Boss not happy about me being ill off work

[Bubblegum74]

Hi I work full time 9-530 every day, never had a sick day off and mostly I’m in even when not well. I was off last week for 3 days due to Gastroenteritis. Yesterday at work I wasn’t feeling too great (dizziness, lightheaded etc) almost fainted BUT still carried on with my day & pushing to get through my day. This morning phoned in to say not coming in due to me being dizzy, headache and lightheaded etc. My boss said to me you have had so much time off lately (all this year I’ve only had the 3 days off last week and today) what’s going on with you in a rude kind of way. I said last week had Gastroenteritis and today feeling too dizzy to be able to come in to work. She told me to go see a DR to see what’s going on I said ok but they won’t do anything for dizziness. To add my dizziness is more due to lack of sleep. I’m supposed to be k ok phoning in later on to let her know if I’m in Tom or not but the way I feel right now I can’t be in but most likely if I don’t go in or do go in I be put on report so what’s the best way to handle this situation and say or do about it

I’ve had managers like this before who are totally intolerant of anyone being ill ever, this included someone who had broken their leg. One day sickness and they would say you need to see the GP.

Personally I would follow up with an email confirming that you feel too unwell to attend work, your symptoms and include you were poorly last week and this is an after effect of this (and possibly coming back too soon).
Is there a sickness policy? HR?

The comment about seeing the doctor is reasonable, I think. Dizziness could have any number of underlying causes - it's not like a cold or sickness bug - you need to have it looked at.

I would book an appointment with your GP and then just be factual - 'I have a GP appointment on [x] date, I am self-certifying as sick until [y] date and I will take the doctor's advice on when I should return to work if my illness exceeds the self-certification period.'

I think this should also be a lesson to you that there's no point dragging yourself into work when you're sick...
ever.

You assume it will create good faith with your boss so that when youre really really sick and can't come in, you think she will believe you and be supportive - nope! Bosses like this don't give a shit about you or your well being, they just want bums on seats come hell or high water.

Look after yourself and your health in future, not some job where they won't inconvenience themselves to treat you like a human being.

Prioritise your health, because as you have seen your boss doesn't actually give a fuck about yours and is only concerned with your unit of production and not your wellbeing, despite a good track record.

I think the GP comment isn't reasonable because presumably the OP is an independent adult with half a brain who would know if she's been dizzy like this before (which she seems to as she has explained why she gets it) and therefore has probably already wasted time at some other point in her life seeing a GP who told her there was nothing they could do about it. Dizziness on its own is a pointless symptom to go to a GP about. It could be anything or nothing. You have to self-certify for the first 6 or 7 days so there's no point going to the GP before that (if you can even get an appointment).

Overall it looks like your manager is a presenteeist who can't handle people being off sick. There are many of them around in lower management. They equate physically being present at work with being a "good employee" rather than how much work you actually get done. A lot of companies have idiotic sickness policies that you can only get sick 2 times in a year as well. But no one told the germs...

A lot of this went away during Covid as people realised that it's better to take the time off and heal (and with a contagious illness, to not infect anyone else), it's a shame it's creeping back as it disproportionately forces disabled people and people with chronic illnesses out of jobs.

Unfortunately when you're up against a manager like this the only things you can do are suck it up or find a new job. They are too mutton-headed to take on board anything you say or actually reflect and change.

You went back too early
i’m Guessing it will be 2 sick absences in a short period that will trigger the sick process

don’t take it too personally every company has a responsibility to manage sick

they have to follow the process to make it fair and equal to everyone as a manager you shouldn’t pick and chose who you follow the process with

Honestly.
Self cert for 7 days until you are properly better.
Phone in tomorrow and tell them that.
Start looking for a new job where loyalty is a 2 way process.