To be shocked at how much time off sick some people have?

[Enfys1982]

I work in a school and since I started in the sector it’s been a bit of eye opener to me how much sick time some people seem to take, and it always seems to be the same people. Days here and there, sometimes weeks on end then they come back for a bit go off again. As I said always the same people.

The last time I was off was last year when I had Covid, and I was only off because then you still legally had to isolate if positive. I actually felt well enough to go in. Before that I genuinely can’t remember when I was off sick. If I feel bad I just dose myself up and get on with it.

AIBU to think it displays a lack of resilience?

No, I completely get the financial situation of going to work while ill.
SSp in the UK is absolutely ridiculous and no one can live off of that, if they are already living paycheck to paycheck.

Where Im from, the 1st 3 days are NEVER paid (so if you have a bad cold, or a virus, you just have to swallow 3 days of no pay!!!), and afterwards you only get something like 60% of your pay, through social security... It is ridiculous.

Which then tells me that people who are off sick, are off sick BECAUSE they really need to be!

I think we all know the type of people the OP is talking about. Those that wouldn't be off half as much if they weren't paid for their days off "ill". Sick pay is a luxury. Many jobs don't pay sick pay and for the self-employed if we don't work we don't get paid. I once worked with a woman who was always off "sick", always a Friday or a Monday, the company got fed up of her and changed their policy to no sick pay! This flaky woman ruined it for everyone!
Employers need their staff to turn up and be reliable. One lad I used to work with earned the name "sicknote" he was so reliably off ill.

I do know what you mean @Enfys1982 I worked for a large company. One of my jobs was to keep a record of sick leave taken.
Many employees were given interviews at a certain number of days. The cries of protest and the feeble excuses were amazing.
We di though discover and then help 2 who had certain conditions that they 'didn't like to bother the Dr with'. One needed an operation to cure it.
So several benefitted.
We also warned the regular 'long weekenders' about their performance.
Too many shirkers, It is one repeat one of the reasons for low productivity in UK. Especially in many Local Government offices.
I am head of HR at another company now.

My colleague has been off sick for 6 months now, and yes the workload is increased but if we cant handle it we take that to the manager to deal with. The only thing anyone has said is to comment that we hope they are well and get better soon/and that we miss them. We know she's genuinely very unwell, must of us have no idea what's actually wrong with her because we don't need too. We have a pretty relaxed team and we're all friends but even so I couldn't imagine any of my managers thinking it was appropriate to gossip about an employees personal life and health issues.

Resilience is a horrible concept, whether we are 'teaching' children it or using it to boast about not having any time of work.

It's basically saying you are weak, and should be stronger.

Being resilient can also mean you put up with all kinds of shit that you shouldn't, endangering your health and wellbeing and that of others.

As for worrying about people taking loads of sick leave, yes there are piss takers but you do not know what's going on in people's life, and nor should you.

Im not judging but i find it unnerving the amount of people off on stress these days. Never really happened years ago but now i know quite a few including close friends.

I’ve been off sick for nearly two months (and will probably need another month) to support my very ill parent through cancer treatment - they live 250 miles from where I live, my own life has been on hold, Imhave spent nearly all of that time with them in their house and all my other significant commitments at home I’ve had to farm out to other people and manage this on a weekly basis.

But yes, despite all my close mates supporting me, there are always people like you OP that make me feel shit about not ‘doing my duty’ to work. No matter how many times people say ‘family comes first’, you always know that there are snidey people who ‘wonder why X has had SO much time off work 🧐. Thanks. I hope my parent makes it.

I know darned well that colleagues past and present use sick leave as additional leave. They keep records on their phones when it drops off their records, so avoiding investigation/ disciplinary action. Only in companies that pay full wages, though, not those paying SSP only.
Those who are genuinely ill get tarred with the same brush as a result.

But that said, in companies paying shit wages, often holiday entitlement is shite too.
I used to get annoyed by it, particularly as a manager, not anymore. Although if I did it, you could guarantee I would be bloody ill the next week!

