Mum ringing in sick, for my junior.

[KungFuPandaWorks]

I arrived at work before just checking on the diary and paperwork, and notice one of the junior hairdresser isn't in. One of the stylists (S1) informs me the junior is poorly today.

No big deal we all get poorly, until another stylist (S2) chips in that her mum called on her behalf, and that she's off sick because of a high temperature.

I think it's highly inappropriate having someone ring in on your behalf unless exceptional circumstances (unconscious, hospital, no voice etc) but for a high temp?

S1 thinks that because she's only 16 that's it not so bad that her mum calls on her behalf and I should let it drop.

Myself and S2 think it's absolutely ridiculous she's had her mum ring in on her behalf. Not to mention it's not exactly the greatest reason to be off.

AIBU? WIBU mentioning to her, that in the future she must ring herself unless she is totally unable in doing so.

Mum called in sick for her and she was on social media posting about a shopping trip?
That's very silly.
I'd have said having a gentle word that in the workplace you generally ring in for yourself would have been the right thing to do in the first instance, but pulling a sickie isn't on and needs pulling up.

My DH always asked me to ring his job, when off sick. Until the advent of email, then he would email instead.
Being ill, he did not want an interrogation about it, but I admit, he had to be really ill before missing work.

I had this going on when they were in their early 20s. One mother rang me to tell me he hadn't come home and could I ask him to call me. Bloody outraged I was.

Well I agree its unprofessional to get someone else to ring in for you but it's extremely unprofessional for you to discuss this with other staff members so....pot/kettle?

This is honestly like cancel the cheque all over again.

She clearly got her mum to ring in because she knew she wouldn't have been able to lie herself. Except her mum didn't do the greatest job of lying for her.

Morgan, so how else was I meant too have known she was off if none of the stylists discussed it with me?

As for the person who said she probably needed a mental health day because of me what an absolutely vile and horrid thing to say.

For the poster who asked how much she is paid, over £6 an hour and tips.

You sound like a nightmare.

I don't see what the issue is. She's 16 years old and unless she's generally a troublesome employee or takes a lot of time off sick, how does this negatively impact your day so much? If she does this frequently then fair enough, but otherwise you're unreasonable (and maybe a little petty) in this instance.

How lovely to see that a 16 year old apprentice is being introduced to the world of work in such a caring, supportive and professional environment.

Imagine how awful it would be to start your working life in a salon where the manager was so unprofessional as to openly bitch about you taking a day off sick with your colleagues in the workplace and then take to social media to carry it in there?

@BlackCatSleeping i agree with you to a point that It is more about etiquette BUT legally eitquette doesn't matter. If the op doesnt actually have a policy she cannot enforce it. And sorry but even at 16 an ironed uniform is common sense and pride in your appearance, unless you have never worn an ironed uniform (like for school).why would you not take pride in your apperence?

And how is a Child at 16 supposed to just magically know these work place etiquette? Up untill she started working her mum would have had to (legally) phone up sick for her to school, its something that she has never had to do yet she is expected to know and follow these eitquettes. That is why a clear cut policy is inportant.

...how else was I meant too have known she was off if none of the stylists discussed it with me?

There is a difference between passing on details of a call to the manager/owner and the manager/owner proceeding to discuss who made the call and what should have been done instead, with two other employees.

Are you really arguing for the right to discuss someone's personal business with two other people here? What if this girl had called in to say she had had a miscarriage over the weekend and needed rest, or that she had terrible diarrhea? Where do you draw the line when it comes to other people's privacy?

If she’s gone shopping after pulling a sickie then that’s gross misconduct (fraud and lying). As she is 16 and you can see some potential I wouldn’t be in a hurry to sack her but it would be a formal warning and I’d decline company sick pay on the basis that she lied to go shopping. Sick pay is for when you’re sick, not when you want to shop.

What a dramatic comparison. Miscarriage vs a fake temperature.

How did I post anything over social media? The girl posted a snap chat.

hidden no I won't get rid of her because she is awesome and definitley has lot of potential. Just have to figure out how to address it without seeming harsh but not a soft touch either.

Spying on a children's Social Media page is despicable, you breached her GDPR on here and with your stylists. I suggest you stop before I report you myself for not safeguarding a child under your employment, and yes I can do that

Blimey. I have been known to do a bit of spying from time to time, seeing as I have two teens, of of which got pally with a dodgy crowd at one point.

And as far as I can make out, OP didnt spy.

I have a 16 year old myself. She has been awfully ill on some school mornings, then miraculously all better by 11am. . But she isnt a bad kid and works hard at school and everything else she does, but they are going to try it at some point.

She got caught out pulling a sickie. Bet her mum feels a bit of a twit now, but I reckon the girl wont do it again in a hurry once she knows she outed herself.

