Page 6 | Why do people come to work when they are ill??!

Shinyandnew1 · 29/12/2024 10:00

I work in one of those professions that have 6 months full pay/half pay once you’ve been there a number of years. That doesn’t mean that you can just take a total of 6 months off for whatever cold/headache/UTI you fancy to a total value of 6 months though. Absence levels will be triggered and disciplinary processes followed.

worldwidetravel2017 · 29/12/2024 10:28

SicknessMadness · 28/12/2024 20:29

I've name changed because I've spoken about this in real life.

Those who say Bradford factor and trigger points are spot on.

I'm Civil Service, we get 6 months paid, in theory....

My sick record is really good. In part because I rarely get ill and in part because I'd feel guilty letting colleagues down as we are so short staffed.

I had 3 weeks off for a cancer op, passed a trigger point and now have to attend a formal attendance meeting. I'm livid on so many levels, it just feels so discriminatory and plain wrong.

My manager, who is genuinely lovely just doesn't get it, from her point of view she's just doing it because she has to, system told her to, there will be no disciplinary action, just a no further action result. Doesn't understand why I'm making a fuss. Policy and Union confirms that she doesn't have to do it and could just reset the trigger as a reasonable adjustment, but I don't think she's had time to read it properly and is stuck on system told her to do it so she has to.

Are you taking a union rep to the meeting?

luckylavender · 29/12/2024 10:36

@Anothercoffeeafter3 - we don't all get ill at this time of year. And if we do it's mainly because of selfish people spreading their germs.

MooseAndSquirrelLoveFlannel · 29/12/2024 11:12

WomanIsTaken · 29/12/2024 00:19

I can't imagine making any of the people I've line managed feel guilty for taking time away from work to recover if unwell ‐I definitely couldn't do that, it would make me feel like such a rotten person.

I relate to the notion of it being worse to call in sick than actually slogging it out at work feeling ill. That's not a great indicator of workplace culture.

I've been sick since the week before Christmas and inadvertently given it to my whole family, including a clinically vulnerable and elderly relative, due to my pupils' parents feeling strong-armed into sending very unwell and contagious children into school.

I never make my staff feel guilty for taking time off, if they're too sick to work, then that's what sick leave is for.

Doesn't mean I don't have to uphold my company policy on back to work interviews and discipline measures if they go off for a 3rd time in 12 months. I don't agree with it, but I'm bound by company policy.

The best I can do is ask them to manage till after lunch, then get them to go home/log off and not mark them as off sick for those few remaining hours. But I can't do that too often, as I'll get into trouble myself.

LetThereBeLove · 29/12/2024 11:44

RegulatorsMountUp · 29/12/2024 09:49

Love how you've had a quick Google to try and correct your post 😄 not sure we need to be so pedantic, I was just highlighting that I'm not privileged but it is in fact mostly the norm in public sectors and most large corporate organisations.

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Do read the pps who state that they work in one of those professions that have 6 months full pay/half pay once you’ve been there a number of years. That doesn’t mean that you can just take a total of 6 months off for whatever cold/headache/UTI you fancy to a total value of 6 months though. Absence levels will be triggered and disciplinary processes followed. This system includes the NHS.

chocolaterevels · 29/12/2024 13:24

We have to. People are literally berated for staying off. Staff will be awful to your face for any absences. But then of course it spreads through everyone.

Marshtit · 29/12/2024 13:34

sometimes people can be avoiding their home life

elfshenanigans · 29/12/2024 13:40

Also, just because you get 6 months paid, it doesn't mean you can stay off with every sniffle. Surely, there is absence monitoring in place? It gets triggered with 3 absences p.a. where I work. I would be on thin ice or potentially without job if I called in sick for every runny nose. People value job security!

CandyCatsHat · 29/12/2024 13:50

because someone else picks up the bill - financially or healthwise.

MakeYourOwnMusicStartYourOwnDance · 29/12/2024 13:56

Confused228 · 28/12/2024 19:20

In work yesterday, about 3 or 4 people are harbouring horrible cold/flu type things. Surprise surprise tonight I am starting to feel ill. I honestly think it's so selfish, stay home if you're ill and don't come to work spreading your germs about!! We work in an industry with really good sick leave policies.

