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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

Having to ring absence line by 8am

219 replies

ProbablyLate · 07/10/2021 07:35

DH and I are both teachers and have this policy and I wonder if it's the same in other jobs.

If I need a day off for illness I have to ring school between 7:30 and 8am. I appreciate that schools need to know as early as possible if staff aren't going to be in, and this works fine in the situation that you wake up ill in the morning. DH came home ill yesterday and last night let his head of department know he wouldn't be in today and cobbled together some cover work but he still has to be up to ring the absence line.

AIBU to think that if its obvious the previous day that you're going to be off ill the next day there should be another way of letting them know as often having a good sleep can make you feel much better?

OP posts:
awishes · 07/10/2021 07:37

Gosh I think most schools are 7am. How else would they cover?
But yes should be able to call the previous day.

Boomshakalakaaaaa · 07/10/2021 07:37

Do you mean that getting up early to tell them he's going to be off has made it worse? Or that he should have been able to notify them the night before?

TotheletterofthelawTHELETTER · 07/10/2021 07:38

Policy where I work is ring in day 1 as close to start time as possible and no later than 10am. We then have to ring in on day 3 and day 5 also.
If we went home ill we would still have to ring in the next day to confirm we’re definitely not coming in

BashfulClam · 07/10/2021 07:38

You can go back to sleep after calling the absence line. My last job used to make you call at 3pm-4pm to confirm if you would be back the following day Confused

SnowWhitesSM · 07/10/2021 07:39

That is so odd and makes no sense.

MsAwesomeDragon · 07/10/2021 07:39

My school has a school mobile that we ring or text between 7:15 and 7:30, so before 8 send quite late to me. But we can also text/email the evening before, and as long as we get a reply to confirm they've seen it, at that point we don't need to ring in the morning.

Did your DH know he wasn't well before he came home? I would have thought he could tell the cover organiser before he left of that was the case. We're always told to give them as much notice as possible.

He can always go back to bed after he's made his phone call to let them know he's not coming in. I hope he feels better soon.

Failingbettereverytime · 07/10/2021 07:40

My school is 7am so 8 sounds late to me. But I agree it is irritating not to be able to ring the night before when you know you are too ill to go in.

LawnFever · 07/10/2021 07:41

If you’ve already told them the day before it’s stupid to need to tell them again in the morning, they’re being ridiculous.

LawnFever · 07/10/2021 07:42

@Boomshakalakaaaaa

Do you mean that getting up early to tell them he's going to be off has made it worse? Or that he should have been able to notify them the night before?
He did tell them the night before, but they want him to tell them again in the morning.
LawnFever · 07/10/2021 07:44

Did your DH know he wasn't well before he came home? I would have thought he could tell the cover organiser before he left of that was the case. We're always told to give them as much notice as possible.

The OP says he did already tell them the day before, that’s the issue that they won’t just accept that as the notice he’s not going to be in.

Twickerhun · 07/10/2021 07:44

Sound alike a policy to inconvenience skivers to me!

FuckingFlumps · 07/10/2021 07:46

@LawnFever

If you’ve already told them the day before it’s stupid to need to tell them again in the morning, they’re being ridiculous.
Agreed. Why on earth does he need to contact the absence line if they know he's already going to be absent?

He gave them as much notice as possible to arrange cover so this just seems like pointless box ticking.

Couldhavebeenme3 · 07/10/2021 07:48

Ours is 7.15am, for every day you're off without a sick note, even when the GP has told you you'll probably need 6 weeks off.

GermioneHranger · 07/10/2021 07:48

That's a bit odd! My job asks that I contact my line manager as soon as I know (I normally aim for before 8am) and it's daily check ins with the line manager unless you have a sick note, then it goes to weekly.

Surely if he's told them last night and arranged cover what is the benefit of telling them again this morning?!

WhoWearsShortShorts · 07/10/2021 07:49

Goes to bed early, has a good sleep and feels well enough to go in is also likely to happen so it makes sense you should have to judge on the day you want to be off

ImInStealthMode · 07/10/2021 07:51

Calling again in the morning after he's told them the night before is just jobsworth nitpicking from someone.

Our place (not a school) is call the first day and then call / text / email after that, either night before if you're still bad enough to know you'll be off next day, or in the morning. Maybe a courtesy call after a few days if you're still no better.

ArblemarchTFruitbat · 07/10/2021 07:51

It depends on the nature of the illness. You can self-certify for a week so if you can reasonably say you won't be in the next day/that week then you shouldn't have to keep phoning in. However, as pps have said, with short-term illness it's often hard to predict how long you'll need to be off for.

Cactus1982 · 07/10/2021 07:52

It will probably be so they can arrange supply, although even 8am is pushing it for that IMO.

kimlo · 07/10/2021 07:54

I have to ring at half 7, even if I've contacted my boss the night before. Then everyday I have to ring at 3 to say if I'm well enough to be in the next day. If I have a sick note I have to ring the day before the sick note runs out.

Last time I was sick I had to ring at 3 even though I wasn't in for another 4 days anyway.

girlmom21 · 07/10/2021 07:54

Isn't it just courteous to notify your manager each day in a timely manner anyway?

YoungForever · 07/10/2021 07:54

@WhoWearsShortShorts

Goes to bed early, has a good sleep and feels well enough to go in is also likely to happen so it makes sense you should have to judge on the day you want to be off
It's precisely this. There will be exceptions where the circumstances are clear that a person will know they one off the next day but absence management has to have an element of consistency. That way it's fair, and yes, having to call in does inconvenience the skivers and may make them consider on the day if they are fit for work or not.
PurBal · 07/10/2021 07:54

Whilst I have messaged line managers the night before to let them know I am unlikely to make it I still have to confirm in the morning. And everyday. Unless my line manager says “shall we reassess in x days?” or something.

FuckingFlumps · 07/10/2021 07:54

@Cactus1982

It will probably be so they can arrange supply, although even 8am is pushing it for that IMO.
Well then the sensible thing to do would have been to sort out a supply or cover last night when he told them. If they waited until he contacted them this morning to 'officially' declare himself absent then that's their fault.
RonaKnob · 07/10/2021 07:56

Have to call every day asap unless providing a fit note from a doctor or self isolating. I've been off all week with a chest infection so bad I can barely walk from exhaustion. Had to call every day even though I know I won't be back this week.

Cherryana · 07/10/2021 07:56

At my school it was a answering machine. So you could ring the night before.

The point was whoever was arranging cover would hear who was out all at once, not relay on messages from HODs etc.

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