to think being certified off work sick doesn't mean you can't leave the house

[Swansandducks]

A colleague has been out of work on a cert for the past two weeks. Someone saw her yesterday apparently collecting her niece from a ballet class and is now going around saying our colleague is 'throwing a sickie'.

AIBU to find this annoying? The woman in question has had a very bad chest infection and is due back in work on Monday. Surely it is normal that on the last few days of her illness she is capable of going out and about for an hour or two a day, which is very different to facing a long commute and a full day at work?

If she can pick her niece from dance class she can go to work I agree she’s taking the piss.

Yanbu

There's a huge difference between a quick trip to pick up a child and hit stuffy trains and offices which aggrevate breathing difficulties and a full day at work.

What do theybthink single parents do. Unless dead they have to venture out for school runs

If she can pick her niece from dance class she can go to work I agree she’s taking the piss.

they are not even remotely similar! Doing a full shift Vs picking up a kid and going back home.

The last time I had a bad infection, my doctor told me to take a second week off work as I was still run down and needed to take it slowly for another week. It didn't mean I had to stay in the house, just reduce my activities and not do anything too tiring for a few more days.

I agree with you at the end of a chest infection when she’s due back on Monday it’s perfectly ok to be getting out and about building up to a full day at work. It’s a rule I kind of use with ill children as well. I like them to have had a day where they were up and dressed, not still sleeping off the illness before they go back to school if it’s been something long and lingering like a chest infection. It means they don’t go back too early.

I had a chest infection earlier this year. It took several weeks before I felt back to normal. Certainly there was a week of me pottering just trying to get my strength up again. I couldn't of gone from 2 weeks in bed straight back to work. I needed an hour's sit down after a shower!

We have a couple of people off sick ATM with broken limbs,another having chemo.There are lots of people off sick who have to leave the house.
I once had someone report me for being out when sick,luckily I had a paper appointment slip for the physiotherapist to show.

Depends on the job, but if her work is normally sedentary and not call centre (which exacerbates throat/chest soreness) I'd think the same, although probably not say it

I have to agree with Snapped. If it was her own children then I understand, she might not have any other options.

There's a girl signed off with 'stress' at my work at the moment.
So far she's been on holiday, had multiple meals out and been to a concert. All posted on social media in the last two weeks.
She was due back at work on Monday but has been signed off for another two weeks.

I'm off work right now with the end of the flu and bad chest infection. Haven't left the house other than having to drag myself to the doctors Wednesday. On way back from the doctors and my dh called to say he was running late because of an accident so I had go pick my dc up from school at the end of our street. Absolutely ruined me picking him up and I ended up back in bed for the rest for the afternoon/evening..I would be quite annoyed if someone accused me of throwing a sicky just because they saw me out. I wanted to cry with exhaustion after dragging myself to doctors and school so there is no way I could have managed my long commute to work, a full day at work and then the long commute home.

So while I don't think she should be house bound but being off work to rest should mean you are home resting apart from doctors/emergencies that can't be helped.

Depends on the job, but if her work is normally sedentary and not call centre (which exacerbates throat/chest soreness) I'd think the same, although probably not say it

Why

It's far better they take an extra day or two and cone back at 99 percent than cone back to soon, underperform due to feeling crap and end up signed off again when infection reoccurs or they catch another one from being so run down for longer than the day you begrudged them the first time round.

There's a girl signed off with 'stress' at my work at the moment.
So far she's been on holiday, had multiple meals out and been to a concert. All posted on social media in the last two weeks.
She was due back at work on Monday but has been signed off for another two weeks.

Yes, signed off with stress not a broken leg. Probably caused by her job therefore being signed off from going to work is the solution. Going on holiday, concerts etc... No reason why she shouldn't.

Unless you think she should stay indoors being "stressed".

Agree with Witsending that it depends on the job and how demanding it is. If the job is fairly sedentary and not hugely mentally taxing either then I'd have a lot less sympathy

There is also the argument that while off work sick (and presumably being paid), you should be focusing on getting yourself well again and not taking the opportunity to run errands for friends/family

Oh fgs a bit if fresh air and sun does people good.

So people who are on longterm sick leave should never go out at all? Clearly some people haven't thought this through...

I'm getting over a very serious chest infection (and would have been signed off work of I wasn't on maternity leave). I still had to do the school run, buy bread and milk etc. etc. However, there's no way I could have done my commute and a fool day's work.

YANBU

Exactky bovril

Sitting around in the house 24/7 for days on end does no one any good at all.

And how you are supoosed to know u can manage going to work when you haven't even been able to see if u can do the corner shop and back i don't know

I went to a Paris on a long weekend (planned holiday) with a broken foot in a boot and crutches.

Getting a taxi to the Eurostar and then pottering around Paris slowly are very different to getting down the train / tube steps, probably not getting a seat, going up more steps / an escalator then going up three flights of stairs to the office (very old building!)

Its a bit insensitive if you're off sick to post pictures of yourself on holiday etc. If I'm off work sick I wouldn't even pop to the pub let alone go on holiday for fear of being seen.

Erm being off work sick and a quick trip out are different.

One involves commutes and being at work all day and 'on show'.

One involves going out dressed however you want and being able to come home after and sleep if needs be.

There's a transition period between fit for work and too ill for work

YANBU. There's a huge difference between getting up at 7am, facing a long commute, doing a full days work, then facing another long commute on a cold dark evening; and nipping out to the shops or to collect a child or to meet someone for coffee or lunch. The latter is perfectly doable when you're at the recovering stage of a lot of illnesses.

Some of the attitudes on this thread are the very reason why so many people end up going down with one thing after another during the Winter months - which is far more inconvenient for colleagues than someone taking a second week and recovering slowly and fully.

And 'stress' does not mean you should be sitting at home biting your nails. Going out and enjoying yourself and switching off from the source of the stress and regaining perspective is exactly the way to recover.

Out and about sounds absolutely feasible when on a cert - colleague may have needed to go to a chemist but timed to coincide with being able to collect a DNiece from dance class. Or as someone mentioned, better enough to start to resume activities (maybe a cup of coffee to get out of the house - probably necessary for mental health reasons if stuck indoors for days!) without being up to the full daily grind. She could even have been going to/from the Dr herself! Or getting some food in, to help her recovery etc.

A Dr will not sign you off work unless it's needed. Your colleague making comments is the unreasonable one.

Some people are far too nosy about the lives of others!

Doctors recommend holidays for stress

Some of the attitudes on this thread are the very reason why so many people end up going down with one thing after another during the Winter months - which is far more inconvenient for colleagues than someone taking a second week and recovering slowly and fully

It's also not the sick persons fault if their absence means things fall apart or work load becomes impossible. Thats down the the company. This resentment and disbelief of people who probably got far sicker than they should have been dragging their arses in every day when they should have been at home, is disgusting.there are nobrewards for working to the point of collapse or being medically signed off.