To ask why my colleague has been off sick for weeks and is on the beach?

[waitandseee]

My colleague has had nearly a month off sick leave, yet on facebook, there are photos of her on the beach, and on days out at cafe's. She is paddling in the sea, looking happy and very healthy. Am I being unreasonable to ask why this being allowed by management?

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• * Edited by MNHQ ** Hi all, and thanks to all those who have replied so far. It looks like the OP has left the site and won't be back to update the thread. We'll let the thread run as it's an interesting discussion. ===========================

Love it when an argument comes to slinging offensive remarks soup - usually means people know they’ve lost.

Because if everybody who felt depressed/had a sick relative/had a cold/broke a toenail took a week off work, business would not be able to operate. No business, no job. No jobs, no economy. No economy, no employment. A cycle of inaction which affects everybody.

Businesses are starting to crack down. The lazy will be the first out in redundancies. The lazy should take care.

Well I guess people like this will be first in line when jobs are redundant and there is restructuring. The unemployment issue will be ramping up again soon. Most companies now cannot afford this type of attitude to work. However companies should staff appropriately and ensure staff don’t over work. It’s a balance.

The state will take over paying these people because why would companies do it? Most won’t want to keep the people who are not committed to the company. If working makes people ill then it’s best not to work.

@Goingprivate2020

We all have life shit going on Mary poppins. What would happen to businesses if everyone took your attitude?

We don't often all have shit going on to the extent of those who have shared on this thread, and certainly not regularly at the same time. I've known people who have been off sick for various reasons, family deaths, depression, terminal illness, pregnancy loss. I can't recall a time when it all happened at once and the office was a barren wasteland with no staff in because of it.

I think until you share your actual medical qualifications that qualify you to spout stuff like 'work is good for mental health', then I'll continue to listen to the people who actually know what they are talking about.

I find it quite pathetic actually how important people like you think work is. I will continue to work hard and well when I am able to and take time to recover if I ever need to again in the future. I'd rather my colleague take time and be alive than work themselves to the bone and end up suicidal because of people like you who think work is more important than health.

@Goingprivate2020

I’m in HR. It’s amazing how much sickness absence goes up when sick pay starts (after a period of employment) and funny how people are suddenly able to return to work once it runs out.

We are a work shy, entitled Population. I too have had miscarriages, illness, depression, life crap. I still went to work. It’s a work ethic: you get paid to do a job, so you do it.

This post reminds me of why HR has been such a regularly disparaged function in the large corporate UK firms I have worked in.

People who work in HR tend to post a lot on LinkedIn about the more nuanced and compassionate perspective in order to "get the best out of people". Yet most of us know the real perspective is the one just shared, and that's more typical of British HR people.

People can put "business partner" in front of their job function all they like, but as far as I'm concerned I'd rather sit down to a meeting with the ISS or Serco service workers who come after 17:30pm - I'd probably get a lot more of a practical HR perspective from them, than from my so-called "business partners" who seem to use the big picture they get of company behaviours to stoke personal resentment.

17:30*

Because if everybody who felt depressed/had a sick relative/had a cold/broke a toenail took a week off work, business would not be able to operate

Yes because those things are all the same. Being depressed and breaking a toenail are in the same category you are absolutely correct.

You sound like a very cold person to be honest.

And continual absence by a few employees always impacts others. Always. Why should others have to do extra to cover? It’s better for employers to have people who are fit and able to work. It’s better for all employees too.

My DH's work colleague did this. Was off sick for 2 x 6 months of anxiety and depression and spent the whole time uploading his holidays and extreme sports photos on Facebook. Meanwhile DH's team all had to work unpaid overtime and had loads more stress.

Total piss take.

When I was off sick for mh reasons and recovering from some personal trauma, my counsellor encouraged me to live my life as I normally would and if that included posting on social media, to continue and not worry about what others thought. I posted ONCE about a walk I went in with family about a week before I returned to work. When I returned, my boss told me the amount of people who’d been to her to say what they’d seen. Luckily she knew why I was off and was fully supportive of me and thought my colleagues were two-faced dick heads. None of them owned up to who it was and all continued to be nice to my face, not knowing that I knew exactly who they were.

It’s not about knowing not to post on social media when off sick. It’s about other people minding their own business and understanding that some situations are complicated. I would bet it‘a very few people who are actually taking the piss. It would be silly to report to work that you’re off bed-ridden with something and then be out and about but being off with stress, depression, a cancer diagnosis, etc I would almost expect/hope to see these people out and about.

