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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

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

212 replies

ContactTraced · 13/09/2021 08:14

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!

OP posts:
Inforapenny65 · 14/09/2021 19:23

My Manager puts who is off sick and why on his outlook calendar so everyone in the Service can see- I’m not comfortable with this as my health is personal and I do not wish to share with everyone

Magnoliamarigold · 14/09/2021 20:14

I used to work in a place (start up, shoreditch, table tennis meetings) where if you were taking a day off sick you had to email the whole frigging office and give them all the details why. It was some kind of managerial technique but it was humiliating.

Mollymoostoo · 14/09/2021 20:18

@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”

This may be against the law. It should simply say WFH or 'off'. Even stating Covid or self isolating goes against GDPR. We have to ring in sick but the reasons why are only between me and my manager (and HR if hitting trigger points) I had 6 weeks off a few years ago and lost loads of weight. Everyone assumed I had been for an operation and I didn't correct it wasn't their business to know.

Might be worth speaking to a trade union about this.

Mary54 · 14/09/2021 20:24

Depends how much detail they go into. “X is off because they have Y” is probably unreasonable

As a colleague, I would prefer to know whether someone is ill or on leave. Saves all the awkward questions and answers:
“Are you feels better?”, “No, much preferred Costa del Sol”
Or “ Did you enjoy your time off?”, “ Sure. I can really recommend 2 weeks in hospital “

NeverDropYourMooncup · 14/09/2021 20:25

They can fuck right off about sharing your health details with all and sundry - which is what this does, as everybody knows if you have an all day hospital appointment (or you'd be back in a couple of hours) or whether you're ill once a month (so they know it's probably period issues) or once a week for six weeks (likely to be counselling appointments), etc, etc.

aimsi · 14/09/2021 20:27

Think a call is reasonable and also if medical/sick/holiday etc without detail indicates not to try and contact that colleague. Many of us have work mobiles. Lots of people don’t give a shit and call anyway whether your Skype says online or off line.
If they said Jonny is off with the raging dibbles I wouldn’t appreciate it one bit 😅

maddiemookins16mum · 14/09/2021 20:30

Believe me there are many people who if they have to phone and speak to their Manager to say their ‘off sick’, will very quickly feel better and go to work.
We saw a 20% decrease in ‘sick days’ over 3 months when we said people have to phone in by 9am rather than text.
Funny that.

ScrumptiousBears · 14/09/2021 20:32

I don't this this is a massive issue. At our place of work the telephone directory will show your working housers for the next 2 weeks and will show if you are annual leave, training, sick etc. To me it's the norm.

JustStartingOut1 · 14/09/2021 20:37

Everyone who "needs" to know if someone is in the office/available.....don't any of have Teams and/or Out of Offices? I don't believe for one second you all work somewhere where something would be THAT critical.

Literally people on here who think it's their right to know where everyone is all the time. Jeez, your workplaces must have the highest turnover of staff.

OP - YANBU.

JustStartingOut1 · 14/09/2021 20:40

I would add that being asked to phone in, while pretty standard practice, is perhaps a bit old-fashioned now.

As a great manager of mine once said, " If someone is a slacker at home (WFH, pulling sickies), they are almost always a slacker in the office too".

DDMAC · 14/09/2021 20:46

In one place I worked, I recall one woman off sick due to stress, she was being bullied there. They were passing her doctors note around to each other. I only stayed there a year.

HauteGirlSummer · 14/09/2021 20:59

I don't see a problem with this.
Especially with WFH being so common now. It's handy to know who's actually WFH, annual leave, sick etc.

