Re 'if you're well enough to be out you're well enough to be in work'

[Misscromwellrocks]

My sister is getting over a really bad chest infection and is at the stage of being able to potter down to the village for a bit of fresh air every morning before going back home to rest.

She's due back in to work after Christmas tomorrow but really could do with another couple of days recuperating. She's a bit worried though as a colleague of hers was coming out of Tesco yesterday and stopped and exchanged a bit of small talk. My sister is now worried that she'll be seen as a shirker on the grounds that she's well enough to be out etc.

Aibu to think there's a huge difference between
getting up at 6.30, facing a long coomute, a full day at work, another long commute home and
having a lie on, going for a short stroll to the shops or to a local cafe, then going back home to rest.

Being able to do the latter in no way implies your up to the former in my opinion.

If you can turn up to work and do a full days work just because you dont pass out walking 10 minutes into town, I want your job.

I work in retail customer service and I am on my feet for 10/12 hour shifts. Even a short shift in my store is 4 hours. That's four hours of standing on a concrete floor, under fluorescent strip lights, dealing with members of the public. Even on a normal day without sickness by the end if my shift my feet hurt, I'm exhausted and I'm ready to get home for a sit down.

A couple of years ago I had a heavy cold I just could not shift for about 3/4 weeks. I had a couple of days off but couldn't afford to take time off sick so dragged myself to work. I was less than useless for a lot of the time I was at work because I was just too exhausted to function and ended up getting sent home early a lot. I actually ended up losing wages anyway but by the time I admitted defeat and accepted I was sick it wasnt worth taking time off as we have a 3 day exclusion period before statutory sick pay kicks in and I couldn't afford that on top of the wages I'd already lost.

Earlier this year when I got a similar cold, I immediately called into work sick and took myself to bed. A week later I was significantly better but before I committed to going back to work I spent a couple of days getting out and about, as soon as I could walk the 40 minutes into town, stroll around the shops, have a coffee and walk home without immediately falling asleep I knew I could go back to work.

Sometimes it is better to take an extra couple of days off and make sure you're fully recovered than rush back to work early and drag the illness/sickness longer.

@AvaSnowdrop

That's awful. I'd be on the hunt for a new job.

UK workers worked unpaid overtime worth £31billion in 2017 - yeah, if I need to take some extra convalesce days I will!

I once went to Paris for a pre-booked long weekend with a broken foot in an orthopaedic boot. We got a cab to St Pancras, my partner was able to help me with my luggage and onto the train and we got cabs everywhere in Paris and did an open top bus tour so minimal walking required. There was also a very handy no step shower in the hotel bathroom.

I couldn’t go to work though as I could barely stand in our shower (in the bath) at home, or make it onto the train and tube down various sets of stairs. I worked in a Victorian building and my office was on the third floor - no lift!

When I had bronchitis and was signed off, I went to local cafes to get me out of the house. I was able to drink a coffee and eat a panini and then went home for a nap as I felt exhausted afterwards.

PlomBear how much of that overtime is covering extra shifts for people off sick I wonder? Because that's the only reason we ever have to work overtime.

I absolutely think that someone with pneumonia or having had surgery should take their recommended convalescent period and that getting fresh air is part of convalescence and obviously some people have no choice but to buy food.

My current job has been ruined by piss takers (one in particular) who phone in sick with colds or sore throats frequently, meaning that I have no idea whether I'll be leaving my 14 hour shift on time or end up doing their night shift for them straight after my day shift because I can't go home and leave the service unattended or I'd be the one without a job and rendered unemployable!

Sometimes people who are "being kind to themselves" royally screw their colleagues over.

That's totally different to the appropriate convalescence from a still birth or operation or bronchitis etc. From a colleagues' point of view someone signed off sick for three weeks at least means that cover can be arranged, childcare especially can be arranged and double shifts avoided. Someone who calls in sick with a cold and decides from day to day whether they'll be back in for their next shift is a nightmare.

MrsMillerbecameababy - I don’t work in places with shift work so nobody has to cover for me.

If I’m going to be working until I’m 80 and drop dead before I get my pension I’m really not bothered about a few extra days off over a 60 year career.

I am SO looking forward to this for next year.
I am due to have surgery with approx 6-8 weeks recovery time. I am in a job where you need to be physically mobile and be able to drive. I will be prohibited from lifting, stretching, and driving, but have been advised to walk daily as part of recovery. I know people with be when they see me out.

Funny how everybody feel sorry for the "poor" person on sick leave, well enough to go to panto or a weekend in Paris, but no one is that bothered about the colleagues who have to pick up the slack!

