Work now tells everyone why you’re off? AIBU to think it’s a bit naff?

[ContactTraced]

At work we’ve recently appointed a new senior manager. They’ve brought with them a new sickness policy…

First; no more emailing in; you have to call his mobile directly and explain why you are going to be off.

Second; and this is the bit I think is a bit crap… and email comes out everyday with a list of who is not in the building and why, it doesn’t go into masses of detail but does say if someone is “WFH” “Meeting” or “Sick” for example.

This is supposedly so we can “support” in places where they might have a lot of people off, but AIBU to think this is a little crap; and is actually meant to encourage presenteeism… which is a bit irresponsible considering the pandemic isn’t over yet!

That's fucking shocking. Why does there need to be anything at all? Don't you have availability visible on email etc?

If not, why not just a list of WFH v UNAVAILABLE - no ones business whether you are off sick or on AL.

I agree, it doesn’t matter why you’re not in, you’re just not

At my work (big corporation) it's standard to send an email out in the morning telling everybody that so and so is off sick today.

Expecting a phone call rather than email is reasonable. Emailing a list of a senses is not

Depending on your type of work, it can be useful to know who’s in the office and who isn’t. But it does smack a bit of ‘shaming’ those aren’t in - is there a problem with staff absence that they’re trying to tackle?

Absences

We have to ring in and speak to the manager in charge, but having it broadcast to the rest of the staff body is surely wrong? That has to contravene something, surely?

@SnarkyBag

Expecting a phone call rather than email is reasonable. Emailing a list of a senses is not

Why? If I am in bed ill I don't want to have to get out and call someone (or drag myself away from the loo I am being sick into). Much easier to send an email or text.

I don't really see that the list is an issue. I thought the OP meant the reason for absence was on the list - eg period pains, covid, D&V. That would be over the top.

We're a small, close-knit team, and we know if someone's on sick leave, but I don't think anyone minds. It would never go wider than the 5 of us though. I'd be very pissed off if that happened.

OP, I initially thought you were going to say that management told everyone what the illness was. I'd be bloody livid if that happened!

Calling in is fairly normal isn't it?

We also send emails letting people know who is and isn't working today and why, whether that's holiday or sickness. It's more important than ever with WFH!

For example, if I'm in the office I can't know if the junior member of staff who's meant to be helping me and is totally non-responsive to emails is WFH (and simply skiving off) or sick.

Our office coordinators simply say "so-and-so is unwell and will not be available today / this morning / whenever". Or we send them ourselves and say "I'm not available today because I'm on holiday".

No big deal.

I think knowing who is WFH, who is in the office and who isn't working at all is handy. But no need tonl differentiate between holiday and sick.

There is some sense to it. If someone is on A/L, that has a fixed end point, but if someone is ill, you don't know when they will be back.
This is fairly normal in the places I've worked - public sector, strong unions. Not emails being sent to the whole org, but info certainly communicated within teams and to those who need to know.

Sorry I wasn’t clear.

If someone is off with covid or has to isolate it says “Covid”
If someone has a medical appointment it says “Medical”
If someone has just called in sick with anything but covid it says “Sick”

We have to call in, on the grounds that anyone could send an email or text, and they need to make sure it is you.

If people regularly work from home then it's important to know if they are "botherable" or if they shouldn't be contacted (off sick/A/L). As long as no further detail is divulged of the reason why someone is off sick, I wouldn't have an issue with that.But if the e-mail goes out to a huge number of people, who don't work with each other, I can see that might be a bit excessive.

Why do you have to get out of bed @lockdownmadnessdotcom? Even if I didn't usually have my phone on the bedside table I would if I was ill and if you have to get up to make a call surely you have to do the same to email or text. That doesn't seem to make sense

Everywhere I've worked, and i've had quite a few jobs, it's always been standard that you have to call when sick. As others have said that's totally standard

I'm on the fence on an absence list, it's useful to know if someone you need isn't available esp when some people wth. There needs to be a way to know that someone who usually wth is actually sick so you mustnt contact them.

I don't think it is naff. It is designed to reduce absenteeism (the phone call) and efficiency so people can cover. However I wouldn't like it either.

Whichever way you look at it, it’s designed to make calling in sick more uncomfortable and therefore discourage people faking it.

The list is sent to every member of staff, from the senior team, to the cleaners.

Your manager needs to think about whether this is compliant with GDPR as medical information is classified as sensitive, that could include indicating that you’re off for sickness reasons even without the cause of sickness. Worth mentioning if you have a work Dignity and Respect policy or similar to him.

@ContactTraced

Sorry I wasn’t clear.

If someone is off with covid or has to isolate it says “Covid”
If someone has a medical appointment it says “Medical”
If someone has just called in sick with anything but covid it says “Sick”

That overstepping. Only the people who need to know if it's covid related should know if it's covid related.

@Rainbowshine

Your manager needs to think about whether this is compliant with GDPR as medical information is classified as sensitive, that could include indicating that you’re off for sickness reasons even without the cause of sickness. Worth mentioning if you have a work Dignity and Respect policy or similar to him.

Yes I agree

Where I work, everyone can see a system that logs everyone's shifts, whether they're days off, annual, sick (covid), sick certified, sick non certified, WFH, on courses, at meetings etc. Public sector.

Ringing in sick is completely standard and normal.

@ContactTraced

Sorry I wasn’t clear.

If someone is off with covid or has to isolate it says “Covid”
If someone has a medical appointment it says “Medical”
If someone has just called in sick with anything but covid it says “Sick”

Well not so much as you weren’t clear, but you have totally changed the story now that you have seen most people do not agree with you.

It is perfectly normal for employers to have a policy that people ring in when they are sick. It is absentee management because gosh, yes people do pull sickies and having to ring in makes it less likely.

And to the original story, it makes sense that other people know whether somebody is off sick, working from home or merely in a meeting.