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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

Boss wants people to arrange booster jab for a Friday

181 replies

Wantubackforgood · 07/12/2021 18:01

DP had just come home and the owner of the company he works for has suggested that staff should only be arranging booster jabs for a Friday after work so that if they suffer side effects they won't need to take time off .
For context,DP had one day off after his third jab .There have been a couple of others off in the last few weeks.These are all people who would never normally take a day off and only get SSP .

AIBU to think this is a shocking way to treat people who are trying to do the right thing ?

OP posts:
NMC2022 · 07/12/2021 18:58

Sensible if you can. I have had all mine on a Saturday morning
Same with my weekly injections, I do them on a Friday night so I can spend that time throwing up/with a temperature rather than feeling wrecked at work

HangingDitch · 07/12/2021 19:15

Got mine on Friday for the same reason. I had no side effects from the first two but if I do from the third I won’t need time off work.

SeasonFinale · 07/12/2021 19:18

Sensible but I guess if you're none kf those types who like to pull a sickie at every opportunity you would be pissed off especially as most people don't even have that severe effects

SilverHairedCat · 07/12/2021 19:19

Seems reasonable to me. I booked mine for a Friday afternoon for exactly this reason. I was sick for two days after all three jabs.

AdrienneNiR · 07/12/2021 19:25

I wished I'd booked mine on a Friday. I had mine yesterday and I felt dreadful today. I couldn't ring in sick for various reasons. I would have loved to have laid on sofa watching Netflix all day with my throw.

LubaLuca · 07/12/2021 19:27

It does sound sensible. If possible, arrange you jab for a time that causes least inconvenience for everyone.

My company gave everyone a 'vaccination day' off, which was nice because all of mine have coincidentally happened on a Saturday, so I got a bonus day's leave.

StealthPolarBear · 07/12/2021 19:28

@ThisIsNotARealAvo

I work in a school and most people did this. If there's a chance you will need a day off why should you put everyone else out by not being in on a school day? Medical appointments should be made outside of working hours where possible - hospital appointments can't be moved but with a vaccine you get a choice of slots.
The sooner you receive the vaccine the better.
Roundeartheratchriatmas · 07/12/2021 19:30

I personally got mine as soon as it was offered to me. Literally the first available appointment.

Although people at my work don’t usually take the piss…

Harlequin1088 · 07/12/2021 19:33

I'm self-employed and booked my jabs so coincide with a couple of days off just in case I felt a bit rough afterwards. Seems a sensible approach to me 🤷🏻‍♀️

BatshitCrazyWoman · 07/12/2021 19:36

@Whitefire

If only it was that easy to book such a specific slot, you take what there is.

I have only had a sore arm after my booster, though if you need to be lifting your arm above shoulder level this could be restrictive.

I didn't have a choice of days, and no appointments available after 5 pm - I don't know what hours he does, but I'd have to leave work early for that! My employer is more forward -thinking, fortunately, as most of us have struggled to find appointments and we all commute into central London so will have to leave early/come in late
melj1213 · 07/12/2021 19:40

Where I work, while they will give more leeway for you booking your covid jab/booster during works time since they know that appointments are limited they are asking people to book for days/times where it will cause the least disruption to work schedules which includes asking people to have them either on the last day of theor work week or on their day off, which I don't think is that unreasonable.

The usual rule is that any routine medical appointments have to be made on your days off or at the start/end of your shift so that they cause the least disruption which I think is fair enough as it is a supermarket and pretty much everyone has at least one weekday off every week (so no issues of only having the weekend off when your doctors surgery is closed).

I had my booster weeks ago and I was offered appointments in the afternoons of two days - Tuesday or Thursday. I work Tuesday-Saturday so I chose to take a Thursday appointment, that way if I did have any side effects then it was towards the end of my work week, rather than at the beginning.