In my old job I didn't get paid if I was off sick.
I'd stay off as 1) I don't want to pass it about
2) there's nothing worse than going to work when you're feeling crap and need to be in bed
3) I could afford to.
Not everyone could afford to be off though, what are they supposed to do?!
Never makes sense to me why companies are arsey and want you in when you're ill, surely it makes more sense to be at home than potentially infecting everyone else and having MORE people off?!

Bowies · 03/04/2025 07:07

MyLoftySwan · 28/12/2024 19:57

I had it the once when I took a day off after a weekend to ensure it was 48 hours after D&V. It was my first day off sick in three years. I was never late or disappearing during the working day in any of those years and often put in hours outside of contractual. However it was a hot weekend and several managers commented that I had been skiving to make the most of the hot weather. It's things like this that make people reluctant to take time off when ill. When you've got bills to pay or chasing promotions/pay rises for some taking the risk of being off isn't appropriate.

That’s awful though - they should have been actively encouraging you to take those 48 hours to protect others from catching it. Poor management and workplace culture. Must be tough to work in.

Smallmercies · 03/04/2025 07:11

Chester23 · 28/12/2024 19:25

I live on my own. If I dont go to work who is going to pay my bills?

If you don't get sick pay, then clearly this post isn't aimed at you.

SallyWD · 03/04/2025 07:28

I agree but at the same time some of us nearly always have a cold! I have back to back colds from autumn to late Spring so I simply can't take 9 months off work!
However, if its a particularly nasty illness I'll stay at home. I wouldn't dream of going to work with flu or Covid. I still test for Covid having seen loved ones suffer severe consequences.

Jeschara · 03/04/2025 07:44

Chester23 · 28/12/2024 19:25

I live on my own. If I dont go to work who is going to pay my bills?

Is that your excuse to be selfish? I worked with people who did this and they spread bad colds/ sickness to other people. Not fair at all.

Jewel1968 · 03/04/2025 07:49

If you work for an organisation that doesn't penalise sickness and your manager is understanding then the main reasons are probably:

I have never been off sick in 30 years
I hate being at home
I get bored when I am sick

I used to know a guy who never took his annual leave cos his marriage was awful. When he once was forced by his wife to take a week off he got a work friend to phone him with a pretend work emergency.

It's the I have never been off sick people I find harder to understand.

Dwappy · 03/04/2025 07:53

Jeschara · 03/04/2025 07:44

Is that your excuse to be selfish? I worked with people who did this and they spread bad colds/ sickness to other people. Not fair at all.

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Quite honestly life isn’t fair. It isn’t fair that some people don’t get sick pay. If you want to pay me/other people sick pay I’m pretty sure everyone would love to stay home. (As long as you also promise never ever to complain if you get an appointment cancelled last min because your hairdresser/nail person/dentist/doctor/surgeon/nurse has called in sick. Even if it’s your wedding day! You absolutely have to understand that you can’t get your hair done nicely in time now! Or as I’ve said before, at my work if 3 people call in sick on one day, we need to close the entire practice meaning lots of cancelled appointments and plenty of people lose money. Eventually we’d likely go under. The other option I guess is all people who are self employed or don’t get sick pay all go and do other jobs. People complain they can’t find a dentist now…. imagine if every single one in the country quit to do an office job with lovely sick pay and home working!

IbizaToTheNorfolkBroads · 03/04/2025 07:57

I was working earlier in the week when I probably shouldn't have been, because I needed to finish a particular project and hand it over. It will have a significant impact on the funding and structure of the organisation I work for, and is the culmination of 18 months work. Someone else could have dotted the Is and crossed the Ts, but there is no way that he was going to get the credit for my work.

Fortunately I have the freedom and autonomy to work from home as appropriate.

JorgyPorgy · 03/04/2025 07:59

Confused228 · 28/12/2024 19:20

In work yesterday, about 3 or 4 people are harbouring horrible cold/flu type things. Surprise surprise tonight I am starting to feel ill. I honestly think it's so selfish, stay home if you're ill and don't come to work spreading your germs about!! We work in an industry with really good sick leave policies.

Agree it’s very selfish for people to go to work coughing and sneezing their germs for everyone else to catch . A cold for one person can be bronchitis / pneumonia for another, particularly if they have underlying health condition eg asthma. If they insist on going to work with germs 🦠 then wear a mask and try to keep away from others. Companies need to implement a health and safety policy in this regard.