Yeah id go with no company sick pay on the basis that it was a fraudulent sick claim- say she was absent without leave. If you want to be nice you could say this time (and emphasise this time only) you will convert it to annual leave so she doesn’t lose pay, but the choice is then between her losing a day’s pay or losing a days A/L.

Is this not social media?

And I wasn't comparing the causes for calling in sick.

I was asking you to examine your argument that discussing this employee's private business with other employees is a solid decision and a good management approach.
Whether that business is a high temperature or a miscarriage it is none of the other employees' business and you had no right to discuss it.

I think what you did was flat out unprofessional. Good managers do not do that. You only have your own experience in management as reference here for many years, apparently, and I fear you may be telling yourself what you want to believe about your management approach when you say many of your employees have been with you a long time. If you are their only experience of a manager then they are also somewhat poorly equipped to judge you. People stay in a particular place of employment for many reasons other than how great the manager/owner is.

Just have to figure out how to address it without seeming harsh but not a soft touch either

I think having the Snapchat evidence handy may result in you not having to say too much . But i would not pay her for the sick day under the circumstances.

She is an apprentice. Where she is learning what life is like in the real world. She wasnt ill, took a chance, didnt work and now she suffers the consequence of it.

You can all disagree with the "bitching" because that's the only part you can try and dive on me for. But none of you was there, it wasn't how some of you are trying to portray it at all. S1 mentioned she's off, S2 mentioned how the call took place (which her mother ringing is against rules regardless of what you say)

I pulled a face at it, S2 mentioned she would come in if she was feeling a bit warm which is how the mum put it across. That's when the other sort of laughed and made the comment about pulling a sickle at school. But if it suits certain posters to believe we got into a slanting match about her and did it with customers there so be it.

I think that's a silly argument that because some dont know different they've stayed. Surely they speak about their week with a partner/friend /family who would give them guidance. But it's easier for some posters to believe I'm stood their cracking a whip screaming and shouting just to feel better about their responses. In regards to the "discussion" I've responded too that. I never commented my disapproval to them, I did that on here.

Maybe she wanted to be in work despite being ill and her Mum said ‘No way, you have a high temp, I am calling them’ or maybe it was just habit. Just make a note and next time you have a meeting with her individually just mention it, and say for the future in job roles etc I would suggest you ring in as it looks more professional.

When she's back in, deliver what used to be known as a shit sandwich. Gently ask how she's feeling, is she well enough to be at work? Because you were surprised to see a social media post that suggested she'd lied to get a day off. You accept this is probably her first real job and inexperienced people make mistakes, but she needs to understand that what she did is unacceptable and any repeat of it would have serious consequences (discipline, or whatever the policy says). It's breaching her employment contract after all. You see great potential in her and want to bring it out. You'd hate to see her sabotage herself. Perhaps you and she can review policies together so she's completely clear about what's expected of her.

imagine how awful it would be to start your working life in a salon where the manager was so unprofessional as to openly bitch about you taking a day off sick with your colleagues in the workplace and then take to social media to carry it in there?

More dramatics. It's anonymous. The girl has no clue this is about her. I highly doubt she's the only 16 yo apprentice that pulled a sickie yesterday even if she did come across this thread. There's probably been some details changed in the OP too.

Jesus! This thread 🤦🏼‍♀️

OP I do think the employee (ignoring her age, if she's old enough to pick up a pay package, she's old enough to abide by the rules) was wrong to get her mum to call in for her. I started my apprenticeship at a very young age and knew the rules were no different for me.

I feel the staff answering the call should have said on the phone, that she would need to call in herself or it would go down as an unauthorised/unpaid absence.

Then the landing herself in it on snapchat? 😂 Jesus kid! Fool her! If she was going to get paid for this sick day, you need to make sure she doesn't now.

Most people have pulled sickies before, but they are not daft enough to go the way she has about it!

some a few of the comments are dramatic but I have kept stuff back too make it a bit more anon. That much of a horrendous boss me and the manager worked it so she had a few weekends off on a bounce because she had plans and wanted to do things. We arranged it so she could do that and because she was honest. I'm flexible with my staff bevause I'm a firm believer in your life doesn't revolve around work.

For people diving on me, I knew the excuse didn't sound great because she came into work with an injury and got sent straight home and told to come back when she's better and had sick pay for the duration she was off. So we knew feeling a bit hot was very bloody unlikely.

Also, it is a bit like when you don’t quite know if you should send your children to school. They wake up seemingly rough and hot, have a definite temperature and then an hour or two later they are bouncing around and you wonder why you didn’t send them to school. You make a snap decision with all of this and once they are off, they are off. If she was feeling a bit rough I would rather she didn’t do my hair.
Maybe she pulled a sickie, either way by having a word with her when she gets back in a polite caring manner you will be doing the right thing. If she is a good worker otherwise then I wouldn’t judge her on this one incident, just tell her she has to call in and that you were surprised she was out shopping.