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?

The reason why is quite simple. You are less likely to phone in sick unecessarily if you do it yourself. You also need to be reasonably sober..
Of course there are exceptions. But if you have ever managed a team of first jobbers/twentysomethings you would get it.

The guy was uber abrupt but it might just have been the case of 'yes ok, got the message that he isn't coming in, kthanxbye'
because after that, it's just listening to you and making sympathetic noises.

Why is someone else calling in for you so frowned upon? If you’re taking the piss then you’re taking the piss, how does who made the call make any difference to the outcome?

Because if someone is taking the piss they should at least have to go through putting the 'sick voice' (cough cough) on

Seriously though, how can I find out if there is anything that is urgent or needs to be covered that day if it isn't the employee calling me?

Why is someone else calling in for you so frowned upon? If you’re taking the piss then you’re taking the piss, how does who made the call make any difference to the outcome?

Evidence suggests that that phone call is actually really important. 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.

Bradford score doesn’t take account of timing, by the way.

Evidence suggests that that phone call is actually really important. 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.

When you are ill you don’t want to remember things like boundaries. You don’t care about anything but sleep.

It is ridiculous

It is a lot of time off sick in a short time OP. I think his employer sounded pretty fed up tbh. I hope he won't sack him but he really needs to try to go in to work if he can. Even if he attended work and they had to send him home at least they would know he was genuinely ill. Get him to contact them asap to try to save his job .Hope it all turns out ok.
Good luck.

Let him sleep and call when he wakes. They know now that he's not going to be in so waking the poor guy will achieve nothing. And the manager was rude.

What kind of company does he work for that respond like that?
I think it would be unreasonable to sack him, but I would get a GP note to send in.

He may need to pay for it as it hasn't been 7 days yet...but it's worth it.

I think the manager was wrong to respond like that. Has he been employed for 2 years?

I'm assuming (mighr be wrong) he's not in a professional role....because I can't imagine a half sensible manager of saying that. I'd actually go as far as making a complaint if my DHs manager responded like that.

Employment law in the UK does not permit an employer to dismiss you without going through a process and ensuring policies and procedures have been adhered to.

I can't stand this. Call in yourself unless you are hospitalised. You can speak to your manager explain when you might be back and discuss policy around keeping in touch. When I was about 18 I worked part time in a bar/restaurant, a few of us had been out clubbing late after a shift, I wasn't working the next morning but my friend was, we begged my mum to call in for him and pretend to be his mum. She feels very strongly about this. In the end she did call in because we just went on and on at her, she told our general manager that he had an STI/genital infection that had nasty very itchy symptoms and was too embarrassed to call in himself. You can imagine how that spread like wildfire and left him the option of everyone thinking he had an STI or admitting he'd thrown a sickie. He chose the latter but lots of people didn't believe him!

Yes he will be fired

As if you could possibly know, to say so with such misplaced confidence.

I suspect as she was about to say "he's been up all night being..." the other person cut off the gory details, not especially needing or wanting to hear about vomiting or diarrhoea.
When he wakes up he should probably give them a call, though.

@Mrsmadevans yes, the sick vomiting man should go in, spread his germs, and get sent home so every other poor fucker catches it. SMH.

We know he's been sick. For all his employer knows, he could be on a bender. And it's the Friday before a Bank Holiday weekend

I echo everyone else; he should call in. It's prob in his contract to do so, and it's very unprofessional not to.
My DH has only ever called in for me once, when I was in hospital having emergency surgery. Unless he is that ill then he must do it. Though I can see why he wouldn't want to with his bosses terrible attitude!

As a manager I would never accept a sick call from a relative unless the employee was in hospital.

Bradford factor is a formula to highlight which employees 'might be taking the piss'. That's how it's used any way. In theory, it is their to highlight who has frequent short length absences rather than look at total days off. Total days can highlight only the most sick people, not those who are more likely to be costing a business in unproductive sick days that can't easily be planned for or a temp fix put in place.

Your DH needs to call in ASAP. I would let someone go if they had 3 absences in their first 3 months or 4 in a rolling 9 months.

Sorry, I'm going to go against the grain here, regardless of how annoyed the manager was, that's no excuse for his shitty attitude.
Yes, your husband should have called in himself, but in practice it's not always possible.
Your husband's boss does not sound like a people person. FWIW, I'm a manager, and if a staff member called in sick and I thought they were at it I might listen through gritted teeth but you hear them out!

The Friday before a a bank holiday weekend after already being off is already suspicious without someone else phoning in for you.

The pair of you don't seem to think his sickness record is bad when in reality it would be enough for most employers to dismiss. Either he's really unlucky bug wise or he comes from the generation that calls in when they have sneezed that morning.

Presumably he doesn't need the job given how often he's off ....

It's an unpleasant policy when you're I'll, but very common, so unfortunately I think he will have to do it.
If I was him though I:d email too - we had a boss who regularly denied someone had called them, even when they showed the call to her number on their phone. An email shows you did everything possible, and acts as a record.

He was due to start at 7am.

I think maybe he won't be fired - the manager may have been under stress (trying to find people if others were also off). I personally hate it when people give me all the gory details, especially in the morning, makes me feel physically sick! Hope it works out.

I'm cringing at the idea of you calling in sick for him like his mum. Honestly he needs to face the music and phone them back. It seems seems like his boss is completely sick of hearing his excuses so your dh got you to ring instead.

It was a nice idea but most will only accept hearing from the person they employ.

If he's throwing up as he does it then so be it. Maybe they'll then believe him.

It was rude of the manager to slam down the phone without explaining.

How rude. Who does he think he is talking to - a child?
I agree with the comment, regardless of how pissed off his manager is, its so unprofessional to have spoken to you in that way. I agree that it is a stupid rule. If you are genuinely sick why would you not get someone to ring in for you. Its ridiculous really. People very often don't sound ill on the phone anyway. It proves nothing. You could be lying on a beach in Barbados sipping a cocktail and phone from your bloody mobile!

Anway, I would get your dh to phone back and then ask him why he spoke to you that way. Potential for a grievance is what I think you have. How offensive.

The pair of you don't seem to think his sickness record is bad when in reality it would be enough for most employers to dismiss.

Eh? 3 days in, what, 4 months? It's been a bad winter for bugs, and some people just get an unlucky run of things. I certainly wouldn't be dismissing an otherwise good employee for that. If my boss sacked me for that amount of sick leave, I'd be seeking legal advice.

I'd actually go as far as making a complaint if my DHs manager responded like that.