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?

This happens a lot. I hate to say it but it is usually people who don't want to work Christmas because they have children. In my place, we had one mother who was not due to work Christmas, swap shifts with another mother who was scheduled to work Christmas. Then she phoned in sick. The same two did the same thing the next year but the other way around. It can't be proven of course.

My manager always tried her best to make it fair, but there are always (entitled) people who will do what suits them.

Just book annual leave. What is wrong with people.

I work in the NHS and people like you piss me off!

You have to get signed off multiple times to get that length of sickness absence and where I worked, occy health and the person's own manager would manage the situation closely. There is no prohibition about taking holidays while on sickness absence. It may or may not be appropriate depending on what the sickness absence is caused by. People who could not return to their own jobs through prolonged sickness were also redeployed if that would get them back into work faster. Their pay and conditions were protected for a limited amount of time if it was expected that they would return to their own job otherwise t and c's changed immediately. There was also the option to terminate employment on medical grounds if there is no suitable redeployment. I am not going to say that all NHS managers are substandard, I was one, but I wouldn't put another penny into the NHS until it got a radical overhaul.

NHS admin!? Presumably someone innocent will suffer because you and your colleague both fancy Christmas off? The other day I rejigged work, school drop-offs, afterschool clubs because my child had a Dr’s appointment for a long standing issue. An hour before the appointment I got a text from the surgery to say ‘appointment cancelled due to illness.’ It made my blood boil. I took the afternoon off, I didn’t get paid. They said rebook via the link, the next date is July 18th!!

People like you cause the average person so much bloody stress.

I can understand your frustration with your colleague but you doing the same thing won’t help. It’s selfish. Just stitch her up and call her out on it. I would shout across the office next time everyone is in ‘Oi Julie, do you have any idea when you’ll be going off on the sick this year? Usually around November to Feb isn’t it? Just trying to sort my annual leave and I don’t want to be off when you’re off, I mean sick’.

Clearly this is irksome but it's something for your employer to deal with, not for you to make things worse. I suppose there's no chance they could get someone in to cover sick leave if necessary?
If you work for the NHS there are advantages (good pension?) but also responsibilities. Do you consider that people will suffer if you take time off? Or should you be in a different admin job that does not impact on people who need care.
Clinical staff can not work so efficiently if admin staff don't do routine tasks.

We aren't allowed to take annual leave in the two weeks of Christmas and New Year where I work in the NHS, well, people who work full-time can get the odd day at the managers discretion, but that's about it. We aren't any busier at these times either, its just always been the way. So sickness levels definitely increase over this period.

I worked in education for many years with different groups. Never had an adult think identifying their friends doing something dishonest and then thinking it was good to copy them... that's something the younger kids do.

Oh I’m certain the Daily Mail will. Because that’s surely the real intent behind this post, so close to the general election…

That’s very cynical - it’s not like the culture of the nhs is likely to change with ANY party! Isn’t that the whole problem…

And you call ME the cynic? 🤔

But it sounds like one long episode of sickness, which at my Trust would trigger a formal meeting and probably a referral to occ health after 4 weeks of absence. At the meeting we'd discuss what support we could offer to help the person return to work, we'd look at potential reasonable adjustments, and and if it were happening every year it certainly would be noticed.

I have several colleagues who go off every summer for 2months minimum. It's annoying but I wouldn't do it, what if you need real sick time & you won't be getting paid? Never mind all those people telling u it's morally wrong, it grates on you when requests are constantly refused due to other people being off. Basically if you want to do it then do, but be mindful if you are genuinely unwell you've used some of your paid leave.

Yes I do 😂 why would I lie about taking sick leave to cover the school holidays 😂

Yeah go for it, I would

More fool you then 🤷🏼‍♀️

Apply for leave - it should be given out fairly whether you have children or not.

Not nearly as vital workwise but I worked in public libraries for years and there was the same system, no holiday booking allowed whatsoever the Christmas and New Year weeks. I came down with a flu type cold one Christmas and had to ring in sick between then and New Year. All hell broke loose and constant phone calls checking on me were made. As I was still living at home the librarian spoke to my DF who was very fierce and said I was too ill to get out of bed to speak to them. I've never seen so many cat's bum faces when I returned to work but as I still had what is known as a 'productive' cough they soon changed their tune and I think regretted me returning to work so soon.

One of many reasons for being NC wIth NHS worker SIL is listening to her plans for her sick leave over the last 15 years. Yeah 2nd week July 3rd week August half term oct. Etc etc. no shame.

There are piss takers in evey industry. It's just that the private sector would probably have this shirker out on their arse before now

I am a clinical manager and I can tell you we all know colleagues like this but, it is impossible to do anything about it. I don't have HR training so try to follow the online guides as HR are so unhelpful. We try our best but, if we make the smallest error staff can stay on first stage even with multiple episodes. HR staff who cover my ward constantly leave, so others take over they need to get on board with the issues which means time is lost and so sickness policy become a discretionary process. It is maddening.
People know exactly how much to take without triggering a review, no point taking a day when you can take a week and it's still just 1 episode 🤷.

We do also have many staff who soldier on and I can't even say it's all young people or parents it is all sorts. It is so frustrating when we are short staffed and have to work twice as hard because the same person if off sick again.

This. Unless the reason was completely clear them it should not be let go.

I think you should do it. I say that as a person who works in retail and am so sick of the same people getting the entire week off between Christmas and New year for ten years for some mythical reason. I know they have adult children who need driving to appointments because they have sight issues but they are both married so shouldn't need their mum to ferry them everywhere.
Our new manager has said anyone who had it last year can't have it this time to make it fair to others but guess what she can because "grandchildren" well so fucking what?
I'm really glad I'm retiring this year. Will be nice to come first for once instead of after the others who threaten to leave if they don't get what they want.
I

this is why i wouldn't put more money in without a shake up

Not nearly as vital workwise but I worked in public libraries for years and there was the same system, no holiday booking allowed whatsoever the Christmas and New Year weeks. I came down with a flu type cold one Christmas and had to ring in sick between then and New Year. All hell broke loose and constant phone calls checking on me were made. As I was still living at home the librarian spoke to my DF who was very fierce and said I was too ill to get out of bed to speak to them. I've never seen so many cat's bum faces when I returned to work but as I still had what is known as a 'productive' cough they soon changed their tune and I think regretted me returning to work so soon.😆😆