to think boss is taking the P?

[OverTheHillAndDownTotherSide]

Boss is very senior in organisation and in early 50s. Sadly diagnosed with cervical cancer in the summer - early stages but took 2 weeks off at end of July to get her head around it. Op was brought forward to mid Aug but she went off a week before to prepare for it. Had hysterectomy and didn’t need any other treatment. Expected to be off for 6 weeks recovery which then got extended. Fair enough.

Then decided there was no point coming back before she had been on a 2 week holiday over Oct half term. Again, fair enough, her kids deserved a treat. She then took another week after coming back before starting her phased return - 3 half days a week. We are up to our necks and working 14 hour days partly to cover for her.

Was talking to another senior manager who said they had spoken to her earlier - she was out Xmas shopping with her sister.

Feels like a piss take to be honest. The only other person I know who had a hysterectomy was back half hours 4 weeks later and full time 2 weeks later. Can it really take 12 weeks to recover?

I appreciate this will sound really mean but we are a small team and have been flat out since July without stopping and will probably have to work over Xmas as well to keep up with everything. And likely to be made redundant next year down to business changes that see her role safe but not ours. :-(

Your extra working hours have absolutely no bearing on a workmate's recovery, however high in the company they are. If the workload is too great, take it up with someone else senior.
And google "empathy" when you get the chance.

Learn some compassion.

What a thoroughly nasty post. I hope you never get seriously ill and need your boss to care. Your workload has nothing to do with the fact that she had faced a serious illness - get your nasty two-faced attitude to the management of you can't do your jobs.

I had a hysterectomy 11 years ago and have not and will not work again you don't know if it's gone to plan.
And she hasn't just had a hysterectomy she's had cancer. Imagine her mh has taken a battering as well as her physical health.
Her gp may have told her to get out more to see if she was ready to return to work.
I understand its frustrating when it's causing you extra stress but that's for your managers who sre currently working to deal with.

I lost my best friend to cervical cancer at only 42. I honestly can’t believe this post, have you really considered the terrifying prospect of facing cancer and cancer treatment and how that must have affected her and her family?

You sound sociopathic to be lacking such empathy and understanding.

You're directing your anger to the wrong place. Your poor boss has had a huge scare, which may have impacted her in many ways both physically and mentally. There is a huge difference between making it out for some Christmas shopping on a weekday, from which she can rest or go home any time, and going back to work. Very sensibly, she may be trying to build herself up to her phased return by going out and about first.

My doctor signed me off for eight weeks after my hysterectomy. If you have cancer, you have to have the most radical form of that surgery, as well - everything possible removed. As she'll have been either working, sick or recovering from surgery for a long time, she should absolutely be allowed to take annual leave to actually experience some normal life with her family. There is also ongoing pain, swelling and fatigue from the surgery even after 8 weeks, so a phased return will absolutely be recommended by Occupational Health / HR.

You sound like a deeply unpleasant person.

And who are the awful 19%of people who think the OP is being reasonable?

People who have pressed the wrong button by mistake?

actually a woman who has a hysterectomy is not meant to do anything at all until 6 weeks post op when she can do a little light housework in the house!! no way was anyone able to go back to work so quickly! I know because I was a nurse and I also lost my daughter to that awful disease/ she too had a hysterectomy! a little compassion would not go amiss

Fucking hell!

I know someone who was off twice that long due to stress.

You aren’t thought more of, just because you don’t take time off when you need it.

@2jacqi I am so very sorry about your daughter

Bloody hell, what an absolute joke of a post. Get a grip. This woman has been off with cancer FFS! NOBODY on their deathbed is going to look back and think "Oh I wish I spent more time at work and less with my family"

Okay okay. I did say in the OP that some of it was fair enough.

The half term fortnight was leave but everything else was full sick pay. She’s getting full pay for a 1.5 day a week phased return too. Including Xmas shopping.

The workload is because they made a load of people redundant just as she went off and now we are having to cover their work as well as the boss’, and we have nobody advocating for us to stop the work piling in.

I don’t wish her ill AT ALL. I lost a school friend to cervical cancer at 32 - hers was stage 4 when they caught it and too late to be saved because “women her age don’t get cervical cancer”. I don’t know anyone that caught it early and had a hysterectomy like her. So I didn’t know it could take so long to recover.

its been relentless. There’s no extra pay, just a promise of TOIL next year (which I assume will have to be paid if we are made redundant too).

Compassion and empathy lost on you today OP

Such a nasty, spiteful OP. Shame on you.

If this is real, you are angry at the wrong person. It's management that have failed to provide adequate cover.

She’s getting full pay for a 1.5 day a week phased return too. Including Xmas shopping.

Good! So she bloody should. That’s what it’s for.

Stop resenting it so much. Speak to someone else at work about getting additional cover into the team. If they won’t do then then speak to your union.

Probably best you stop talking OP you sound worse and worse. Yes of course she should be on FULL sick pay if thats what the company is giving her in line with her contract. NONE of your business, and none of your problems is this poor woman fault. Speak to management about your workload.

The OP has asked a question and is clearly at the end of her tether as a result of working loads of overtime, being short staffed at work and being faced with redundancy. She has spoken about the lady being out Christmas shopping etc which is valid concerns even if ultimately it’s the company who should have provided cover and resolved the situation not for the employee to have to rush back.

Whether you agree with her or not to call her a c*nt and talk about karma with her getting cancer is absolutely not acceptable. The reactions on this post are not warranted.

wow what a post, even the reply shows no empathy!!

I get you are stressed with work, you have every right to be but aim the anger at your bosses bosses, this poor lady has had to endure not only cancer but a hysterectomy which itself can be a struggle for women and imagine her mental health.

Doesn't matter what stage her cancer is, shes had to go through hell and so has family, good for her going Christmas shopping maybe for her that was a good day and she wants to celebrate Christmas in style this year giving her circumstances.

Like previous posts take it up with management then go read a book on empathy and being a better person because that poor poor woman.

I think some of the people calling the op a cunt/sociopath/wishing karma was real etc. need to look at themselves, the op is at the end of her tether, covering work and facing redundancy. Absolutely it’s not her bosses fault and her focus should not be on her but there is a person at the end of the keyboard.

They’re in dire finacial straits, hence the redundancies. And no unions.

This is exactly what is wrong with the workforce now.

It is a managerial responsibility to ensure that the work is adequately covered when absences happen.

Direct your anger where it is supposed to go, have a frank discussion with your boss letting them know that you can no longer work 14 hour days to cover.

Try not to get angry with people who have taken time off for whatever reason, people are entitled to take time off to heal, in that time they can do whatever they are capable of doing.

Touch wood nothing like this happens to you, for you then to find out that your coworkers are pissed off at you for something that is not your fault.