To refuse to answer the phone to my boss

[AhYerWill]

I'm currently off sick as I had a fairly major surgery less than 24 hours ago with a GA. In pain and feeling pretty shite really. mostly just trying to catch up on sleep after disturbed night. Didn't react too well to the GA (they kept me in an extra 4 hours as weren't happy with my obs) which is probably not helping.

Boss keeps phoning (and woke me up the first time - I'm using the alarm on my phone to wake me up every 2 hours to take medications so it was by the bed - phone on silent now!). Hasn't emailed/texted etc which is our normal communication format (I work in a remote office from him), and which I wouldn't mind.

My sick leave has been planned for weeks, all work handed off, nothing outstanding that someone else can't handle, so really can't think of any reason for him to be calling, other than to chase me back to work (he has form for this - told one of my team members they couldn't take a half day last month when she had dialysis booked).

Surgeon advised to take 2 weeks off minimum, but boss pushed me into agreeing to return next week (which was stupid on my part, but he put me under a lot of pressure and made me feel guilty for letting the team down).

AIBU to a)not pick up his calls today and b) feel fed up with this?

I'm feeling quite all over the show emotionally right now so may be being unreasonable and reading more into this than necessary.

Do not answer !!

PS hope you feel better soon.

Book a gp appointment just in case too. You might need another week.

Personally I'd probably answer the phone (otherwise I'd dwell on it), but I'd have a massive rant ready for him if he tried to chase me back to work. I'd also take all the signed off sick leave just to make sure I was completely better otherwise it could do more harm than good.

YANBU
Please just rest and ignore your boss. If continues suggest texting pretending to be a family or friend stating that AhYeah is too poorly right now they will call boss on Monday. YABU to go back next week a GA takes 5-7days to get out of system.

I would be contacting HR and formally complaining that your boss is harassing you whilst signed off sick and is bullying you by continuing to push for an early return to work.

Do not answer the phone. If it is something vital, he can email you and you can respond, but only if it is essential. Ignore any communication about your health and return to work. If the surgeon said take 2 weeks off then do that! They say these things for a reason, to give you a decent recovery time.

Just ignore him and make sure that you get another sick note and take the second week off as recommended by the doctor. It is not down to your boss when you return, do not let him bully you.

Unfortunately there are a lot of employers out there like this, I presume that he is a small business? In my experience they are often the worse as they don't like to pay sick pay, they don't like to pay somebody else on top to cover the work. Disclaimeer: I am a small business myself, I get it, but I also understand employee rights.

I get that it is due to limited finances/resources, but at the end of the day, employees have rights, and you are entitled to statutory sick pay and time off work, especially when you have such solid grounds as an operation.

*disclaimer

Personally I would return the call, but I don't know what your job is.
They may be just asking how you are or there may be a simple emergency at work that you forgot to handover that will take you 10 seconds to solve. There's always something people forget. But no YANBU to not answer if you don't want to.

Yanbu I have a boss like this and it's dreadful. They think the whole world revolves around them and their business regardless of the law and employees rights.

I would not answer the phone and I definitely would not return to work until I was fully able to do so.

Er you need to take two weeks.

Don't answer and go see the go to sign you off for that week you should be having in the first place.

I had a boss like this- don't answer the phone and don't go back until you are ready. It's bullying and harassment.

I would answer to see what he wanted. But then if he kept calling I'd tell him to stop, and take it further if he didn't.

Of course YANBU. I'd block his number. You need to rest, not worry and feel hassled about work.

And for heaven's sake either get a GP appointment or speak to the surgeon (if you can; sorry, I'm not sure of the protocol) and say you've rethought about your recovery time and you must of course take their advice.

Don't compromise your health by feeling guilt-tripped into going back too soon. You might really regret it.

Also, if you have had major surgery, if it isn't keyhole surgery, surely at least six weeks is the recovery time? Keyhole is at least two weeks.

What a twat. How many hours were you under GA? It commonly takes a week to recover from each hour.

Let's hope he never has to go in for surgery as I'm guessing the whole office would happily take turns phoning him on the half hour for days on end

I personally wouldn’t be going against the advice of your surgeon and going back to work next week!

Have a personal phone and do NOT give anyone at work the number. Cheap phone for work purposes, switched off when on holiday or ill. Keep work and your home life entirely separate. Get well soon.

Don't answer
Take your full two weeks or get an extension

When you are well, is it worth getting a dufferent job?

Don’t answer or text him to remind him that you have just had surgery and are off sick.

Take two weeks off. Surgeons are highly qualified and experienced in this when they say you need two weeks off, you need two weeks off.

You have been signed off work, your boss should not be contacting you at all.

Also if you go back earlier, than your sick note advises, you won;t be covered on work insurance. if you go back earlier than you should, you could impact on your recovery and need even longer off!

Get a sick note for 2 weeks, send it to HR and rest up!

As someone who has recently compromised their health for a job that has turned out to be shit please don't compromise your health. If you are not ready to go back, go to the GP and get another week off.

I'd answer, tell him you're really not very well and then if he has the audacity to call again, ignore.

When you speak to him, if he asks you do anything use the phrase "I'm sorry, I can't. I'm really not well enough."