To think she needs taking aside

[Iamthequeen82]

Work in a school kitchen.
Have this one lady who for some reason cannot get her appointments out of work time. We work 9-2. A few years ago she needed a cosmetic dental treatment, during work time, line manager said no, so she went about their head spoke to the head teacher who let her have the time off (paid). Another colleague wanted to go to a funeral but was told no, she just accepted it and that was that. This one lady always has to have blood tests, X-rays etc etc (nothing wrong with her). I’m feb she had a minor op and was off for 4 weeks paid. I’m April her dad died so 2 weeks off (totally 100% behind that and support the time off) paid. Last week she told line manager on Friday she might be half an hour late as she had a smear booked in for 8.30 Monday morning. Line manager just said ok, as felt it was too late to get her to change it. Monday morning comes round, gets to 10am still no sign, line manager goes into office and lady had txt them to say “app changed to 10.30 will be in later” in she waltzes at 11.15 no apology or naff all. And nothing has been said to her or anything. I feel it’s unfair on us that abide by the company rules. One colleagues daughter is going to hospital app alone, another has arranged her mammogram for out of works time. I’m just really fed up with the injustice of it.

[ExhaustedFlamingo]

OP, your repeated insistence that the lady who "always" has to have time off for X-rays, blood tests etc has nothing wrong with her tells me everything I need to know about how reasonable you're being.

Hint: you're not.

[Faevern]

I’m with @Babyroobs everywhere seems to have one and when they leave some one else seems to take their place. It is annoying if you are having to do her work though when she’s not there.

[NeverNotChasingDreams]

Doctors can't just request an MRI because a patient demands it; they have to justify it.
I suspect the lady does have issues, which are nothing to do with anybody else.
It's annoying when a colleague has to take time off, granted, but for scans etc, you usually have to take the appointment you are given.

[UmamiMammy]

Some people really do take the piss, sounds like she is one of them!

[wewereliars]

You have no idea what's wrong with her, she may be battling a serious condition. She 's not likely to tell you.

I have a work colleague who has MS and is the main breadwinner. I have become friendly with her and know that the lengthy absences she has had are because of awful complications. Management know but no one else. I would not want to swap with her that's for sure.

[IDontReadEyebrows]

The colleague who missed the funeral should have stood up for themselves more imo- that’s not pain in the arse colleagues fault.

As for her “admitting” there was nothing wrong with her, no one was going to know that for sure until the results from the blood tests and X-rays came back. Still doesn’t mean there was definitely nothing wrong just that nothing was detected. Btw blood tests are often only offered in the mornings in my experience because the samples are sent off to the lab by a certain time. Like with other appointments you get what you’re given and lump it a lot of the time.

[ij96]

@Iamthequeen82

Work in a school kitchen.
Have this one lady who for some reason cannot get her appointments out of work time. We work 9-2. A few years ago she needed a cosmetic dental treatment, during work time, line manager said no, so she went about their head spoke to the head teacher who let her have the time off (paid). Another colleague wanted to go to a funeral but was told no, she just accepted it and that was that. This one lady always has to have blood tests, X-rays etc etc (nothing wrong with her). I’m feb she had a minor op and was off for 4 weeks paid. I’m April her dad died so 2 weeks off (totally 100% behind that and support the time off) paid. Last week she told line manager on Friday she might be half an hour late as she had a smear booked in for 8.30 Monday morning. Line manager just said ok, as felt it was too late to get her to change it. Monday morning comes round, gets to 10am still no sign, line manager goes into office and lady had txt them to say “app changed to 10.30 will be in later” in she waltzes at 11.15 no apology or naff all. And nothing has been said to her or anything. I feel it’s unfair on us that abide by the company rules. One colleagues daughter is going to hospital app alone, another has arranged her mammogram for out of works time. I’m just really fed up with the injustice of it.

How about, minding your own business? Her manager has authorised it and clearly doesn't have a problem with it.

[DeflatedGinDrinker]

Yanbu I know exactly what you mean OP.

[FindingMeno]

Does she have children?
Perhaps she has a childcare issue for appointments after school hours?
And, bearing in mind later appointments are more tricky ones to get.
Does she have a longish travel time? Rely on public transport?
This doesn't seem exceptional and sometimes people have a cluster of stuff going on, then nothing for ages.
You are not privy to what is going on with her medically - perhaps something is going on that you don't know about?

[ScrollingLeaves]

I sympathise with you entirely, but I truly don’t think you can say anything. Only the line manager and head can. Perhaps they will do this eventually.

