To not like giving my symptoms to work over the phone when calling in sick?

[Velvetchocolate]

Does anyone else hate this or am I being precious?

Yabu

Most workplaces have to record why you’re unwell so you need to say why it is

Can you not name the issue more broadly rather than listing symptoms?

Eg " I have a bladder infection"
"I have significant pain as a result of an ongoing condition or a gastric/gynae/back/whatever issue"

I agree there is no real need to detail symptoms if you name the issue, seems a bit odd given you can self certify for sickness anyway.

I think you're being a bit precious. Especially in covid times employers probably want a broad idea of what's wrong with you.
Unless of course the person is pumping you for OTT details.

If you need to call in sick then you need to say why surely!

Flu symptoms / upset stomach / fever - just broadly say

Why especially in covid times? I don’t mean that in an arsey way, just genuinely wondering.

I'm kind of surprised by the above responses. I don't think there's a good reason to have to say why you're sick, just that you're sick!
Unless it's a COVID issue that they then have to consider close contacts it really shouldn't make a difference.

Knowing a bit more sometimes helps though - eg, I have a sickness bug, they can mentally/practically prepare for you being off 72 hours.

I have covid - ok so that's a week off etc

Yeah for covid we have to send in a photo of our positive LF test so that would be different.

In my line of work, they need to know if it's as a result of an injury or incident caused in work. But it doesn't need to be war and peace. With my line manger 'I have the shits' Is sufficient.

My workplace can make referrals to occupational health so there’s one reason for us to know why you’re sick

Also if there’s a pattern of sickness on certain days or any suggestion of malingering- not that I’m casting any aspersions on the op- then it’s useful to notice it

@Masterchief507 but that’s sort of why I don’t really like going into it. Maybe being precious but ‘I’m not well’ would surely be fine!

I’ve actually had quite a lot of time off but only one day for sickness. Two days when DD was ill in the autumn. Then I tested positive for covid so obvs had to isolate.

@Masterchief507

In my line of work, they need to know if it's as a result of an injury or incident caused in work. But it doesn't need to be war and peace. With my line manger 'I have the shits' Is sufficient.

This reminds me of the Peter Kay sketch where he talks about texting in sick "up all night, coming out of both ends. Send"

When I add sickness absence to our personnel system I have to put in a reason. It's very generic though, ie colds and flu, Gastro issues, ear, nose and throat etc. I don't need a full description. I can't see an issue with it.

I agree with others that you are being precious and unreasonable.

There is usually a return to work form when you go back which asks for symptoms, medical advice you were given etc.

I think it’s fair as it gives a rough idea how long you may be off. You don’t have to go into details, but saying you have a sickness bug tells them you will be off at least 2 days, sinus infection maybe a week etc.

It also doscourage people to take a sickie too often.

For large employers who care about the rest of the team it tends to be so they can assess if it is something contagious or affects a particular person with another illness.

For example if you called in saying you had been sick they might link it up with six others who also say they have been sick (caused by food maybe or a big night out by a team night before?!), if you say D&V and they have multiple others with similar symptoms it might be a ‘sh*it is this noro or a vomiting virus type thing and we need to implement extra cleaning measures/inform local authorities immediately’.

I would gently recommend you take it less personally and understand it might be that they are trying to take care of others, particularly those who might not have disclosed their long term illness to you. This is why we ask in the company I work for - we have people who have doctors letters saying they cannot come into contact with chicken pox/measles/D&V viruses/etc due to their ongoing condition/treatment plan and we do all we can to protect them.

Of course you might just have a suspicious employer who is a nosy busy body - you will know the answer.

No, I agree with you. It’s personal, unnecessary, and could be embarrassing. Why do they want to know?! They’re not going to offer you any treatment, as they’re not Drs.

Also, if it’s to do with pregnancy, you might want it to remain private, that you’re TTC. I know pregnancy is a ‘protected characteristic’, but even so, some industries are ruthless, and women are still discriminated against.

Just lie I suppose, and tell them it’s a tummy bug?!

I accept that it is necessary but it is still not something pleasant to have to do, so for that reason yanbu

You don't have to tell work exactly what's wrong with you.

I usually just say I'm not feeling well or I feel sick. But then, everyone at work knows that I am a migraine sufferer, so they guess/ assume the rest...

As an employer I really only want to know when you might be back and if it is a potentially contagious thing. So for me, not covid, not contagious back next week would be a fine response.

It also doscourage people to take a sickie too often.

But how, when I could easily make something up?

I probably am being precious but it just annoys me that I’m feeling like shit yet have to make two phones calls before 7am justifying why I’m off!

If you google notifiable diseased there’s a whole list of highly contagious illnesses and viruses on the government website - E.g. Mumps, Measles, TB, meningitis. Many workplaces have special reporting procedures if a staff member phones in sick with any of these conditions, including notifying the relevant government department of a potential outbreak, so they really do need to ask some basic questions about what the cause of you sickness is in case it is serious enough to require wider action.

Some ailments are private. In this case, " I'm unwell" should be enough.

It is embarrassing, but when I picked up a gastric bug from work for the third time I got quite good at describing exactly what was happening. When I filled in a return to work form I was not allowed to write "You don't want to know" under the symptoms question. So I went into some detail.

YANBU & legally you do not have to tell your employer why you are off sick unless it is a work related illness/injury.

I had to take a week off while I was miscarrying. It was fuck all to do with my boss. I don’t care what admin HR like to do around sick leave. It was no one else’s business. As an adult I can decide for myself if I can’t come into work.