To go off sick in December?

[Sarahbd3]

I've just found out that I'll only been granted one day off over the Xmas and year new period (I mean besides the official public holidays). Names drawn out of a hat about who on the team can have which days off over the Xmas season.
I'm a single mum to two young children under 6 and, for once, I want to be able to spend a proper stretch of time over Xmas being off with them and doing all the Xmas stuff that other families get to do. Their grandparents are going to be away on a cruise so I'd have no child care anyway, unless I was off work.
I have a chronic health condition which is well known at work (although I've never previously taken any time off sick with it). In facet, I have not been off sick since a car accident 4 years ago.
On my team, it's always the same person who goes off sick for Xmas, for several weeks and nobody seems to have an issue.
Wyibu to go off sick with my chronic illness to be guaranteed the festive season with my children? To not make it look too plan I, I'd probably go off in the second week of December, rather than on Xmas eve. Maybe return second week of Jan.

We all do in NHS.

OP is a brat if she uses a cronic condition to have 4 weeks free holiday over Christmas.

That's how NHS broke down. People thinking this is ok!

I would!

@Sarahbd3 You really have my sympathy, and I can't understand why your boss doesn't keep a log book of who had what days off over Christmas and the New Year last year and every year? What happens if the same names keep on being picked each year?

OP, please don't pay any regard to posters who are saying to just do it, life is too short, and your children are the most important thing, so just go for it. Why am I saying that? Well it is exactly because, of course, your children are the most important "things" in your life - apologies for calling them things - which is the most crucial reason to keep your job, and not get any black marks noted against you on your file. The posters on here encouraging you to 'go for it' may sadly have their own unpleasant reasons for wanting you to fail, or hopefully, and more likely, they just hadn't thought their advice through properly.

Then of course, living a life you can be proud of - and in doing so setting a brilliant example to your dear children (by being honest and hard working, even though that can be very hard, especially for single mums of young children) is, along with your unconditional love for them, to me the most important aspect of parenting. Good luck!

I'd do it. It's absolutely rubbish working over Christmas and if you don't have any childcare what are you supposed to do with your children anyway?
I would though start looking for a new job, one with more family friendly hours. You might get a new job before Christmas and if you don't at least you'll be sorted in future years.

"for once, I want to be able to spend a proper stretch of time over Xmas being off with them and doing all the Xmas stuff that other families get to do"

I think this is the part that is unrealistic to me. Many, MANY families with two parents do not get to do this because of the jobs they have. I purposefully moved to a different job recently so that I wouldn't have to work Christmas day any more because I didn't want to do that with small children. Up until now I've split it with my team (all of whom also have small children). If your job and your hours and holidays aren't working for you then change job - don't leave your team short staffed (or worse leave someone else feeling obligated to cover for you at the expense of their own Xmas) or undermine provision for those with chronic illnesses who are using sick leave because they are genuinely sick.

What you SHOULD do is raise it with hr / management that there is a clear pattern in this individuals sick leave always being over Xmas and maybe their system of drawing names out of a hat could be changed - perhaps work it on a rota basis. Personally I think names out of a hat is fine and I'd go with it.

You know what I would and I have . I have a chronic condition and 2 years ago got put on god awful shifts which meant I was working the full Christmas week and New Year’s Eve/day. Wouldn’t be able to see my family as I’d have been tired /working . Luckily my doctor signed me off for 4 weeks and I got the rest I actually needed. Don’t listen to the people saying no they are jealous. Kids and health conditions come first.

Yes kids do come first. Imagine taking your own child to A&E or the local doctor surgery or a nearby chemist over Christmas because they need to be seen but you can’t get help because all the staff are ‘off sick’ when in reality they’re playing charades at home with their kids. People would soon have something to say then. The OP hasn’t said what her job is but there are usually consequences when people are off sick.

You can’t justify it by saying ‘kids come first’. Its a good job surgeons and police and care home workers don’t just say kids come first otherwise no Mothers or Fathers would ever make it in to work.

I think some people are missing that the OP is getting Christmas off. She just wants more days off.

I’m amazed at how many people think that this is acceptable , it is not . If you want a job where you can have weeks off at Christmas then find one and don’t take a job where you cannot .

In future why don’t you book your AL over the Christmas period ? Plan ahead if it means so much to you.

@Floralnomad I'm not amazed. Mumsnet seems to have a lot of posters who are liars and cheats and endorse piss taking behaviour by other people.

Because you can't book it
Names get put in a hat, it was the same where I worked previously
I did Christmas Eve, Christmas Day, Boxing Day , NYE and NYD for 7 years in a row. Then someone had the cheek to moan when I finally got the whole lot off and say because she had children she should get it
My manager said fine, you need to work 7 years in a row first

Prove it!

Depends on how the employer treats the employee!!

Listen, if you saw what GPs sign patients off on, you wouldn't have to ask that question lol!

They have to prove it first.

Parental leave?

I once had to tell my area manager that I couldnt work for a 4 week period as my child was having surgery, she said I either needed to get childcare or resign. So I said OK I would go to HR to check the situation and oddly enough it was approved.

No childcare is an acceptable reason for PL, although obviously you wont get paid.

This.

How utterly reprehensible.

I'd go off sick and not give a single shit.

Do it OP. They're only kids once. Your company wouldnt think twice if they ever had to let people go. We dont owe our employers much loyalty these days as they rarely show it in return.

Surgeons take weeks off on end. Every copper I know would take 6 months off on the sick when they cant be arsed, or it's approaching retirement or are facing being pulled up at work.

Please don't try and put them on a pedestal, because they're the 2 worst job roles for it 🤣

No, most decent employers offer sick pay for several weeks at 90%.

I worked closely with the police for years and know a lot of retired police now. That's not been my experience.

I work in the private sector, and I also have a life limiting illness.
We’ve just had an email round about the unacceptable levels of absence and how management are going to look at addressing it.
And the reality is that the piss takers like the OP and seemingly half the people on this thread won’t care, while people like me are afraid to take legitimate time off.
And for posters saying that OP won’t get caught, being seen out having a ball while claiming to be too ill to work is frowned on, and next time OP is sick people will just assume she’s taking the piss.

I wouldn't and I'm amazed how many people would. Its very selfish to your co-workers who will be left short staffed. If I had a friend who did this, it would make me think much less of them.