To consider going off sick over Xmas and New year?

[Rachjxx]

NHS admin worker here. Have worked in same team for nearly 5 years and every year, just before Xmas, the same colleague goes off sick for an extended period. Not sure of the specific reason, only that it's around the same lengthy period each year. Last year she went of a bit earlier than usual, was early November I think. Then back towards start of Feb.
Meanwhile I struggled on at work with a chronic health condition, even making sure my GP appointments weren't during work time. I've always been very conscious of being reliable at work and have an excellent attendance record .
This is why it grates that the same lady has the same pattern of sickness every year around Christmas. I know she has young children at home and a disabled partner, as well as an elderly parent to care for.. but surely everyone has committments!
I have a well known health condition that entails lengthy flare-ups and I'm genuinely thinking of going off sick myself this year over the festive period. My sister is getting married at Christmas and we also have relatives coming over from Australia, so I'm minded to 'have a flare up' around that time. It's a real struggle to get any festive time off work through the normal holiday request process at Christmas and new year (especially when I don't have young children).
My health is very genuine and I have regular consultations with GP about it and pain management. I don't see he'd struggle to issue me a sick note for a few weeks to buy me some time off.
Wwyd?

I say go for it. If your colleague can do it so can you. A couple years ago I was rostered to work both Christmas week and new years with stupid shifts that meant I wasn’t able to do anything. My GP signed me off and put my health condition as the reason. I got 4 weeks off and didn’t stress once.

If you were the admin on my team and did this I'd be furious - I'd lose all respect for you and I'd question your integrity in future

You didn't ask, but both you and your colleague are being unreasonable (presuming she is also taking time off sick each december when she actually isn't, like you plan to)

Why would anyone care if you lost respect for them?

Your colleague and her sickness record is a matter for management and HR.

You're simply planning to take the piss.

Do it.

Have a good time off at Xmas, enjoy the wedding.

If your colleague can take time off every year and take the piss then no reason you can’t do it too!

This is an NHS admin person. Don’t use this thread to bash clinical staff. We don’t pull this kind of shit.

I can definitely understand wanting to do it, but that isn't the same as actually doing it.

If this is happening enough to create a predictable pattern, then I think it would be reasonable to have a conversation with management about how they plan to manage the upcoming holiday season in a way that doesn't negatively impact on you.

My 78 year old DM has been told by the NHS that she has to wait til Feb '25 for an MRI. Wonder if that's due to staff taking planned sick leave?

Hope The Daily Mail picks up this thread.

I don’t work for the NHS but I do work in a admin job and I hate it but it’s easy and pays the bills.

I go sick at full pay …. I plan when to take it around the kids being off at school so I don’t use up annual leave.

Two other people in my team do this too🤷🏼‍♀️ we even make sure we don’t all do it at the same time.

Your managers must be absolutely incompetent if they haven't picked up on that.

I'm glad I don't work with people like you!

FGS! Get to bloody work. As a fellow NHS workers posts like this are utterly embarrassing when we have ambulances queuing round the block and astronomical waiting lists.

Please, F off and get a job somewhere else, preferably that’s not on tax payers money affecting peoples lives… and take your mate whilst your at it!

My health is very genuine and I have regular consultations with GP about it and pain management. I don't see he'd struggle to issue me a sick note for a few weeks to buy me some time off.

Your health condition might be genuine but that's where it ends isn't it?

Don't take the piss just because someone else is.

No then you are just as bad as her! Book annual leave for the time you want. If you didn’t have it last year, you should be entitled this year? I work for the NHS and that’s how it works for us. If it’s denied then report to management

This. I've been working in the civil service for 4 months now and the work ethic (or lack thereof) is infuriating. But sure its only public money.

@Rachjxx If you aren't too sick to go to work, it's fraud. Two wrongs don't make a right.

I very much hope you are dismissed.

I very much doubt you would noy contemplate such deceit if you only got statutory sick pay.

NHS management is precisely why I don't think the NHS deserves one more penny of additional funding.

The NHS is funded by the people, for the people. The people have had enough and leeches left clinical practice years ago.

Having said the above, your GP jolly well shouldn't be issuing you with a fit note when you are well enough to attend work. That's another circle of toxicity within toxicity.

Managers usually look at a pattern in sickness.V surprised it hasn't been flagged up to her tbh.

Though I imagine your colleagues who had to cover for you felt just the teensiest bit of frustration/stress/frustration.

I used to work for the NHS and people taking the piss was commonplace. The problem was bad managers, no clue how to manage staff and very happy to dump on the staff that actually are committed while the lazy devils pull sickies or make up fake dramas at home.
Dont miss it one bit.

I’ve worked for the NHS as a nurse for over 40 yrs and have worked with several people who totally exploit the generous sickness policy. Totally frustrating for those of us who never take sick days unless we are very ill. My conscience wouldn’t let me. I don’t want to be regarded as the person who takes the p**s. I’d be mortified. Meanwhile my DS who lives abroad and works in private health care had 2 weeks paid sick leave with cancer.

To be honest, my whole work place is a shambles. They rotate managers constantly as they all leave. I haven’t had the same manager for longer than a year.

Plus I don’t take the same weeks off every year and they can’t prove anything. I only take a week at a time so don’t have to go to the docs.

That's your choice.

If that person doesn't take any sickness the rest of the year then it won't flag up as it will be just one episode of sickness.

So just to be clear-

You don't know why she goes off sick.
She is a parent, a carer, and also unwell.
You want time off to somehow spite her.
You're chronically ill but you want the time off to go to weddings and host guests from overseas.
You intend to lie to your work and your GP to get this time off.

Lovely.