[AmyFl]

Management sound spineless -I realised that when you said that it is one rule for her and one rule for everybody else. Sounds awful. I think sometimes managers are scared of people who keep demanding things all the time -a good manager would do something.

[Aprilx]

@Iamthequeen82

I’m the worst in the work place? Really?
And I wouldn’t take her aside, I feel management should be having a word is what I meant, I just feel it’s unfair on others that have missed their kids leavers assemblies, rearranged doctors appointments, gone for smears, blood tests and X-rays out of works time. Why should everyone else make arrangements that don’t interfere with work, but she does and gets away with it and almost boasts about it to everyone.
It’s in our contracts unless it’s an emergency you must book it outside of work ours. Monday morning was awful, everyone had to work harder on the hardest day of the week to cover for her absence when she could of gone later in the day…..as I did

I feel management should be having a word with her is what I meant

What do you mean, in a kind of assembly in front of the rest of the staff? Otherwise you wouldn’t know what conversations have been held between the staff member and management, oh hang on…

[ddl1]

This makes no sense OP. You don’t get an x ray if the doctor doesn’t think there’s anything wrong, and you definitely don’t get an operation.

And especially not during lockdown (which this was). Elective operations were being postponed.

It sounds as though she was suspected of having cancer, and then was fortunately found not to have it; but that doesn't mean that she had NOTHING wrong with her.

In any case, it's up to her manager to take her aside if she's suspected of taking the piss. Not you.

[Iamthequeen82]

100% taking on board what everyone is saying. That’s why I asked am I been unreasonable to be a bit pissed off about it all and think the managers needs to have a quiet word. I think the issue is management handling not the actual colleague, and yeah honestly I am peeved as I’ve rearranged important medical appointments that are urgent to fit round work …..

[SmokeyDevil]

Some people do take the piss out of the NHS. I've got family members that do, they demand all kinds of shit from their doctors and got given it to shut them up. Literally nothing wrong with them.

But sod all you can do about it. Just got to put up with it.

[Iamthequeen82]

@FindingMeno

Does she have children?
Perhaps she has a childcare issue for appointments after school hours?
And, bearing in mind later appointments are more tricky ones to get.
Does she have a longish travel time? Rely on public transport?
This doesn't seem exceptional and sometimes people have a cluster of stuff going on, then nothing for ages.
You are not privy to what is going on with her medically - perhaps something is going on that you don't know about?

Children are adults have been for a while
Now.
Travel time, she lives 5 mins from work and 10 from doctors, walking…..

[wishiwasbytheseaside]

YANBU to be pissed off at all. Most appointments can be arranged outside of 9-2 hours especially non urgent ones like dentist and smear tests. She is taking the piss and your management need to step in and have a word. I think I would complain

[cadburyegg]

YABU

dental treatment - you literally said it was a few years ago, why are you still holding it against her
4 weeks off for minor op - this doesn’t sound excessive
2 weeks off for bereavement - again, not excessive and I’m not sure why you felt you needed to mention it as you said you supported it
Smear test - so the doctors were running late, not really a big deal

[Iamthequeen82]

@IDontReadEyebrows

The colleague who missed the funeral should have stood up for themselves more imo- that’s not pain in the arse colleagues fault.

As for her “admitting” there was nothing wrong with her, no one was going to know that for sure until the results from the blood tests and X-rays came back. Still doesn’t mean there was definitely nothing wrong just that nothing was detected. Btw blood tests are often only offered in the mornings in my experience because the samples are sent off to the lab by a certain time. Like with other appointments you get what you’re given and lump it a lot of the time.

Same doctors surgery, we all live local, they have blood drop in mon-fri 8-5 …. She lives 10 mins from docs and 5 mins from work….

[Fitforforty]

I’m wondering why the NHS operated on her when there was nothing wrong with her - I’m I missing something?

[sbhydrogen]

YABU.

I do feel sorry for your colleague that was told they couldn't go to a funeral though, that's mad.

[MaleficentsCrow]

Just start booking appointments during work time, and when questioned simply say "well X is allowed"

Management have set a precedent here, time to exploit it. That's what everyone in call centres do 😂 minute someone gets a free pass, bosh everyone's after one.

[FindingMeno]

Depends on who the funeral was for I guess.
I book annual leave for non close family.

[blobblob]

I'm with you OP. Society only functions of people feel its fair. If she's a scammer and a skiver you'll not be the only one who's angry. Soon everyone will be doing it. And why not? And then all the self-righteous "don't judge" people will be whining because their kid didn't get school dinners because the dinner ladies were off sick.

[TheRebelle]

I can’t believe they wouldn’t give someone time off for a funeral, I wouldn’t accept that at all.