I thought you meant they included details like 'In Ibiza' or 'Visiting family' 😂

MyrtlethePurpleTurtle · 14/09/2021 21:10

@drpet49

Ringing in sick is completely standard and normal.
Exactly!
CallMeNutribullet · 14/09/2021 21:21

This is a GDP breach op

Bertiebiscuit · 14/09/2021 22:28

I'd be surprised if this is even legal - I would get advice from my union, or from a solicitor - your colleagues are not entitled to know why you are absent imo

Pinkbuttons08 · 14/09/2021 22:31

Wow, this is all kinds of wrong. Really breaching privacy

OddSockBandit · 14/09/2021 22:54

@maddiemookins16mum

Believe me there are many people who if they have to phone and speak to their Manager to say their ‘off sick’, will very quickly feel better and go to work. We saw a 20% decrease in ‘sick days’ over 3 months when we said people have to phone in by 9am rather than text. Funny that.
If that is true your issue is not about the policy for reporting sickness, it's about your recruitment and terms and conditions. Either you are recruiting unprofessional and irresponsible people or the working conditions are unpleasant enough that people don't want to come to work, or both. Fix those problems and revert to people reporting sickenss however they see fit and you'll have less absence than you do now.
Pullthepin · 14/09/2021 23:08

@BetterCare I’ve had what you describe as a GDPR breach very recently. I’m currently signed off sick from work and Manager during a department meeting (so large number of people, most of which I don’t have any interaction with) announced during the meeting I was signed off sick. I’ve been told by someone that attended the meeting who felt it was unprofessional. I’m still off and not sure if I should raise this with someone, without giving too much info, hasn’t helped with my state of mind and now extremely worried about my return.

For the OP, we’ve always had to call in if sick and we have a list of people on annual leave, external meetings that is circulated daily. We don’t include sick leave, appointments etc.

ItsNotMeAnymore · 15/09/2021 00:52

[quote PinkFootstool]@ItsNotMeAnymore so you'd be OK with the entirely company knowing you were off for a medical appointment? I certainly wouldn't be. Why can't a list of absences just be "PinkFootstool - available WFH /. It available before midday / not available".

No one needs to know if someone is sick. I keep coming back to the notion of work being covered - that's for the person's managerial to arrange, there's no need for a list to go out to an entire business, for some nosey arse to say "ooh, that's the third time she's been off this month, she's lazy" or similar.[/quote]
I would be totally fine with the whole company knowing I was absent from work because I was sick or because I had a medical appointment. It’s not embarrassing or sensitive. 🤷🏻‍♀️
I wouldn’t want people to know why I was sick obviously but that’s not what’s being suggested.

chocolateorangeinhaler · 15/09/2021 06:42

For all of you loosing your shit and quoting GDPR. Have you any understanding of it and had training in it. My guess is no.

Telling another colleague why you are off sick is a breach.

Telling colleagues that you are off sick or on annual leave is not a GDPR breach.

MyrtlethePurpleTurtle · 15/09/2021 07:06

Don’t see the problem other than for COVID disclosure

CallMeNutribullet · 15/09/2021 07:36

@chocolate yes I've had GDPR training. In fact in my previous role reporting breaches for the company (heavily regulated) was my job.
Announcing to the entire company that a member of staff has Covid or is off due to a medical appointment is absolutely a breach

Theflying19 · 15/09/2021 07:50

Standard. If you're off sick the team need to know. It's not a secret! 🤷‍♀️

cushioncovers · 15/09/2021 07:56

Phoning in rather than an email or text is required in my work place. Then at the daily huddle it's announced who's off sick everyday but not the reason why they are off. This is in the Nhs.

Treesandsheepeverywhere · 15/09/2021 08:13

You have people complaining about being contacted when off sick, on holiday etc .... the list means everyone is aware where everyone is during work time and avoid unnecessary calls or emails to someone who isn't available. It's hard to keep up on what everyone is up to, so the list makes sense.
Calling has always been standard in the past 7 jobs I've had. Stating reasons for being absent also helps as I'd want to know if I'd been in contact with someone with covid. It doesn't say what else people are suffering from other than covid, so it's not like they're telling everyone you have 4th degree piles and can't walk or anything. I feel if you have nothing to hide, policy seems fine.