To think people shouldn’t be judged for having time off work

[buildmeup]

I work for a large company and a few people in my department are currently off work. One has been off for sixteen weeks and another has been off just over a month. Both are off with mental health related illnesses. People have been talking about them and making judgemental comments. I feel that mental illnesses should be as important in the workplace as physical health.

I feel that mental illnesses should be as important in the workplace as physical health.

I totally agree with you, but MH issues are considered by many to be easily faked. This is why colleagues shouldn't really know why someone is off.

And most people are judgemental of others at least some of the time, however much we try to convince ourselves we're better than that and never do it.

Agree with you. Problem is that people believe that others make it up to get time off, but people make up physical illnesses too to get out of work.

My boss believes that since he is always in work and never sick that we should all be the same. I catch a ton of bugs because of the shite air system at work, being stressed to hell with the amount of work I have and given no help or time, and being anaemic doesn't help me. But that's all my fault apparently and I should refrain from being sick.

Managers like that don't help. They are assholes.

There’s still a lot of stigma around MH issues despite steps forward in recent years.
It shows we still have a bit of a way to go.

Yanbu but given how easy it is to fake it and get signed off , I understand why the comments are made. Doesnt make it right though

It's also exacerbated by the fact a lot of employers don't get appropriate cover for longer periods of illness, so the people left with higher workloads get frustrated and resentful.

Again, doesn't justify blaming the employee, but sadly it's what happens.

They have temps in place so I’m not really sure why they have an issue.

I agree with you that there is stigma around mental health issues compared with physical ones and there shouldn’t be.

However, I’ve only known one person to be off for MH reasons (stress) and she got signed off the week that she had asked for leave and had it declined because other people were already due to be off. She was then off for a good few months (until her full pay ran out). I like to think it was just a coincidence but I can see why people started to talk. It wasn’t helped by the fact that because she was being fully paid, the company couldn’t afford anyone in to replace her so we were overworked and under resourced for months which put pressure on everyone else.

Since she’s been back it’s been a bit difficult for her colleagues and managers alike. She is constantly coming in late, not working her full hours, not doing things she’s meant to and making demands about holiday that means others are constantly having to place her above their own needs and wants.

People kind of tiptoe around her, managers included because of her MH condition. Not saying everyone is like that but that’s just my experience.

That isn’t ideal either.

Managers view sick staff as a problem,
Managers view sick staff with MH issues as a bigger problem.

If managers could avoid recruiting anyone who could have MH issues they would.

Managers just want bums on seats to churn through the gradgrind work without complaining.

Doesn't make it right, of course.

In Australia that kind of information is confidential. So unless the worker themselves told people why they were off, nobody would know. The manager would be in deep trouble for relaying the details of the illness to anyone. The information would be held on a strictly need to know basis.

Also if you self certify (calling in for a couple of days for D&V, or a sprained ankle, for example) you don't have to give your manager a medical reason. You just say that you are unwell and they aren't allowed to ask what specifically is wrong. It sounds weird at first but actually works really well. A doctor's note is required after a certain amount of absence and is held in the strictest confidence.

People should mind their own business. It's between the employee and employer.
OK, complaint to the managers if they expect you to pick up the slack but don't start bitching about a colleague who is sick. There job is to manage and everyone else's is to do their own job.

Their....not there.