So would you want your child's teacher coming in with a horrid cold and passing it to your child and by default ...you?
No? Thought not.

Good for you that you have the health to be able to just get on with things, but this isn’t the reality for many people

you don’t know their history, and quite frankly it’s none of your business!

Since I became self employed, I have never been in such good health. Amazing, really...............

My DP gets nothing.
His manager gave him covid (back when it was non negotiable 10 days isolation)
His manager got to work from home. My DP got absolutely fuck all. He just lost the money.
When he's sick he struggles in because he doesn't get paid. (We all know ssp is an absolute joke)

We need better sick pay, but malingerers should be dealt with quickly and harshly.
I'm lucky, I've only taken 2 days in 5 years, but I get full pay. I couldn't take the piss, it's just not who I am.

🤣 kids are like sneezing petri dishes of disease!
It would most likely be the other way round. Teachers don't tend to cough in the kids eyeballs.

I get where you're coming from OP. Some people on here are being deliberately obtuse and making it all about chronic conditions and disability. It's the people who are off with colds and hangovers and headaches Happens all the time. Weirdly those companies who don't pay you if you're off sick have low absences......

Never come across it in schools, after 30 years of working in lots of them.

Teachers and TAs tend to drag themselves in when feeling really ill so as not to let pupils down. In addition, it's hard having to leave cover work for other people to do, pupils get behind, and you spend the rest of the year feeling you are playing catch up.

However, maybe read this before deciding people 'lack resilience'.
https://www.theguardian.com/education/2022/jul/31/teacher-sick-days-soar-as-poor-conditions-take-toll-on-mental-health

Genuine question, does looking after parents e title you to sick leave? For 3 months?

I'm also in education, and completely agree.

ALWAYS the same one or two people.

It does when you have had to make frequent 500mile round trips with hardly any time back home to sort your real life out, when your real life has heavy commitments to sort and you have a knackering autoimmune condition requiring regular treatment, when your parent has had multiple life-threatening illnesses before even getting started on chemo and when your widowed parent lives on their own and you’re their only child.

It’s put down as stress at home.

But you don’t know what’s going on with people. I had a fair bit of time off work when I worked in a school because I suffered from debilitating PTSD, I also had a fair few appointments for it. I wasn’t comfortable sharing that with all my coworkers so if anyone asked it was always tummy bug/ear infection/flu.

I went 5 years without a sick day at one time. Since having kids, I'm off at least a couple of times per year - though the ability to WFH has reduced that recently. My "resilience" didn't change - just how often I fell ill!

I imagine people working on schools pick up an above average number of bugs?

I have noticed that working in a hybrid way has meant fewer sickness absences. So, if you/I had a cold, but felt ok-ish, I could work at home now, whereas schlepping into the office on two trains, and sitting in open plan, spreading my bugs to others, would be too much.
I also suffer from a significant debilitating back condition. When it’s really bad, I can mainly work from home, propped up on pillows, etc., but there was no way I could have made it into the office.

However, a few years ago, I was off for 5 months, with significant depression (a lot of it caused by work), and never stopped being punished for it by my manager at the time. He had never experienced any mental ill health, and thought I was ‘at it’. Yet another reason why I left that job…..

Its very hard supporting someone you love through a serious illness, however your employer must be very supportive if you are given sick leave in those circumstances. Its also difficult when family members who need help are far away. Been there, 250 miles away.

@roundcork I knew a few in the public sector. Miraculous recovery just as their 6 months on full pay was ending. Fortunately they were in the minority. Most of us appreciated our conditions. I certainly did, DH was self employed, poor health meant no work, no pay.

Funnily enough, not everyone estimates their self worth according to how few vulnerabilities they have.

The most resilient people are those who know their limitations and can ask for help when needed. They manage life and grow.

The people who ultimately have breakdowns are those who have a fantasy that they can manically do everything including never being ill.

The external toughness/macho-ness covers up deep fragility.

Which I have learnt the hard way.

So folks-

if you're sick, take time off.

If you're struggling, ask for help.