Having to ring absence line by 8am

[ProbablyLate]

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?

ISN'T a good idea I meant!

GreenLakes, your husband sounds like an arrogant arsehole. I bet his turnover of staff is very high!

@Rainbowsew

If covid has done anything, surely it is to make employers realise that soldiering on into work when you're ill is it a good idea, and I say that as an NHS worker who often went to work ill (with colds not d&v obviously) as I felt I had to and a teacher DH who rarely takes a day off when sick as it is too much hassle to set the work and he has so much to do anyway.

I really hope attitudes on being a matyr and staggering into work when sick change post covid. Especially in the run up to Christmas/ leave

@GreenLakes

DH is head at a free school and his policy is that staff must phone his mobile at 7am each morning if they wish to request an absence due to illness.

DH will then review the request alongside the business manager, taking into account previous absence history, other staff absence and cover availability.

He will inform the staff member by 7.30am if the request is to be granted. Any requests not made by 7am are not granted and the staff member is expected to attend as normal.

Allowing results the day before is an open invitation to piss takers.

This is bullying and quite possibly against employment law. If he’s really doing this then your ‘D’H is a grade A twat

We have to ring in by 7 but if a second day is needed I would just email.

I really hope attitudes on being a matyr and staggering into work when sick change post covid. Especially in the run up to Christmas/ leave

It isn't always about being a 'matyr' I have such little leeway with sickness that I will only be off if I absolutely have to be (and even then it will often go through as annual leave) Hence my previous post where I said I was in the car on the way to work crying because I felt so ill.

@Rainbowsew

If covid has done anything, surely it is to make employers realise that soldiering on into work when you're ill is it a good idea, and I say that as an NHS worker who often went to work ill (with colds not d&v obviously) as I felt I had to and a teacher DH who rarely takes a day off when sick as it is too much hassle to set the work and he has so much to do anyway.

This is not the case in schools.

DH will then review the request alongside the business manager, taking into account previous absence history, other staff absence and cover availability.

He will inform the staff member by 7.30am if the request is to be granted. Any requests not made by 7am are not granted and the staff member is expected to attend as normal.

This is either made up or your DH is an arsehole.
What sort of person thinks they can decide whether someone is 'allowed' to be unwell based on what's convenient to the school?

Also a teacher (primary). On first day of absence we have to call in between 7 and 7:15 To notify school of that days absence. We then have to call back before 2pm on that same day to confirm if we will be back in on the following day or not. As long as you have told them you won't be back you do not need to call again in the morning but it does mean you need to have decided by around lunchtime if you are going to try and go back the next day.

DH will then review the request alongside the business manager, taking into account previous absence history, other staff absence and cover availability.

So what? What an awful boss. Surely if someone rings in sick you say 'oh no what a shame, hope you'll feel better soon' then put the phone down and despair at the supply bill in private. Not tell your employees you'll let them know if they can have the day off. Is your DH actually a doctor on the side?

‘ Requesting’ sick leave when you are sick and then having to awaiting a decision from a manager as you may in fact be required to work - when sick ?? What? Has this thread suddenly gone back many decades ?

I work in a school and we're allowed to leave a message the night before. It makes a big difference! My previous school you had to have a conversation with the deputy head in the morning of your absence.

I wouldn't work in the school you school mentioned where you have to have your request granted. This clearly means there is a highly toxic culture of blame and fear. I hope people go in and vomit on the deputy head with regularity.

@Mazblue86

It’s not about a culture of fear. It’s about ensuring that resources are only unavailable when absolutely necessary and are allocated efficiently.

For example, you can’t have Barbara in chemistry off with a cold if you already have lots of absences in that department.

Equally, it’s not an effective use of resources to have thousands of pounds leaving the building to pay supply teachers.

For example, you can’t have Barbara in chemistry off with a cold if you already have lots of absences in that department.

But that's just how it goes. Most work places don't really have capacity for people to be off work with illness. It doesn't mean they have to be forced into work when they are ill. Your attitude to this is really strange.

[quote GreenLakes]@Mazblue86

It’s not about a culture of fear. It’s about ensuring that resources are only unavailable when absolutely necessary and are allocated efficiently.

