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.

I think you shouldn’t contemplate this. You need your job and your employer needs you to be there. That’s the deal. I’ve just checked the diary and Christmas lies well this year. Weekend to get ready - Mon/Tues at work - Wed/Thurs off. Work Fri and then off for weekend.

OP you can have a great Christmas with your family and honour your work commitments.

Well thats not going to happen is it!

I've done many thanks. Including the one I do now. Every company I've ever worked for, regardless of what industry has had decent sick pay. Current employer is 3 months at 90%. Then 3 months at 40% then s.s.p. no matter what wage band you're in, and the bands start at minimum wage/part time hrs.

Why do kids need full-time all-day Christmassing for three weeks? Most parents don't do that.

If it is a question of having difficulty finding childcare, that is a different matter, but it's not grounds for lying; it's grounds for looking for some alternative childcare arrangements of some sort, and if none of those routes seem to be possible, going to the boss and talking about this problem and getting some suggestions /accommodations.

Awful mindset. You have time to find another job if it bothers you that much.

As someone who spent over a decade in a job where the Christmas period is just a normal working time (excluding Christmas day), I'd have loved to have called in sick and spend long periods with my family over Christmas. However, never did. I was part of the management team and when people got 'sick' we all worked longer hours and more shifts so the team didn't lose their Christmas plans. So I think it's an absolute dick move and while you'll be happily off, your team will have extra work to cover and they will be 100% suspicious, which can cause resentment.

If you are going to be off, maybe the beginning of December into Jan would be best, it gives them time to plan appropriate cover fairly.

As a single parent myself, it really pisses me off when people do this.

It sounds like you already have at least 3 days off over that period but you want a long stretch?
So does everyone else.

The names are pulled out of a hat to make it fair.
People taking the piss and taking it off anyway are the people that cause the problems.

If your childcare has genuinely fallen through, then let them know and show them proof of your parents cruise booking.

Don’t just pull a sicky because you want a long stretch of a holiday.

In most companies other people are willing to be flexible amongst themselves.

If you want say Boxing Day off, then ask if there’s anyone who wants to swap you for Xmas eve etc.

I know lots of people who don’t mind working over Xmas but don’t want to work NYs or vice versa.

NYs doesn’t bother me at all and so I say I’m willing to swap those days for Xmas days.

Other people can somehow manage it. OP will probably find her colleagues resenting her. I certainly wouldn't want to be picking up the slack for somebody else over Christmas.

@Infracat is right

You planning weeks off? I could t do that. It wouldn’t sit well with me at all.

The Xmas period is really just a few days. Can you not explain you need annual leave due to no childcare? Rather than lie?

There is some extremely selfish people on this thread. All of the "lifes too short "crap... Why do any of us bother with responsibilities other than our children since life is so short blah blah.

You took a job with these responsibilities and shifts. Yeah its crap working days when others arent, and you'd rather be with family but thats life in certain jobs

I've spent many years through my kids lives working Christmas, new year and the bits in between. But I'm a nurse and accept that I signed up for this when I took the job.

I should have realised though that in many people's eyes, I dont have to do that...I could have phoned in sick and spent time with my kids. Silly me . Screw my patients... I come first

And all the rubbish about "I havent had a sick day for 4 years" so what? Sick days arent there to be taken when you fancy, they are for when you are too sick to work.

No wonder people with illnesses and disabilities get so much scepticism when people are happy to just use them because the shifts at ther jobs arent what they wanted so they pretend to be ill and lots of other people applaud them for it

Who cares? If they resent someone who is off sick that's up to them. Thankfully the younger generations realise a job is just a job and we should work to live so hopefully there'll be a chance in the coming years around work.

I can't believe how many people are saying to fake an illness for an entire month. I only have one days holiday to use over Christmas because that's all I have left, my job isn't one that shuts down for Christmas for 2 weeks either, I just have to suck it up.

What about all the NHS staff, emergency workers who work every single day of the year? Do you think they wouldn't also like to spend Christmas with their families? It's a good job they don't all pull a sickie otherwise we'd be screwed.

YABU, you knew the risk of not having time off due to it being a lucky dip on who gets the time.

I get you would like to have a decent amount of time off but that’s just life that you can’t. Taking a whole month off is ridiculous.

No not all ‘the younger generations’. Some have integrity and don’t exploit the system.

OP isn't too sick to work though, she wants to skive.

"A job is just a job" is a very privileged mindset to be able to have. As a single person I need a decent paying job to be actually able to pay for luxuries like rent and bills.

Hm. Well the OP's workplace seems to have ridiculously unfair holiday allocation, so if you were in HR at such a place you could maybe look at that.

Also is there not a requirement to make reasonable adjustments for chronic conditions?

If there isn't a requirement to adjust for single parents to care for children over Xmas we should be looking at that, it's likely indirect discrimination against women.

@KTheGrey How is is unfair? What would be fair?

Can we all do that?

I was just thinking the same thing!

People will just stop hiring single parents if they have to give them time off over Christmas, especially in industries like retail. It won't do us any favours.

The other fair system would be to allow very few people to take a fortnight off over the period and names out of a hat or take turns (assuming low staff turnover). This would mean the OP would most likely only get the bank holidays off most years and every so often have a lovely time with the full two weeks. I think the system they have is better.

iI do a rota and we do it the same way as the op’s workplace. The difference is that we also have to cover the bank holidays and weekends. If someone went off sick then everyone else would have to do more. No one would be impressed if there was any suspicion that it wasn’t genuine.

A job should just be a job though is the point. If employers always held their end of the bargain up and paid staff fairly, didn't expect free overtime, had decent working conditions then sure- many don't, 3 weeks off sick just still can't find it in myself to be bothered about. I personally wouldn't do it as thankfully not in a situation where childcare would be an issue etc and don't mind working whatever days, but I honestly don't care what others do. If people are then pulled thin it's the employers fault.

That would be illegal as well as unlikely.

Ugh double messaged sorry.