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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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Original poster

To schedule booster after annual leave

91 replies

Meatandseventeenveg · 10/01/2022 17:34

So the disclaimer is that I know a lot of people just have to have the booster whenever it's available, and some people do have significant side effects.

My colleague just took an extended Christmas break (though not away on holiday), and was due to return to work today. She scheduled some quite important client meetings for today, but then she didn't come in as she had the booster yesterday and was feeling unwell. She didn't reschedule the meetings either; rather, she palmed them off on us and even obliged one colleague to run a meeting on an account he didn't know at all.

We're all feeling very indignant and believe she should have arranged her booster during the holidays or at least on a day where she wasn't working the following day (p/t worker).

Are we being unreasonable to be annoyed with her?

OP posts:

UrbanSpaceboy · 10/01/2022 18:47

How do you know she was cheery? What did your line manager say when you discussed your workload?

I get that it's inconvenient but you are being a bit ott. Official guidance is that you'll have a bit of a sore arm and mild cold symptoms after the jab. Not that you'll be so unwell you'll be unable to work and to make sure your diary is clear for a week after. I bet your employer doesn't require employees to clear their diaries for jabs either.

It's an unfortunate situation: she feels ill, you feel overworked. But it is what it is.

UrbanSpaceboy · 10/01/2022 18:49

X post. You're just a bit frazzled by the sounds. Don't let it eat into your working relationship.

EpitomeOfIndifference · 10/01/2022 18:51

I was extremely unwell after my second vaccine so when I chose the appointment for me booster I picked a Friday afternoon that a) didn’t interfere with work and b) would allow me to be ill Saturday with no impact.

While I don’t actually think she was being unreasonable to book her booster for a Sunday I do think it was rather unreasonable to have booked in important meetings on the Monday when she knew she would likely be off if she had been sick after the first two vaccines. She probably could have planned a little better and schedule those meetings for later in the week.

Walking4You · 10/01/2022 18:55

I think you have two issues.

one is the fact she phoned in sick. If she is like me, she will have had AZ for the first two and then Pfizer/moderne for the booster. I got a totally different reaction to the booster than AZ. So it can be very hard to plan around that.

the second is the fact she didn’t reschedule but basically forced the workload into other people. It might be that there was no choice (important meeting with tight deadlines etc…). It might be that she palmed the work off the others and make her own life easier instead.

That’s something you might want to have a chat with management. Not in a ‘look at what she did. This is awful’ but more to establish what is supposed to happen in a case like that (person is ill blablabla). You obviously also need to establish what happen for those who pick up the extra workload vs their own work etc…. This is not the first time someone will have been ill when they were supposed to have a meeting with a customer. It won’t the last. You need a clearer idea of what is supposed to happen.

GreenFingersWouldBeHandy · 10/01/2022 18:58

I got my booster on a Friday after work.

Well, arn't you just a saint.

Svara · 10/01/2022 18:59

I scheduled mine for a Friday so as not to disrupt work.
I get a two day weekend vs a five day work week. I'd rather be sick on a work day thanks! I rarely take sick leave so if I am sick I would not feel guilty in the slightest for it to fall on a workday.

DrFoxtrot · 10/01/2022 18:59

After receiving the email, could you/ someone/ the managers have helpfully rearranged the meetings or cancelled them for her to reschedule when she's back in?

DrFoxtrot · 10/01/2022 19:01

I think YANBU regarding the workload that she pushed into others.

Stripyhoglets1 · 10/01/2022 19:02

Nah that's taking the piss - she planned it and knew she'd probably be off today. And if she gave a toss she would have rescheduled her meetings.
I'm not surprised you're pissed off.

Original poster

Meatandseventeenveg · 10/01/2022 19:02

Yes I think we probably should have just politely rescheduled the meetings. They were important but not up against a deadline. And thanks to the pp who suggested clarifying procedure with management. An unfortunate situation that we'll try not to repeat.

OP posts:

Stiffcondomhat · 10/01/2022 19:05

I do get its a pita having to cover other colleagues due to sickness. As I said previously though, this is a management issue. You don't get any prizes for being a martyr.

fairylightsandwaxmelts · 10/01/2022 19:05

@Meatandseventeenveg

She chose to have her appointment on a Sunday, having previously been off sick after the initial jabs. She cheerily emailed the team this morning announcing that she couldn't come in, and stating the specific reason why, but that she had decided not to cancel her meetings as she was sure we could stand in for her.

So, when would you actually prefer her to get it done?