For example, you can’t have Barbara in chemistry off with a cold if you already have lots of absences in that department.

Equally, it’s not an effective use of resources to have thousands of pounds leaving the building to pay supply teachers.[/quote]
so Barbara would be refused ? yet she has actually under estimated " her cold" it turns out that she has flu and a dose of s&d which she had the misfortune to find out half way thr a lesson later in the morning, and if you already have lots of absences then surely that would indicate that there is a bigger problem?

It's 7.30am at ours and you ring each day unless you have a doctors note. For most short term things e.g. bad colds, a person may feel well enough after some sleep.

There can be exceptions though. For instance, one of my team was off with covid last year and we didn't make him ring each day. He just kept in touch with me every few days (as his line manager) and I liaised with the cover manager.

im in retail and its the same policy , you have to ring in before 9am and then they expect you to ring in every day after as well unless you are covered by a sick note from the gp , needless to say most people cant stand the guilt tripping they get when they phone up so sick notes ahave been very plentiful in my store at least , dont know about other ones . also you have to ring yourself , you cant get your husband or family to do it . iv never questioned how that works if your getting carted off in an ambulance with 2 broken legs from falling down the stairs for example lol

[quote GreenLakes]@Mazblue86

It’s not about a culture of fear. It’s about ensuring that resources are only unavailable when absolutely necessary and are allocated efficiently.

For example, you can’t have Barbara in chemistry off with a cold if you already have lots of absences in that department.

Equally, it’s not an effective use of resources to have thousands of pounds leaving the building to pay supply teachers.[/quote]
As someone else has already said, that is just how it goes. In my current school most of one department are off with covid...like all viruses these things spread! I don't know a single teacher who is a malingerer. Teachers go into work unless they really really can't. School leaders should respect that and, if there is a cover shortage, they should get their hands dirty.

@Mazblue86

Headteachers and their deputies are incredibly busy, er, running their schools

They simply don’t have time to be teaching year 8 history lessons.

Asking highly qualified and experienced headteachers to teach lessons would be like getting the CEO of Tesco to man the tills.

There is no substitute for having teachers in school teaching rather than absent at home.

Asking highly qualified and experienced headteachers to teach lessons would be like getting the CEO of Tesco to man the tills.

Yes totally comparable.

If the CEO of Tesco was in a store and there was a shortage of checkout operators and massive queues then damn right I'd expect them to get on a till and serve people.

For example, you can’t have Barbara in chemistry off with a cold if you already have lots of absences in that department

There would probably be less absences in that department if others were allowed to stay at home when ill and not made go in spreading it everywhere. Just a thought.

If you’re sick it’s irrelevant as to whether there are resources to cover. If you’re sick don’t go to work and spread around your germs.

My work needs you to phone in in person if you are to be off sick , they need 8 hours so they can cover your absence which is a little ridiculous as an 8am start requires you to ring in before midnight , what happens is you wake up at 6 am expecting to go to work but have a temperature or similar ?

It’s not about a culture of fear. It’s about ensuring that resources are only unavailable when absolutely necessary and are allocated efficiently.
He could try viewing his staff as humans with bodies that sometimes become unwell instead of resources to allocate in a way he deems effective.

For example, you can’t have Barbara in chemistry off with a cold if you already have lots of absences in that department..
You can.
People being ill is part of employing humans.
Maybe staff absences wouldn't be so problematic if the head was less of an arsehole about people attending work when they're unwell.

Equally, it’s not an effective use of resources to have thousands of pounds leaving the building to pay supply teachers
It's probably even less effective running a school when staff know the senior leadership team view them as less than human and figures on a spreadsheet.

Headteachers and their deputies are incredibly busy, er, running their schools
That's funny because in the decent schools I've worked in the senior leaders absolutely stepped up when needed and would cover lessons. Decent leaders don't lock themselves in their offices.

They simply don’t have time to be teaching year 8 history lessons.
In the decent schools I've worked in, they made time if they had to because they are teachers first and foremost.

If anyone on this thread has wondered why there's a retention problem in teaching it's because there's heads like GreenLakes husband who seem to think their staff should sacrifice their health and wellbeing for the head's convenience.

greenlakes might be trolling us all, but the sad reality is that some leaders in education really do have her attitude.