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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

To be skeptical of employees illness

112 replies

ashvivienne · 24/04/2019 09:20

A few weeks ago an employee on my team informed me that she had been given a cancer diagnosis quite recently but hadn’t informed us till she knew all the facts and exactly what was happening. She is in the early stages and has informed us that she’ll be receiving chemotherapy which she has now started.
We have had a meeting with our HR department and occupational health staff as she has said she’d like to continue working as long as possible. HR have asked for a letter from her doctor so we can obviously get the ball rolling on accommodations such as reduced hours and time off for appointments on sick pay rather than unpaid leave or holidays. She’s refused to give us any letters that she’s been given none and that if she goes to her GP she’ll need to pay for one (I’m going to discuss it with HR if we can pay for the letter).
She is obviously friends with some people in the office and we have each other on social media. She has been out heavily boozing on numerous nights out even since starting treatment and has even spent this bank holiday out for 3 days not returning home.

Aibu to be skeptical? It feels harsh and part of me does think maybe she is putting on a brave face but there just feels like something isn’t right.

OP posts:
C8H10N4O2 · 24/04/2019 17:28

Incidentally as far as I can see the sick person has not refused to provide a letter or evidence from the doctor - she has said that she cannot get one without paying for it, which is not the same thing at all.

itstheweekend2 · 24/04/2019 17:44

I suppose then time will tell if this is a diversion tactic or genuine lack of any other form of evidence .

outpinked · 24/04/2019 17:51

My best friend’s Mum recently died of cancer. You’d never have guessed she was even sick judging by her social media account. She was off on holidays living life to the full until she was physically unable to. I really wouldn’t judge by this alone.

It also takes a certain type of sicko to lie about a cancer diagnosis...

CherryPavlova · 24/04/2019 18:00

I drank beer through chemo. It tasted less metallic than wine and could be served really cold.
I went out for evenings as doing a dying swan was so dull.
I don’t think I ever gave over a doctors letter; it wasn’t requested or necessary. I could describe what reasonable adjustments I wanted better than my GP as I understood how I felt and what my job involved.
I was never seen by occupational health. No need as I wasn’t off sick much. I had a total of 14 days which was time off spread out for for surgery, chemo and radiotherapy.
I went to Egypt on holiday.

I think you’re being judgemental and unkind. If you are a line manager your behaviour is shockingly shabby.

Namechangeforthiscancershit · 24/04/2019 18:26

I have metastatic cancer and am hoping to do a bit more by way of palliative chemo but I really doubt I'll see my next birthday (36).
I've worked full time through 2 years of treatment and hoping to keep going. I don't put anything on SM other than highly filtered photos of me, usually with some booze! Why not?

I haven't been asked to "prove" anything and I don't open my CCed letters from clinics, though I do open appointment ones so I could take those in I guess if necessary?

RB68 · 24/04/2019 18:39

It needs to be a fit note from the GP and if that needs to be paid for (shouldnt but may) to say she is ill, but fit to work with adjustments or reduced time or whatever it is she needs. This can then be discussed with OH and HR. I would treat it as genuine until proven otherwise - you have no other option

JaneEyre07 · 24/04/2019 18:47

My Dad is undergoing treatment for rheumatoid arthritis at the moment. He keeps all of his hospital letters in a folder.... so far, he has around 30 and that's been since November.

As an employer myself, I'd be very suspicious of an employee who couldn't provide some kind of evidence about a serious ongoing illness. You can't trust everyone, sadly, and it's hardly fair to everyone else if this person IS swinging the lead and being paid for time off/disrupting work levels.

Catchingbentcoppers · 24/04/2019 20:36

@Namechangeforthiscancershit I'm so sorry. Flowers

yorkshirepud44 · 24/04/2019 21:35

I'm hr and I would always start at the point of totally believing an individual about this kind of thing unless the evidence to suggest otherwise were right in front of me.
Anyone who would make this kind of thing up would equally concern me on grounds of their mental health tbh.

Do not accuse or show any suspicion unless you're up for a costly tribunal. If evidence presents itself, get legal advice at every stage to deal with it.

MissEliza · 24/04/2019 22:44

My dm and dh have both had cancer. Dh was caught in the early stages, while my DM unfortunately died of it. Both of them had a mountain of correspondence with all hospital appointments etc. Surely she could produce a letter with a hospital appointment? We would also get copies of every letter the consultant wrote to my dh's GP. I don't know if that's standard as dh has private insurance.

LuckyLou7 · 26/04/2019 05:52

@Namechangeforthiscancershit

Fucking hell. I am so sorry. Is there anything you need that might make things more bearable?

StealthPolarBear · 26/04/2019 06:36

Namechangeforthiscancershit that is awful :(

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