Colleague off long term sick but running businesses on the side

[bubblesandfizzwithcherryontop]

A colleague of mine, lets call her Jane has been off sick for the last 5 months.
She stormed out of the office one day after a row with our manager after being challenged about her bad attitude towards others and refusal to do certain aspects of her job role.

Despite being off sick and on full pay (NHS), Jane has been running a couple of home-based businesses on the side. One is arts and crafts based (making keepsake type gifts to sell), and the other is make up artistry (she does wedding and party make up). She advertises both of these side businesses all over Facebook and other SM. Very open about both of them.

People from work are on her SM, but this doesn't seem to deter her from advertising the businesses whilst off sick, allegedly too stressed to even get out of bed.

Its causing a lot of resentment at work, especially as she's on full pay.

Has this post cut off before you finished posting?

Yeah sorry it cut off before I'd finished. Just wanted to ask if other people (especially in the NHS where sick pay is fairly decent and it's almost impossible to be sacked) have come across similar situations with colleagues going off long term sick to focus on running other businesses where they are working cash in hand, paying no tax and generally taking the pi**.

I’d report her to hmrc at the very least. You can do it anonymously

Depends why the person is off.

I had a colleague who fell at work and snapped the top off her femur. She was off for years, there was no way she could have come back, and she also had a little side hussle. I think it kept her sane and she would have done it whether she was in work or not so it didn’t make any difference.

Report her for what? Why would they care?

OP it is perfectly possible to have several jobs and only be off sick from one of them. Particularly where the illness is e.g. situational stress.

Equally someone could be off sick from a manual job with a back injury, but still be able to attend their second job as a voice actor.

You are being very unreasonable and quite frankly it isn't any of your business. Who is to say she's working for cash and not paying tax? You have absolutely nothing to base your assumptions on other than your own pissed-off-ness.
I set up a business while I was on sick leave many years ago. I couldn't walk, stand or even sit for long for 14 months so couldn't do my normal job. Would you have judged me for doing some arts and crafts and selling them to keep me occupied while I was stuck in bed or on the sofa all day? Creative roles are therapeutic for those suffering with their mental health and anxiety. I would expect someone who works in a healthcare setting to understand that.
If she is off for a reason that isn't genuine, that isn't for you to get on your high horse about, it's for management to deal with. There is no point getting yourself so worked up about something that isn't anything to do with you.

Are you her colleague?

The OP is asking whether she should report it to management so your post makes no sense if you are saying leave it to management to deal with.

OP you sound jealous. Mind your own business! I bet you’re one of those people who also say you can’t be off sick from work unless you can’t physically leave your bed

Where does OP ask if she should report it to management?

Just wanted to ask if other people (especially in the NHS where sick pay is fairly decent and it's almost impossible to be sacked) have come across similar situations with colleagues going off long term sick to focus on running other businesses where they are working cash in hand, paying no tax and generally taking the pi.

It's perfectly possible to be signed off from one kind of work but not another.

Given that she is likely to be signed off with stress which is caused by the workplace itself, self employment of that nature won't be a medical issue at all.

In other words - mind your own business, and let her run hers.

Great use of NHS cash. To sick to work for an employer but well enough to work for theirselves.

I agree it's not right. As an NHS worker, the sick pay policy is almost too generous. Especially when we're so stretched and doing 2-3 jobs as is.

Keep your beak out

Yes I would report it to management. I’m sick of people like this taking the piss all the time.

Claiming sick leave and working during the hours you should otherwise would be (and should be) investigated as fraud in the NHS. Do not stop at go, do not collect £200 and go straight to jail. Please report them to your Local Counter Fraud Officer directly. This will be treated in strictest confidence. Your organisation will have a counter fraud policy. If you struggle to find that on your intranet then please check your Standing Financial Instructions.

She’ll soon be back if the sickness isn’t legit, full sick pay is 6 months so 1 month to go!

Bristol city council sacked an employer after a other colleague whistleblew on them for similar circumstances. I don't think it's ok to go off sick and then work on the side.

We had this (also NHS). Team member signed off sick with stress, yet posting photos of herself on holiday, days out, at festivals, etc, glass of wine in hand. HR said there was nothing we could do as she could say that this was helping her mental well-being and supporting her recovery.

That’s not the same thing though is it 🤨

My colleague has been off sick for 12 months whilst carrying out self employed work. It's not illegal. However, I've been picking up her caseload for over a year without any extra payment whilst she's getting full pay! It's very frustrating.

Working whilst off sick from the nhs is fraud. She will be asked to declare all paid work upon her back to work interview.

All nhs employees know you have not to undertake paid employment whilst claiming occupational sick pay, this is deemed as fraud and is covered yearly in the fraud and bribery section of mandatory training.

HR said there was nothing we could should do as she could say that this was helping her mental well-being and supporting her recovery.

I fixed it for you.

I posted a similar thread a few months ago and got my arse absolutely handed to me. My colleague/friend was off long-term sick for MH reasons (also NHS) and had trained as a PT and started to advertise her business, using her healthcare qualification... I later found out she handed in her notice at the same time she started posting her business on social media but it doesn't sit right with me that she sat there claiming full pay and used that money to retrain. So YANBU. Makes you absolutely sick, especially when we're running about doing their job with no extra resource. It's a shame but I can't see the generous sick pay being around much longer due to these pisstakers.

On MN, you'll be told to mind your own business, but yes, I'd be annoyed. It does come across as someone scamming the system. If you're well enough to go out and do makeup for weddings, you're well enough to go to work. If you can no longer handle the stresses of the job, then it's probably time to find a less stressful line of work.

She wasn't unwell though. She walked out because of a discussion about her performance (or rather lack of). She was sticking two fingers up at the rest of the team who were working hard and picking up the slack because she knew there was nothing that could be done.

It's a different situation to the OP's, I know, but my point is that the NHS won't do anything about someone who is clearly taking the piss when signed off sick.