Covid - is this something people are genuinely doing?

[alldaysleeper]

A colleague disclosed to me that out of 4 periods of self isolation for them having Covid or family members contracting Covid only two of these were genuine and they were done to have time off "just to take a break". They said it was no questions asked so why not and lots of other people are doing the same. I've honestly never come across this and was surprised by the sheer brass neck of this person especially in disclosing it. Has anyone else come cross this as I can't believe it's as common as this person would have me believe.

of course it's a thing. why not if you can. not like anyone will be approving holiday time off during periods of staffing shortages.

DHs colleague has done it about 7 times.
A couple of my colleagues (out of about 80) have definitely done it once I’d say.

Only time I isolated was when I actually had covid. Never got pinged. Most disappointing.

I don't suspect anyone I know who has isolated, but I can believe some people have done this.

I don’t know if anyone openly doing it - but I could harbour a guess at which people in my workplace have done it!
These are the people are off all the time anyway. They know all the policies and also know that covid absences don’t go towards triggers.
Tbh they can do what they like - I just know I couldn’t do it as I’m not that way inclined.

Definitely

It was not surprise who needed to self isolate after coming into contact.

They have also had symptoms and needed to be tested a number of times.

And had home tests go missing

And were the most unwell after their vaccines (if vaccinated

They have had weeks and weeks off full pay

This is so depressing! I didn't realise this was a thing. Awful.

We’ve been round and round in circles with covid and isolation. Except unlike most of my colleagues, I have dc in a primary school, so it just keeps coming back.

Wfh though, so only had to take time off work when I felt horribly ill with it.

I don't know of anybody who's done this. But we're all freelance in my industry so if you don't work, you don't eat. That pretty much guarantees you're in unless actually sick.

@WorkEvent

Oh god no. The idea of being trapped at home with toddlers for two weeks is horrific. Working front line NHS is like a spa break in comparison.

😂😂😂

I don't know anyone who has done this, but then I work in school and we are so short staffed everyone is desperate to be in and keep classes running ! We send positive PCRs to the head as proof..but as a courtesy not because they were demanded. Most of us have had it at least once now.. joys of special ed and no social distancing!
I caught it in November and was quite poorly but hated every second of isolating.. no way would I do it if I wasn't ill!!!

Why do you think so many were off with that app last summer, ping, ping, ping, nice week or two off in the garden.

Of course people are doing this if they get paid for time off with Covid especially now you don't have to do a PCR after a positive LFT, equally there are a lot of people who either aren't testing when they have symptoms or aren't reporting positive LFT results because they don't get paid for time off.

Erm yes most probably can’t come to work but I bet not actually isolating . I personally don’t know anyone who’s done that not that they’d confess to me anyway and I wouldn’t either but then I never take time off unless I really feel unwell to leave the house even when I had covid I carried on wfh . We all want a can’t be arsed day but several cf’s .

some in my team have been off in total for months, now wanting their missed holidays...
Shame about the shirkers in the NHS- thought they were all Saints.

We have a chronic shortage of bus drivers due to sickness .....

I work in NHS and had to show positive PCR result

I’ve never been pinged and not had Covid-19 despite working with covid patients. Ds2 had it and I wfh, difficult as a frontline nurse but I worked my socks off on my laptop and hated every minute! I’m secretly hoping for covid for a week off! I know that’s bad but I’ve done this for 2 long years now!

Now testing is so widespread and household isolation isn’t a thing, it’s not so easy to claim covid but back when anyone with a cough had to do a pcr and household members isolate as well it was abused for sure.

I've not done but definitely considered it. I'm sure people do it but in my last place of work (teacher here) it was very rare.

I just assumed all employers asked for pcr test result as proof. I lie about having it but have been hoping to test positive to get a bit of time off it doesn’t seem like anyone I work with has done it either - no suspicious repeated absences etc.

Oops that should say “I wouldn’t lie about having it…” ^

I’ve considered it, I must admit. But I am certain that if I did I’d actually get Covid two weeks later.

I can't believe people could ever think it's not a thing. It was my first thought that lots would be wagging it. That's why the govt wanted to cut payments to deter people.

Some people have definitely done it bit I don't think most people would have. We are the opposite here. My oldest tested positive this week and I can't quite get my head round the rest of us just testing negative and carrying on as normal. Surely my youngest will get bit even if me and my husband don't as both vaxed

I'm not going to lie, I have been very tempted! I work in hospitality and after working Sat/Sun last week got 8 close contact pings on track and trace, it's a minefield. I haven't actually gone through with it yet because I'm honest to a fault and I know my colleagues would end up working twice as hard, they wouldn't bring anyone else in.

Lots of people at DHs workplace have done this, any little excuse.
I'm glad that for this reason a lot of workplaces are now not going to pay for isolation time, time to make people wake the f up and realise skiving isn't the answer.