I know it's not uncommon and I'm very sure all government offices have within them simmillar situations,I am very much like you though in that unable sit around so I can see why you are leaving.
And I can clearly see it's not easy either to so called whistle blow as you'd deffinately make lots of enemies in doing so.

Having worked in education for 20 years and having friends who are doctors, nurses, paramedics etc, I can't believe what I'm reading. Some areas are absolutely strapped for cash and people are working themselves into the ground so this doesn't seem fair ( not any of the workers' faults, obviously- am sure DH would love a job where he does nothing all day!).

I am a civil servant and absolutely do not recognise this in my department or in any of the others I come in contact with. We are all working our socks off to do much much more with fewer people and resources than ever. (And I have previously worked in the private sector too )

This is terrible. Obviously the tip of the iceberg though. There's bound to be many departments such as this!
It certainly isn't like that in my department. My colleagues and I are rushed off our feet. We have lost a full time role as well, as it wasn't deemed necessary!!