That this work sickness policy is utterly crazy?

[SongforSal]

Been with the company over 2yrs and have always had a good sickness record. A few months ago I was very worried and in lots of pain as I had a period problem. My menstrual cycle lasted a good 3mths with only the odd day off. Other than a hospital appointment I had been waiting for an internal (I took a holiday day) there was one other day during this time, where I had to call in sick as I was in no position to work.

Last week, I called in sick for the day as I woke up in the night vomiting. Couldn't keep even water down. Didn't fancy the prospect of throwing up at my desk!

After a meeting with my boss, I was informed that having had 2 separate sick days, within a 6 month period, if I took another sick day within the next 6months-I would get a disciplinary!

Now, my contract allows 10 days per year paid sick leave. There are no stipulations, nor references to and reprimands, verbal or disciplinary procedures which may be enforced within this contract. Not that I have ever taken the piss.

Here comes the what the fuck rabbit hole have I just fallen down.

So. A colleague came into work today sweating, coughing, kept running to the bathroom, clearly very much unwell. On the back of a couple of weeks ago, when another colleague came in and spent 3 days at his desk with a cough, headache ect and chugging back lemsips. I asked my boss ''What happens if I catch this bug?'' and the reply I got was I could basically soldier on in as it is my choice to work, however if I got ill, and stayed home. You guessed it-a disciplinary.

So I am thinking I may need to invest in a hazmat suit for work, and fill the pockets with bloody dettol spray, as people are having to come in ill-or face reprimands! I can see why they feel forced to do so, but the knock on effect (selfishly) is I will get ill from being at work, and effectively punished if I take time off as to recover and not infect everyone else.

Does my place of work sound like a 18th century factory to you? Is this common?

Ooops..Didn't realise my post was that long winded

Sounds pretty standard to me unfortunately. It's a shit system and a terrible way to treat employees but it's not unusual.
Under most sickness absence policies you're in a better position if you take a month off in one go than if you have the odd day off.

Does my place of work sound like a 18th century factory to you? Is this common?

YEs - have you never heard of the Bradford Index ?

www.bradfordfactorcalculator.com/

Three absences in 12 months is a lot and in most places would/should be followed up but that doesn't necessary mean disciplinary. What does the policy say?

That's really shit. Yanbu.

Our policy states "10 days or 3 separate incidents where a pattern emerged warrants a meeting". So not a disciplinary more a "are you ok is there an issue" type of conversation.

Do you have access to your policy? What is the exact wording?

Nope

Standard where I work in HE.
Ours is more than 3 instances or 10 days in a rolling 12 month period = disciplinary.

Unless there are mitigating factors. Any long term sickness or pregnancy/disability related is disregarded though.

WOW Plainspeaking I scored an 8, meaning no concern!

I worked for a large company once where on being off sick, staff would be asked how they could prevent it happening again.

Looking at some things I have been signed off work with, I didn’t intend to break limbs in accidents. I don’t see how I could prevent that happening in the future.

I’m asthmatic. If I catch a virus from someone in the office who has gone in with a cold and then require hospitalisation for an asthma attack or pneumonia...how can I prevent that?

That’s the same as my workplace-I think it’s probably pretty standard.

3 absences in a year is not a lot

3 absences a month... maybe a lot. But three in an entire year? No, you're crazy.

Our work policy is 10days or 5 incidents in a year and they will review your employment.
After every incident you have a back to work meeting, which is more to make sure you're ok to be back at work and ask if there is anything you can help you with your return and avoid further sickness.
Seems odd for it to be an issue if you haven't made a habit of taking sick in pervious years.

3 absences in a year is not a lot

Really? I think it is! I have had one (3 day) absence in about 3 years.

I was really poorly at the end of 2017, and then again beginning of 2018, so much so my GP nearly hospitalised me.
I nearly ended up having a huge problem at work because it was 2 longish sickness periods within a certain amount of time (not horrendous, but at least a couple of weeks each time iyswim)
It really pissed me off though, as I have had no sickness for the previous 10 years of working there! Then when I am very unwell, they just want to penalise me!
It's very unfair, but I'm not not sure what you can do about it

• 3 absences in a year is not a lot confused

3 absences a month... maybe a lot. But three in an entire year? No, you're crazy. *

I agree.

*3 absences in a year is not a lot confused

3 absences a month... maybe a lot. But three in an entire year? No, you're crazy.*

I agree.

Why isn't the formatting working?!

That's a standard sickness policy. 3 periods / over 3% absence triggers a disciplinary.

I work in healthcare and this is pretty standard. Although it's called a disciplinary, it's more of a welfare check, from what I have seen workmates go through. It's obviously designed to weed out the people who pull sickies on Fridays and Mondays on a regular basis. I used to work with a woman who apparently hurt her back every July and had 6 weeks off work...but it was accompanied by a doctor's note and she never faced any penalty because it was one episode of sickness in a 12 month period.

I have only had 2 days off though! Both for extremely valid reasons. My colleagues obviously are bound by the same terms. As such, I expect some may be coming in fearful for their job, rather than stay at home....and I am not just talking about the sniffles, I am talking about the type of ill where you look at someone and inch away because you can practically feel the germs bouncing off them!

Have you told them about the ongoing problems with your gynaecological health? I understand why you might not want to but surely once you do policies that protect people with long term illnesses kick in.

Policies relating to the Bradford Index are normally trying to catch out people who are pulling sickies because they drank too much the night before/didn't feel like working etc.

I have chronic pain so my record is all over the place, I'd actually hate to see my Bradford score (I almost always make up the time though). But because of disability policies they'd can't discipline me for this.

I hope everything works out, I can see why its frustrating to even be asked to attend a meeting about it.

Next time you are off, take a full week, make it worth it

Three absences in 12 months is a lot

No it fucking isn't (and before you mark me down as a workshop fop, I have had zero in the last 5+ years).

That's a standard sickness policy. 3 periods / over 3% absence triggers a disciplinary.

These kinds of policies are designed by stupid wonks and are totally unreasonable and ultimately pointless.

It's 3 periods of sick in 6 months at our work. Wether you take 1 day or more during those periods doesn't matter.