To ask why some people behave like illness is a moral failing?

[Merryoldgoat]

I’ve seen it on a few threads lately but I’ve met people who think it too.

It’s like they either think the sheer luck not to get ill makes them superior in some way or that you’re some kind of massive piss-taker if you take any time off for a cold.

I mentioned on a thread ages ago that I’d had three sick days one year - 1 for a migraine and two for a heavy cold. People acted like I should be on absence management.

I KNOW there are some people who take the piss, but AIBU to think that generally, if you’re ill, it’s shitty luck and you need to do what you need to, to get better.

As an aside, wouldn’t you rather sick people stay home and not infect the rest of the workforce?

@BirdieInTheHand I hope you aren't a manager in an organisation as you can end up named personally on someone's tribunal claim for discrimination due to disability with an attitude like that.

My migraines are prolonged visual disturbance but only a mild headache and sickness feeling so I have carried on working (teaching) through them. I have not been able to see things properly but it is less hassle than getting someone else to take over. I don't though go around saying how awful they are.

iMO and experience, there are several things that support this unsympathetic approach to staff sickness.
As pp's said, the people who take the piss and are frequently absent with trivial/imagined/'convenient illnesses (we've all worked with one of those people) that skew the managements view to the genuinely ill.
The early discharge from hospital these days. Perfectly reasonable that people usually recover better at home, and hospitals need the beds for the acutely ill, not convalescent patients. But people still need to recover at home, not be forced back to work early.
TV advertisements for OTC medicines, that imply that, for example, if you have the flu, then a couple of Max strength Lemsip or similar and you'll be bouncing back to complete health ten minutes after the initial dose, or if you have diarrhoea then a couple of Loperimide and you'll be fine within half an hour. Annoys the hell of of me.

I think everyone has a different tolerance with illnesses. They affect everyone differently. Its just got to be a personal decision whether that day needs writing off or not and nobody can judge another person on that.

I tend to be tolerant of illness absence unless I can see some kind of pattern. The person who often rang in with an upset stomach the day after they'd "been out for a few drinks with friends", and the person who regularly developed a migraine 20 minutes after being told that a certain piece of work had to be completed that day, however, were a different matter.

I've realised that employers will take, take, take and actually, I'm in charge of treating my body when ill, not them.

^

This. They don't give a shit about your health.

I've just had an interview for a new job and was very open about not wanting to crawl in sick - plus I work with some very sick people. I said that I would absolutely always make sure my job was done as well as possible and hit as many deadlines as possible, but that was my one request. She took it really well, and said she'd rather someone took a day/ caught up later etc etc, as three are 3 people who can cover each other, so we'll see. 30 years of "exactly how ill are you", I'm over it.

Ahh yes. Even worse when you’re a young pregnant woman with severe hyperemesis. I’m not sure whether I signed anything to say I basically couldn’t ‘chat crap’ about them until a certain time after my employment but stuff them. McDonald’s forced me to resign because I had 2 weeks off in total (not consecutively) for severe HG and I was in hospital for 3 of those days. They called me lazy and said I could either formally resign or be fired. Thinking back now I should have just let them fire me and sued them for unfair dismissal. Could I still sue them? Was a fair few years ago now but still makes me very angry. I was forced onto benefits, got not maternity pay and struggled raising my child until I got another job.

Ugh just remembered something even more vile that McDonald’s did. A friend of a friend had cancer (not sure what type or stage) he had to have a lot of treatment and almost died. He obviously had to have a lot of time off for this treatment so McDonald’s actually fired him because of it! The pig who owned the franchise we worked under is a disgusting man. McDonald’s as a company is no better. He took them to court and got a huge payout in the end but he didn’t deserve that when he was battling illness. If any of you have children/family that are planning on working for McDonald’s please ask them to reconsider!

YANBU the cold thing is ridiculous too. If you say I had two days off with the flu you'll get a response of "can't possibly have been the flu unless you were in intensive care". If you say I had two days off with a bad cold they'll reply with "I can't believe you stayed home with a little cold".

Last year was ridiculous for me illness wise. Strep throat, a terrible D&V, viral infection with awful rash all over my body. I was working very flexibly from home so fortunately my work wasn't affected. This year I've been absolutely fine - just bad luck.

"TV advertisements for OTC medicines, that imply that, for example, if you have the flu, then a couple of Max strength Lemsip or similar and you'll be bouncing back to complete health ten minutes after the initial dose, or if you have diarrhoea then a couple of Loperimide and you'll be fine within half an hour. Annoys the hell of of me."

Yes, yes, yes!!! That ghastly woman who bounces out of the lift and then goes on to give norovirus to her entire department and their families!

@Impora I'm sorry that happened to you but it's vastly unfair to tar all McDonald's with the same brush. The company policy on sickness is very clear and easy to find but some managers take it to the extreme.

I work for a local authority. I had a heart attack at 32 and was off 12 weeks with a phased return. My bosses we're wonderful, no worried about me being off. First day back a CF asked me how my holiday was. He was lucky I didn't lamp him. I had worked with him for 5 years and he was well aware why I was off.

I think one of my (male) colleagues is a MNer as he told CF to ODFOD.

I work for a mental health team. There is zero empathy for those that are very obviously off with mental health problems which I think is sad.

On the opposite end of the spectrum I know a lot of staff who magically get well at the 6 month mark when full pay becomes half pay.

My brother has learning difficulties andhas worked for McDonald's for almost 25 years. He had prostate cancer 3 years ago and had to be signed off for 2 months while undergoing radiotherapy. They were fantastic and very supportive of him.

I once had a couple of days off work, teaching, because I'd fallen in the snow and could still barely walk. Immediately I was grabbed by an Assistant Headteacher, known for her Hangover Mondays and given a bollocking for the absence so I produced the sick note for two weeks from my Doctor, that I'd been prepared to ignore, gave it to her and walked out.

Iborgia

My manager has a similar attitude and is very clear the job getting done is what matters, not presenteeism. I absolutely understand that it’s not possible for all jobs to be done at home or flexibly, but the more an employer gives the more you’ll get back.