Colleague permanently off sick

[Littlejuice]

Colleague at work, forever coming to work for a fortnight then being signed off for a month or 6 weeks with anxiety - there is always something : currently it is her boyfriends uncle died, last time it was her cat died, time before she was upset about her boyfriend not proposing when they went on a holiday where she was convinced he would propose

Team I work in all sick of it. Have got to the stage where we just never expect her to be in and cover her work, but genuinely now getting so pissed off

Said colleague has been off for 3 weeks currently as she can't cope, but has plastered.many many pictures all over Facebook this weekend of various parties, BBQ, trips out. Rest of us working extra on call shifts to cover her because she's too stressed to work

I know I'm being judgemental, I know I am, but has made me rage - surely at some point she just has to accept life has its challenges, come to work like the rest of us?

Your anger is completely misguided, you don’t know what’s going on with her underneath or the conversations with her GP. Maybe she’s actually off due to bullying?

But whether it’s real or not your issue is/should be with your line manager.

Unfriend her on FB. If mutual friends, block her so you won’t see her stuff.
Rest of it is for your employer to manage.

I fully, fully agree with you @Littlejuice, but you'll get your arse handed to you on here, where it's apparently fine to have huge swathes of time off for the most nebulous of reasons.

That sounds frustrating, but not a lot you can do - although maybe talk to your employer if you feel that you’re getting too much extra work to do. Hope your management is able to handle the situation in a fair way.

Totally unfair and annoying. YANBU.

Explain to HR it is making you stressed having to take on extra work load and get a temp.

It's for HR etc to deal with. Perhaps they are already going through the process. If she's really off so frequently then she may end up being dismissed if she's unable to do the job and they've offered reasonable adjustments. Most companies have quite clear thresholds and processes in place.

Op it may reassure that in the long run she will eventually be let go, if she's simply too unwell to do the job.

If she has had so much time off so far too she probably isnt being paid much either.

You and your team need to tell your Manager how you feel, it needs to be addressed urgently. Where my DS works, there was someone like this, yes she had a drink problem and was off every Monday and then extended periods. They did go through the process of verbal warning, 2 written warnings and then they sacked her. The trouble is now she’s gone, the Company now only pays 5 days sick pay per year and there’s no weekend overtime if you’ve been off sick the previous week.

Yep totally agree with you OP, ive worked with people before that constantly play the system whilst everyone else picks up the slack.
Id block her on facebook and hope that your employer is dealing with her absence

YANBU

Yambu. She's being a cf. She needs to leave so they can replace her.

There are genuine people, and no it's not the business of others why someone is off sick.

Then there are absolute chancers, who do play the game because you can't prove someone isn't stressed.

Whichever it is, if someone's always picking up the slack from incompetent or tight businesses because they don't bother to replace the headcount, I completely understand the frustration.

Talk to your manager about the workload and ask if you can get a temp in because it's not sustainable.

YANBU

She sounds incredibly selfish.

YANBU.
I wouldn't be happy with that. As a group, you all should raise this with HR and management.

No doubt she is suffering from poor mental health, but it isn't fair on the rest of you. She also seems to lack social awareness if she thinks it is OK to plaster her social life on social media.

If employers don’t cover staff absence properly they are shit employer. Dumping other peoples work on people long term is bullshit. If she’s going to be off constantly and not get rid of her they need to get someone to properly cover her workload.

Can you speak to your manager and say you are unable to cover anymore as it’s affecting your own mental health. They will have to get a temp in.

Of course you’re not being unreasonable. She’s off for BS reasons.

How do you know what her medical health issues are, OP? Surely this isn't something up for office debate?

YANBU and you and you're other colleagues need to speak out. It's unfair that she's not working as she should, if she's that unwell she should claim the appropriate benefits and let her employer hire someone else.

Honestly, she took time off because her boyfriend didn't propose? WTF, it's a job, not a casual hobby.

If you can cover her work without working extra hours, there is every likelihood she will leave voluntarily or otherwise and not be replaced.

Far better not to be on FB with colleagues. However there have been cases at tribunal where it has been upheld that people suffering from stress were reasonable to attend a party or holiday to loft their spirits and a dismissal has been deemed unfair.

By all means have a quiet word with your manager but if you are told anything is happening behind the scenes then your manager is bang out of order!

That would annoy me too.

There are two quite separate issues here (1) your colleague's attendance, which is between her and your employers and (2) additional work being dumped on you and the rest of the team. If it appears that you are coping with these extra demands, then management may feel you didn't have a full workload previously and may not replace your sick colleague if they do end up letting her go

So, if current workload is not sustainable, speak up, but focus on that