To think DH might get fired?!

[ohgodwhatcanido]

NC for this.

Essentially DH fell asleep ah hour ago after being violently ill all night and morning; I've been sick as well so I think it's a bug. He was off one day last month but hasn't had time off before that for about three months. He asked if I'd call in for him so I did and the conversation went like this:

Him: 'Good morning X speaking how can I help?'
Me: 'Hi there, I'm calling to let you know that X'
Him: 'Sorry, who?'
Me:' Sorry, my line isn't too clear, I was calling to let you know X won't be able to come in this morning. He's been up all night being-'
Him: 'I don't want to hear it thanks, bye'

And then hung up. He didn't even let me explain why and sounded really mad. DH just had his days off for the week so I'm worried they'll think he's playing at it. Am I over thinking it or does this not look good?

Loving the reappearance of Calf, always a giggle...

Anyway... in my 10 years in my job, my husband has phoned in for me once. This was the day I had laryngitis (literally couldn't say a word) and was just about to get into the car to go teach classes all day, when my husband grabbed my stuff and phone and walked me back into the house muttering words such as "ridiculous" and "martyr".

They also refused to allow me to change my uniform slightly to be wearing maternity trousers and I had to wear a shirt, trousers with a belt every day so again by a Friday I was in agony and they wouldn't let me cut my hours.

Probably too late now but in the UK there are laws about employers having to make reasonable adjustments for pregnant employees.

OP not returned and all we've learned from everyone else's posts is that different employers have different policies. Well, who knew?

OP, I hope you've got your answers by now and that everyone in your household is feeling better.

@kitty I asked repeatedly to change my uniform but my boss kept saying that hr wouldn't agree to it and if I got to change mine then everyone else would want to change.

His other solution was to wear mat trousers with my shirt untucked over it with my thick winter jumper over that to hide my untucked shirt.

Which would've been fine if I wasn't pregnant during summer!

I agree with ToPlanZ

It is not this harsh in the U.S. I knew a fellow who’d call in sick every Friday - if it was nice weather, to go prospecting in the mountains for a 3 day weekend. Everyone knew. He told me the trick is to always do a little cough during the call, lol.

You need a day off, you take it.

the trick is to always do a little cough during the call, lol.

Ha ha . It really isn't. 'Sickness voice' is a recognised thing - fine if you are saying you have a sore throat, but people do this when they're phoning in with back pain or a twisted ankle.

I had food poisoning and was trying my best to tell them I wasn't coming in but I was throwing up so bad I could hardly finish the sentence. They were worried about me and told me to take as long as I needed. I think that was the worst I’ve ever felt and I have lived through some horrible accidents/operations etc.

OP are you both feeling better now?

Thorsday I think my longest spell of no sickness absence was about 10 years. I do occasionally get I'll but it's usually when I'm on holiday or at the weekend or it's something I'm able to still work at home with. I appreciate not everyone is so lucky. My most is probably 3 one day absence in a year when I had a spate of migraines. My DC have I think only been absent about 2 days in their whole time at school. One is nearly 18 and just left, the other only has a year to go. DH has the most time off but he works with sick people so catches more plus he cant risk passing stuff on to them as thw are generally more vulnerable.

Haven't RTFT because I was furious by page 2 at some of the responses. Let someone go because they're off 3 days in 3 months? How about someone being genuinely ill three times? It does happen! Why do some people assume the worst in everyone else? The person on the phone was exceptionally rude and from the OP we have no justification for that. Employers can't go around sacking you for being ill. There's a huge difference between illness and taking the piss.

@Awhoosh you mean you're determined to have your say without making any effort to see how the discussion has progressed.

Employers can indeed dismiss for ill health capability reasons and for any reason not related to a protected characteristic in the first two years.
Nearly everyone has agreed that the manager was rude but there has been extensive discussion on the policy of calling in yourself. The OP hasn't returned.

Just to save you the effort of reading other people's contributions.

Trouble is @ilovesooty that there are plenty posters who just pile in immediately with criticism of the OP and say ridiculous things like they would automatically sack someone for being ill a bit (when of course there might be specific situations where this might be reasonable). I'm sure there were more reasoned posts later and I apologise for not reading them, but it makes me sad to read a lot of this.

Haven't RTFT because I was furious by page 2 at some of the responses. Let someone go because they're off 3 days in 3 months? How about someone being genuinely ill three times? It does happen! Why do some people assume the worst in everyone else?
Because that’s the rules in some companies?

A rule that says if you're ill three times you get fired? Well, I wouldn't be working there.

Anyway, what @ravenesque said. Some people seem very happy that some employers have draconian illness policies. I'm glad I'm someone who would stick
Up for workers' rights.

Any company can let you go in the first two years as I said before (with certain exceptions). They may base that decision on health records as long as the decision doesn't breach the Equality Act.

I do "stick up for workers' rights" BTW. I'm a work support officer who accompanies colleagues in request to staged absence reviews. I've always found our managers very supportive and keen to find ways to keep good workers in employment where at all possible.

@ilovesooty I didn't mean you particularly in supporting any policies; glad you are there to help colleagues. Dismissal on ill health grounds is not something a reasonable employer would try to do lightly and certainly not on the basis of three days off over a long period. Good managers treat staff as individuals. Anyway, OP has moved on and so must I. It gets to me that sometimes responses on MN are "that's how it is, tough" rather than any empathy.

Quite surprised that people have to phone in sick themselves. What difference does it make? I haven't phoned in sick for a few years but I think that the last time DH might have phoned. I think it used to be fairly normal in the days before mobile phones as phoning in would involve getting out of bed.

What difference does it make?

I covered this early in the thread.

Evidence suggests that that phone call is actually really important.

Please link to evidence.

A good phone call where boundaries are drawn (what needs doing, when you’re required to next call in) and opportunities to support (occ health, employee assistance schemes) discussed shortens the absence.

If the person is genuinely sick why would it shorten the absence? It's not going to help them get better so if it shortens the absence it will be because they are pressured into coming in when sick. Obviously, they or a relative should call each day but if someone is just sick for a day or two with D&V they don't need a discussion on occ health, employee assistance schemes etc.

We had a new manager at work. She had an argument with someone who had worked there 4 years and always had her husband call in sick for her. It turned out it was in our contract but hadn't ever been imposed by the previous boss. Someone else got in trouble because they hadn't spoken to the manager directly and had left a message with someone in another department. Tbh I wouldn't get my dp or anyone else to call in sick for me anyway but considering we don't get paid when we're off sick it seems a bit petty. We also have to provide proof of hospital appointments but don't get paid for that time either.

it would be a disciplinary where dh works for the emoplyeee themselves to not call their certain stated person for illness/sick leave. Obviously comatose in a&e type would be different but being sick/broken leg etc they have to do it themselves.

Where I work we email in if we are sick, my husband has called on my behalf in the past if I was unable to email in and my manager has never criticised that, she'd rather be informed in some way even if it means partners ring in.

I never call in sick. I can't remember the last time I had to call. In all my jobs it's always been a quick text/email to my line manager to inform them and if they needed to confirm anything they'd call me later on.

Three months is not a long time to go without a day off sick. Sounds like his manager is just getting a bit irritated (and as others have said, may have had a few people off sick too). Regardless, shouldn't have responded like that though, it was unprofessional (speaking as a line manager having dealt with many episodes of staff sickness. Not all genuine!).