Bellafrenum · 07/12/2021 19:40

I'm a teacher and had both jabs in the holidays so as not to miss work. Trying for a Friday appointment is sensible and reasonable imo.

custardbear · 07/12/2021 19:40

We've all just automatically booked ours for the weekend for that reason, (me, DH, DB as he's a consultant in ICU so struggling with sickness absences anyway) ... not sure how I'd feel being told to, but it's work ethic IMO

Elisemum · 07/12/2021 19:41

Absolutely appalling and should be reported to HR immediately. I take this is private company yulour husband is in? If this happened in any financial institution/corporation id go straight to HR but I know it would never happened in the first place.
You are entitled to sick days and u can get the jab whatever the hell suits you and people can take sick days after.
I’d schedule mine for Monday or Tuesday to ensure if anything happens I will miss work :)

daisypond · 07/12/2021 19:41

I don’t think that’s reasonable. You should take the first appointment you can get, not hang around delaying it until you can get a Friday slot. The sooner you get vaccinated, the better for you and your employer and society at large, or you might be off work feeling very rough for a very long time if you come down badly with covid.

Iamanicepersonreally · 07/12/2021 19:41

It seems sensible

Imdreamingofapeacefulxmas · 07/12/2021 19:45

Can people do that though?

AndreaC67 · 07/12/2021 19:46

Maybe people want a friday afternoon vaxx appoint so they can hit the pub early?
It must be the only reason, people can't be that thick.

Beachbreak2411 · 07/12/2021 19:48

Seems entirely sensible to me! I’m not eligible for mine yet but will book it on a day when I’m off work for a few days afterwards. I booked both my other jabs around work / childcare / clubs I needed to take dd to. Why should work be affected when an entirely practice and obvious solution is so easy?! People seem to take offence at anything these days.. it’s exhausting!

MrsMattMurdock · 07/12/2021 19:49

People saying its just a medical appointment, so it so you are less likely to need time off....I mean it's not really a medical appointment in the same way as a routine dental check etc. The more people who have their booster, as soon as humanly possible, the better. It probably will put some businesses out in the short term but they'll be even more put out if we end up with another lockdown due to people putting off their jabs, catching covid, having time off, hospital waiting lists getting longer and longer, etc etc I mean the chain reactions are fairly obvious. Everyone has their part to play including businesses, some of whom seem to be operating under the misconception that they are not a part of society and don't have to contribute to it. Yes they create jobs and pay tax but we've all had to give extra u der extraordinary circumstances.

ThisIsStartingToBoreMe · 07/12/2021 19:49

OP the company owner has suggested this to minimise the amount of sick leave people take at his business. Its a sound business decision. Thats why he's the company owner - because he makes sound business decisions.

minitree · 07/12/2021 19:50

@GreatBigBeautifulTommorow

My team and I all booked ours for when we had a few days off so we didn’t impact the service we provide.
"Kerry, get Shiv a medal"
bigbluebus · 07/12/2021 19:50

My DS works in a low paid job (after graduating) and when he heard he was now eligible for a booster his 1st comment was about timing it so that he wasn't due at work the day after incase he felt ill (as he did for 24hrs after jab 2). So glad I brought him up to have a decent work ethic!

The employer is making a very sensible suggestion. If it isn't possible to get it done on a Friday then the employees should of course pick another day.

Gwenhwyfar · 07/12/2021 19:51

@ditavonteesed

Seems sensible to me, I had mine when I had a couple of days off. Can't think why you wouldn't,
Ha, cos I'd rather miss a day at work than a free day. I actually thought like you and have booked my booster jab for when I'm on holiday, but then an email came from work saying we could take a day off for it so I might try to re-arrange. it will also be quiet at work closer to Christmas so nobody will die if I miss a day or two.
Sirzy · 07/12/2021 19:51

I assume those who think this is an unreasonable ask of the company also wouldn’t complain if their workload was increased because someone has to take a day of sick?

Or if an appointment or delivery was cancelled because the person had become ill after the vaccine?

Common sense says if possible pick to have it when it will cause least disruption