Because according to you, during the working day is unacceptable, after work during the working week is unacceptable (in case you get sick an need the following day off) and apparently her choosing a Sunday is also unacceptable!

The fact that her meetings went ahead is the fault of her manager - he/she should have taken the decision to cancel if your colleague was off-sick.

sanbeiji · 10/01/2022 19:10

YABU to be upset about booster scheduling. I scheduled mine on a weekday. I'm not risking getting side-effects on a weekend when I get paid sick leave.

YANBU about palming off. All meetings should have been cancelled or if urgent fair arrangements made with cover's work being shifted instead of them doing double.

NeverDropYourMooncup · 10/01/2022 19:12

@lovelyweathertoday

That does seem a bit irritating, given that side effects are predictable it's sensible to schedule it for a day when you're not at work the next day if possible.

Not really. I didn't have any for my third primary.

FromageRay · 10/01/2022 19:18

I don't think you're being unreasonable. If a colleague had scheduled their booster the day before client meetings and left me to pick up their work I would be pretty pissed off with them. I probably would have forced a reschedule if it had been possible though.

Offmyfence · 10/01/2022 19:18

@Svara

I scheduled mine for a Friday so as not to disrupt work. I get a two day weekend vs a five day work week. I'd rather be sick on a work day thanks! I rarely take sick leave so if I am sick I would not feel guilty in the slightest for it to fall on a workday.

That's you, not me!

I wouldn't want to disrupt my working week, five days like yours.

Iloveacurry · 10/01/2022 19:22

I don’t think you’re being unreasonable. Considering she’s part time, plus was poorly after her first jabs, she could have arranged to have the booster on a more convenient day.

PlinkPlankPlunk · 10/01/2022 19:27

My employer has encouraged everyone to get the vaccine, at the earliest possible opportunity, and has instructed managers to give whatever time off is needed. I had my booster during the working day - as per their request I took the earliest appointment I could so I was protected as soon as possible.

FWIW our sick leave policy states that if you are ill whilst on annual leave you can re-classify the time as sick leave and get the annual leave back. It recognises that people need a break from work; that is just good HR practice

MaybeHeIsMyCat · 10/01/2022 19:27

@Svara

I would avoid a Friday myself, you could lose your whole weekend to illness and then have to work another week without a proper break in between. I don't think that's fair as it's not like other self inflicted illness like drinking too much on a Friday night. You should be able to take sick leave.

I wish! I inject myself weekly every Friday night, Saturday is generally a write off as I get nausea, vomiting, shivering, fever, headache I don't like weekends

Offmyfence · 10/01/2022 19:28

@GreenFingersWouldBeHandy

I got my booster on a Friday after work.

Well, arn't you just a saint.

Not really, just mindful of pushing an additional workload on colleagues

BurbageBrook · 10/01/2022 19:29

It’s your company that’s the problem, yes, not the individual.

icelollycraving · 10/01/2022 19:30

I booked my booster when I had a few days off. If I felt unwell, it wouldn’t inconvenience anyone else. That’s what all my team did too.
I understand your point of view. In my experience, some of my friends see paid sick leave as their right, and always take their allowance. In my life, paid sick leave is very limited to 4 days per year for a full timer. If I had generous sick pay, I’d probably feel differently.

Moonlaserbearwolf · 10/01/2022 20:01

@Meatandseventeenveg

With hindsight, if a)he meetings could have been rescheduled and b) you and your colleagues were really too busy to cover them you should have all pushed back and asked her to reschedule.

I don't think she was BU to have her booster jab at the weekend. Yes, she might have foreseen she could be unwell the next day, but she could have been ill for any reason.

The important thing is to learn from this and don't agree to take on her meetings if they can be rearranged. This is especially true of your colleague who didn't even know the account! Much better for the business to move the meeting back so that your unwell colleague could cover it when she returned. It would be different if the meeting was really time critical, but you say it wasn't in the case.

Hugasauras · 10/01/2022 20:07

At my work, people get their boosters whenever they can. It's quite common for someone to pop out for 20 mins to go get their booster. No one cares.

Also if she had no side effects with first two then maybe it was a surprise. I've had no side effects with any, so wouldn't be really thinking about trying to book it at a specific time or making contingency plans for side effects. I'd just go when I was able to book in.

Anyway, isn't there a thing where if you're sick on booked holiday you can get the AL back and take it as sick leave instead?

Svara · 10/01/2022 20:10

That's you, not me!
Could say the same. You were the one to first quote my post . We all do what we need to I guess.

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