Some people are truly taking the piss on this thread, no wonder too many companies don't give full pay for sick leave!

how much of that overtime is covering extra shifts for people off sick I wonder? Because that's the only reason we ever have to work overtime.

I can't speak for others but none of my overtime is spent covering others sick leave. I have to work overtime for a variety of reasons including unexpected server failures, project over runs, financial deadlines and other urgent stuff which often crops up and can't always be planned for. I also tell my staff that they can call me at any time if they have a problem and can't manage. Burden of the pay grade unfortunately is the buck stops with me and I don't think my subordinates should have to carry the stress when things go wrong.

I fractured my elbow a couple of years ago just before Christmas. I got signed off for a month. I couldn’t put on a bra or dress myself properly in work attire but I could hobble to a cafe in an oversized T-shirt and have brunch before going back to sleep in a codeine induced haze.

When I went back to work, I don’t think anybody noticed I had been off!

FairytaleofButlins

I had used up my sick pay as I was signed off for 8 weeks when I went to Paris. I had stat sick pay only for a couple of weeks. And that job (like most of my jobs) was a job with little to do so my colleagues had very little extra work to pick up!

I don’t feel guilty at all and I had a great time in Paris!

I agree that people constantly taking days off here and there for minor issues are a pain.

But people who have been genuinely ill and take the full necessary time to recuperate instead of rushing back to work the minute they can crawl out of bed are not piss takers.

Some of the stories of disciplinary actions on this thread are shocking and throw a huge question mark over the suitability of the managers in question.

If I’m ill enough to be signed off work then I’m not going. I’m not one to take odd days off.

My health comes first. A job is just a job - they can get rid of me at any time.

PlomBear
good for you? Do you think your biscuit is making any kind of point?

I don't get sick pay personally, I've always been paid in full, works better for me. People like you are the reason why statutory sick pay - which is fuck all really - has been introduced. be proud of yourself.

” People like you are the reason why statutory sick pay - which is fuck all really - has been introduced. be proud of yourself.”

People like you who go in with highly contagious illnesses risk people like me ending up in hospital. It makes no difference to my body if I’ve got occupational sick pay or statutory. If I catch something, especially respiratory, I’m screwed. Just another perspective.

The only time I've ever thought it was cheeky was retail, the First day Open after Christmas so first day of the sale and Everyone had to work it. One person phoned in sick and then showed up to do her sale shopping.

If your well enough to go to the shops your well enough to work ? What a rediculous thing to say.

I went to the shops while signed of sick . Dh pushed the trolly and I walked with him. I probably looked ok but under my large scarf I had a gruesome incision and had been given the news I had cancer and would need further operations and treatment. While physically I healed fine, mentally I was having to deal with thinking I might not see my children grow up. (Thankfully after operations and treatment I’m fine)

But according to a few posters i should have went to work since I was at the shops. Not all reasons for being of sick are physical you know.

Schuyler
why are you making up that I go in with highly contagious illness?

We are talking about people well enough to travel, to go to shows, and clearly infect everybody else there... but not well enough to go to work. In other words, CF. At least own it, you just don't can't be arsed to go back. It's the hypo crisis that is childish.

We are talking about people well enough to travel, to go to shows, and clearly infect everybody else there... but not well enough to go to work

Travel = sitting on a train/plane, relaxing, choosing an itinerary based on capability

Go to shows = sit in a darkened room watching people perform for a couple of hours ... how is that different to watching TV on the sofa apart from the fact you have to wear clothes to watch stuff outside your house

Work = 10 hours focussed on tasks that others are relying on you completing in a timely manner. Potentially on your feet, in a noisy/busy office under fluorescent lighting and no option to take it easy.

FairytaleofButlins - oh dear, why don’t you go and have a lie down. I hope your life gets better as you seem so angry and bitter.

PlomBear
you are weirdly getting very personal on this thread, I've touched a nerve with you or something?

If this was not anonymous I would think you are a disgruntled employee I got rid of, to provoke such a reaction from you

Oh and FairytaleofButlins - all of my roles have had some kind of company sick pay. You can also choose to work somewhere better which has a sick pay scheme, many organisations have paid sick pay.

It’s not because of me that retailers for example generally just have statutory sick pay - I last worked retail as a student many moons ago!

FairytaleofButlins - nope - I just don’t like people like you who are holier then thou!

Thankfully I don’t know you IRL!

You take the piss by taking sickies when you don't need them, don't expect everybody to give you a bonus for that, but nice try.

FairytaleofButlins - signed off each time by a doctor...I explained in my posts why I couldn’t go to work...

I don’t even know why I’m arguing with you as it doesn’t actually matter. I’ll continue to get signed off if needed.

No one ever doubted you will...