...to think this isn't what sick leave is for?

[UserXRay29]

Prepared to be told I'm BU. :).

I work in a small shop, with roughly ten other colleagues. Last year in July, a colleague handed in a sick note, having been signed off for a month. At the end of this month, she handed in an additional sick note and returned in the second week of September.

Myself and the rest of my colleagues thought the timing of this was a bit suspicious, as she has two children in primary school but - none of our business after all. We had to cover her shifts while she was away which was a little taxing but we managed. Upon her return, she explained she'd been away with depression.

As I suffer from depression and anxiety, I asked if she'd tried any medication. Personally, I regularly take both antidepressants and beta-blockers. She answered in the negative and explained that she didn't feel she needed them. Fair enough.

So yesterday, I'm in work with said colleague and discussing childcare, when she brings up that she "doesn't think [she'll] be well again this Summer." I was livid and had to take a minute away.

I suffer with severe anxiety and for someone to use depression as an excuse to take time off work is driving me mental. I get that childcare can be expensive and everything but it feels like it trivializes what I and others have to deal with on a daily basis.

AIBU?

YABU.... Depression affects people in different ways and has different levels of severity, just because you can manage yours it doesn't mean everyone can. You don't know her situation.

She sounds like a right cf

I would give a signed and dated written statement to the manager. Not necessarily to grass colleague up but to make management aware they may want to look at cover over the summer as you're unsure how she does it but she is already predicting being off for the whole summer, the same as she has done for X number of years. I'd also say you and your colleagues struggled last year.

When you are medically qualified and this lady is one of your patients, feel free to discuss options with her with managing her health.
Until such time, respect her decision to manage her own health appropriately.
Regardless of reason of absence, unless she's your employee you only raise your concerns to her manager and let them decide if a referral to occupational health is necessary.

She's a bit thick to say to you she doesn't think she'll be well again this summer when you're talking about childcare, isn't she?
She's taking the piss.

She sounds like a piss taking fucker.

I work with someone whose 'anxiety' seems to coincide with every school holiday and INSET day.

How does she know how she is going to feel in a few months?

So she can feel herself getting depressed for the summer? In March?!!! Mmmmmmmmm. Bollocks.

@h3av3n really?! So you think OP colleague can know now, in March that’s she’s going to be sick with depression over the 6 week summer break?!!
It makes a mockery of people with real depression!

How can you tell someone doesn't have 'real depression' because they believe they'll be depressed in the summer..? It's actually quite common for depression to follow cycles of being worse at some times especially if something traumatic happened during that time or a whole list of other reasons. Everyone is different... You can believe she's lying or exaggerating or whatever but to claim that someone must be lying about depression if X is wrong because you're not only saying it about her, you're saying it about others too

I'm surprised that this is allowed in so many workplaces though, mine would have sacked someone for this by now even if the reason was physical health issues rather than mental health

Usually once a pattern is established, employers go down a disciplinary route to see whether the absences are genuine.

How can you tell someone doesn't have 'real depression' because they believe they'll be depressed in the summer..? It's actually quite common for depression to follow cycles of being worse at some times especially if something traumatic happened during that time or a whole list of other reasons

It just happens to be that 6 weeks. Dont be daft.

If she can feel it coming on now she has time to seek medical support and tackle it.

A lot of people remain severely depressed despite seeking professional help... it's not just go to the doctor and you're fine. I know nothing about this particular woman but when you say these things, you're also saying them about others with depression

Who said it was magically fixed?

But if you feel it coming on, you go at least try and get help and at least tackle it.

Especially if its putting your job at risk.

It doesnt sound like this woman is severely depressed beyond help.

however sympathetic I am to mental health conditions, I’d be annoyed also if someone was predicting they would be ‘ill’ over the summer holiday months. Surely if that was the case, they should be seeing their gp now to sort it out.