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?

my DD used to manage a group of , shall we say lackadaisical, idle buggers. they had previously been managed by a dim wit manager who let all sorts of things slide, TOIL when they didn't even manage to work a whole week of their paid for hours etc. She checked the sickness absence records of one staffer and found that for four years she had called in sick on the working day before every bank holiday (including Christmas) and on the day before and after her birthday. Four Years! My DD printed it out and highlighted the records and handed it to her without saying anything.. Funnily enough the woman's health improved from then on!

Not saying your DP is doing the same OP, but a lot of people do try to stretch out bank holiday weekends. Hope he feels better soon.

NHS as an employer are terrible for the absense protocols. A colleague of DHs has had a day off with a tummy bug. 10 months later he was involved in a RTA while working (not his fault). His manager actually attended the RTA. the colleague was off for a few days with an injury and then came back, he was back less than a day and then realised that actually his injury was agravated by work and needed a further couple of days to heal. On his return he was disciplined and received a warning for having 3 absences within a year.

Erm We don't all have dps, Love
I didn't at that time.

"All this shite you've got to phone in yourself I've never heard the likes."

It's company policy where I work as well. Unless you have lost your voice or are too ill/in hospital then we are expected to phone in, not text, not email. I expect our company do this because too many people have taken the piss.

I don't think the OP's husband has had excessive amounts of time off BTW. One of my work colleagues has crohns, but is really good at his job. No-one bats an eyelid when he misses work because we all know it is a horrible condition to live with, and our boss is pretty understanding.

Baffled at the idea you wouldn't call in yourself.

Op he may have cut you off at that word because it's grim, it's best if your DH says "stomach bug" when he calls.

He should have set an alarm to call though.

Yes it's a lot of time off and yes he should have phoned in himself, yes he will likely be pulled up on this. But answering the phone call like that was just unprofessional, no matter how fed up. If I have heard anyone speak to someone on the phone like that, they would be in my office too.😮 Rudeness makes a company look grotty.
Sorry you are worried OP. 💐
On a "kind of" funny note, I've had people try to tell us they wouldn't be in through FACEBOOK. Private, not even the company's page!!!... 😂

*had heard

All this shite you've got to phone in yourself I've never heard the likes. What if you're not well enough to.

Same where I work as well - you have to speak to a manager or HR too. You can't leave a message with a colleague or email / text.

If you're too unwell to ring yourself they might take a message but will probably phone you back to speak to you. If you're in hospital they'd be ok with someone calling you but would like you to ring as soon as you're able (unless it's a very serious situation where it'd be weeks before you're able. Then they'd accept a sick note )

You've had this sickness bug too so how did you manage to pick up the phone? I'd be fucked off with receiving a call like that, you're not the employee. I'd have simply said in no uncertain terms that your DP had to phone in by a certain time otherwise I'd treat it as unauthorised absence and start disciplinary procedures. Your DP should familiarise himself with the employee absence guidance.

He has been extremely unprofessional, he's an adult and should be taking responsibility himself to phone his manager. That is a huge amount of sick days but your OP comes across like you think otherwise?

I wouldn't wake him up to tell him he has to ring either, it's not your job to do that. Once he gets up you can pass on the info you've said to us here. I've got no sympathy for people who get others to do their dirty work where phoning in sick is concerned

I see the 'no sickness' brigade is out in force. The same people who go to work with a cold, and love to infect the whole office.

If your husband was genuinely ill (as clearly you say he was) then there should be no problem.

I sympathise - job insecurity is the burden of today, and the impact on everyday well-being and MH is severe - but it doesn't mean we should be turned into slaves.

What is this shit about 'I wouldn't have got my mommy to call in for me!'

How condescending. Just because someone asks their mother to do something, that doesn't make them 'a baby,' or 'pathetic,' as is being implied on here.

My daughter asks me to book a dentist appointment for her AND asks me to come with her, even though she is a professional with a masters degree, and has her own home. Sometimes grown women who are independent and feisty, do need or want their mum with them (or to help them) sometimes...... But maybe some mums and daughters are closer than others.....

@lighthousesouth

Baffled at the idea you wouldn't call in yourself.

I am baffled at the idea that you cannot imagine someone being so ill that they can barely function, let alone hold a conversation on the phone with their manager who is dead set intent on bullying them into coming in. And THAT is why these managers want people to 'phone in THEMSELVES!' Don't try and pretend there is any other reason...

And saying '3 days off in 3 months is a LOT of time off' is fucking laughable.

It's a traffic light system over a year

First sickness ...green
Second...amber
Third,red.... suspension and invited to an enquiry meeting which then required a second meeting to dismiss or not.( we ring our legal team at this point for advice)

Large retail company

@Botanicbaby

He has been extremely unprofessional, he's an adult and should be taking responsibility himself to phone his manage

Oh FFS do grow up!

And policy is to call absence line yourself unless physically can't. Daily. Unless doctors note is provided. Falls under gross misconduct if procedure not followed

As I said, the laughable thing about this '3 sicknesses in 12 months is worth a warning' shite; this RULE applies if it is 3 separate individual days - OR 2 fortnights and a 4 week stint off. It's pathetic.

Why are people seemingly disbelieving it's a requirement to call in personally?

It's been company policy in every job I've worked in. Both DD's work policy is the same too

No user because those longer periods will have doctors notes to cover them giving room for discretion etc

Who is disbelieving it's a thing to call in personally?? I never said that. I just said how fucking stupid it is!!!!!

Phoning in personally is our company policy too but it depends on the manager.

I very very occasionally get migraines. I have been known to text my boss at 6am ish when I have woken with one as I know I need to take pain relief and find somewhere quiet and dark to sleep it off. This could take me past my start time and when I should be calling my boss. I usually say that I am happy to call later (or maybe be in later) but he usually texts back that it's okay and just to text him later to let him know how I am. I don't wake him with a text at 6 btw, it's his work phone and he doesn't switch it on until he starts work. I get his response when I am awake and well.

However I am very rarely off, sometimes can you a few years and therefor I suppose I am deemed trustworthy enough to bypass protocols.

I believe that some companys have lie detection software (of sorts) on their absence telephone lines. That's another reason for them wanting you to call. And apart from the obvious it was also to elimate people that decided to take a week off sick to go on holiday but not so much nowadays as you can use your mobile from anywhere.

Our policy is five absences and/or 10 days sick in 12 months to trigger a disciplinary unless any of your absences were the result if a condition covered by the equality act. How long has he been in his job?

The manager just sounds stressed.
Even in my pt job you can be off 3 times in 6 months before getting a warning.
Then if you are off again in the following 6 months you have a stage two warning, then if off again a stage 3.
You are allowed one more absence before removal from site.
What does his contract say?

This user I didn't say you did I? There's other people on this thread disbelieving. From another poster baby spider...

All this shite you've got to phone in yourself I've never heard the likes

Baby spider is obviously just saying it's daft NOT that she doesn't believe it!

A lot of people on this thread seem to be conflating the amount of time off for sickness with the inability of the OPs DP in managing to pick up the phone to his employer to let them know he is too ill to work.

No-one is saying that he should be expected to come into work if he's truly too ill to work. If you're a 'grown up' you should have the decency to tell your employer you can't make it in unless of course you're physically unable to speak/been run over by the proverbial bus. You don't need anyone else to do this on your behalf.