@Kat92

Am literally shocked at some of the responses here. When I was at Harvester having a nice meal after finding out my pregnancy had stopped growing but still was inside my body there is NO way I could have worked - how could I have concentrated after finding that out and not yet have had any treatment to complete the mc? I was in no pain at that point and going out for a meal and having a glass of wine and a nice conversation was completely possible. You have no idea what the colleague is going through.

Because obviously work would have been good for you. The work obsessed, doesn't give a toss about their employees health, HR person with no qualifications to say so, says so...

HR exists to enable companies to make money. They are business partners. Staff are a hugely expensive resource and managing this resource to enable the company to make money is the core job. Not welfare and getting reluctant people to work.

I’ve noticed everyone needs way more time off now for more or less everything. That’s got to be managed. Or the employee isn’t productive so what’s the point of them?

I am qualified by the way!

Many years ago I was off for about 3 weeks with bronchitis. The treatment my GP recommended included walking along The Backs and sunbathing. Which I did. I told my work, was up front about it, big boss and HR said get well soon, remeber to use sun cream!

When I got back I was put on disciplinary by a rather exultant line manager because colleagues who had seen me had reported back to her. She had even come down and had a look for herself. HR was quite angry with her but the damage was done. I couldn't work there any more. Big boss referred me to a few places, I got an equally pleasant job.

But it still annoys me that some people harbour feelings of importance and that they should be told about another's medical issues just because they have put their own noses out of joint.

But out. It is fuck all to do with you!

Meanwhile DH's team all had to work unpaid overtime and had loads more stress.

Then your DH’s employer is shit.

@My0My

HR exists to enable companies to make money. They are business partners. Staff are a hugely expensive resource and managing this resource to enable the company to make money is the core job. Not welfare and getting reluctant people to work.

I’ve noticed everyone needs way more time off now for more or less everything. That’s got to be managed. Or the employee isn’t productive so what’s the point of them?

Exactly. My point is, the HR person who is there to make a business money is not the person who is qualified to tell sick people that work is good for them. They have an agenda which is not the well-being of that person.

If someone is taking the piss then deal with that as management. But don't tell depressed people, those that have just miscarried or who have family members, husband's, children etc... That have been signed off by their medically qualified doctor that work is 'good for them' and it's just about having work ethic.

You are absolutely not qualified to say such a thing.

And a HR employee putting depression, family death and a cold in the same category is pretty appalling.

Perhaps if your colleague is sick and is doing these activities they shouldn't post on Facebook. Not sensible

But it was very unwise of her to post pictures of her enjoying herself on social media. Was it? Maybe she wasn't thinking of twattish colleagues but is reassuring friends and family, the real ones, those who do know what is wrong, that she is doing well, no need to worry.

Staff are a hugely expensive resource

Have you forgotten then you are talking about actual people? You sound like something from the Victorian era.

But anyone with a great attendance record would never be questioned over bronchitis and how they recovered from it. There is no way that was a disciplinary situation and HR should have told the manager it was a non starter. It’s also probably against company disciplinary policy which HR would uphold. So crap company really! In every department. A pleasant and supportive welcome back chat would have been in order.

Will you be getting paid more to find out?

You sound like you simply don’t understand anything about business! It’s not Victorian. Of course people are an expensive resource. Get up to speed with a business education and run a company and you might understand.

Surely as management of a business you are aware that people are not robots. You cannot rely on them being there 365 days of the year for their whole life and never needing a single time off.

Surely it comes into your business plan at some point, what you will do if one of your employees, a living person, has say a family death or cancer diagnosis and is unable to work. People are so often quick to blame the sick person for others having to 'pick up the slack'. Imo it's up to management to plan for these events that they were obviously going to experience at some point. If that means hiring staff to cover sickness, then that's just business isn't it.

Until the workforce is replaced by robots, people are going to get sick, people are going to need time off, businesses are going to have to deal with this sort of thing.

@Goingprivate2020 you cannot seriously be in HR with that attitude. Your ignorance of mental health issues, your lack of compassion and empathy and your accusatory attitude are appalling.

Of course people are an expensive resource

And they are also living things which breakdown, get sick, suffer illness both physical and mental, they make mistakes etc... Surely planning for these things is also part of running a company?

I just hate this societal pressure we have these days that there is absolutely nothing more important in life than work. Most days, most of my life, I have gone to work and worked hard for my employer but yes there have been a few occasions in my life when bigger things have been happening and because of the simple fact I am a human being not a machine, I have been unable to work because of it. It's jack shit to do with being lazy or not having work ethic.

@My0My I come from a family if business owners... none of them have the attitude that you have towards people. They take the view that staff are a VALUABLE resource rather than expensive and that by looking after them and treating them well, they will be less likely to be ill/stressed and more likely to give extra when needed.