FateReset · 03/04/2025 08:00

I guess because they don't want it to effect their sickness record or Bradford Score. Or a manager has come in coughing and sneezing yet 'still working' in between complaining how ill she feels.

It used to make me so angry too. I suspect managers deliberately come in ill to remind everyone you're expected to work unless you're too ill to crawl into uniform. They forget some of us have compromised immunity, or other conditions that flare up with a virus.

I once got told off by managers for catching norovirus 3x in one year, despite being put on wards with an active outbreak amongst patients, directly before I caught it. They tried to say maybe I wasn't hand washing well enough 🙄 I pointed out noro is airborne and ended up giving them an angry lecture. As if anyone gets noro on purpose!

Nowadays my seething germ rage is directed at parents who bring ill toddlers to church crèche. I've stopped volunteering and bringing mine, as every Sunday at least 2 toddlers either had a fever or their noses were running with green snot. So every week mine was catching a new nursery bug, despite not going to childcare.

JorgyPorgy · 03/04/2025 08:00

Jeschara · 03/04/2025 07:44

Is that your excuse to be selfish? I worked with people who did this and they spread bad colds/ sickness to other people. Not fair at all.

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💯 agree

JorgyPorgy · 03/04/2025 08:02

FateReset · 03/04/2025 08:00

I guess because they don't want it to effect their sickness record or Bradford Score. Or a manager has come in coughing and sneezing yet 'still working' in between complaining how ill she feels.

It used to make me so angry too. I suspect managers deliberately come in ill to remind everyone you're expected to work unless you're too ill to crawl into uniform. They forget some of us have compromised immunity, or other conditions that flare up with a virus.

I once got told off by managers for catching norovirus 3x in one year, despite being put on wards with an active outbreak amongst patients, directly before I caught it. They tried to say maybe I wasn't hand washing well enough 🙄 I pointed out noro is airborne and ended up giving them an angry lecture. As if anyone gets noro on purpose!

Nowadays my seething germ rage is directed at parents who bring ill toddlers to church crèche. I've stopped volunteering and bringing mine, as every Sunday at least 2 toddlers either had a fever or their noses were running with green snot. So every week mine was catching a new nursery bug, despite not going to childcare.

Yes if kids are sick parents need to keep them home . It is plain selfish otherwise.

JorgyPorgy · 03/04/2025 08:05

Dwappy · 03/04/2025 07:53

Quite honestly life isn’t fair. It isn’t fair that some people don’t get sick pay. If you want to pay me/other people sick pay I’m pretty sure everyone would love to stay home. (As long as you also promise never ever to complain if you get an appointment cancelled last min because your hairdresser/nail person/dentist/doctor/surgeon/nurse has called in sick. Even if it’s your wedding day! You absolutely have to understand that you can’t get your hair done nicely in time now! Or as I’ve said before, at my work if 3 people call in sick on one day, we need to close the entire practice meaning lots of cancelled appointments and plenty of people lose money. Eventually we’d likely go under. The other option I guess is all people who are self employed or don’t get sick pay all go and do other jobs. People complain they can’t find a dentist now…. imagine if every single one in the country quit to do an office job with lovely sick pay and home working!

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wearing masks would be the unselfish thing to do. Also if I had appointment eg hairdresser and they were sick I’d be furious. I don’t want to get sick too . I’d rather they cancel . Or at least wear a mask

JorgyPorgy · 03/04/2025 08:08

SallyWD · 03/04/2025 07:28

I agree but at the same time some of us nearly always have a cold! I have back to back colds from autumn to late Spring so I simply can't take 9 months off work!
However, if its a particularly nasty illness I'll stay at home. I wouldn't dream of going to work with flu or Covid. I still test for Covid having seen loved ones suffer severe consequences.

Ok I sympathise with this, agree you can’t stay home for months or very soon not have a job I guess. Sorry to hear you’re so prone to colds etc. You could look into supplements but I guess you’ve tried all that x

JorgyPorgy · 03/04/2025 08:10

Smallmercies · 03/04/2025 07:11

If you don't get sick pay, then clearly this post isn't aimed at you.

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Also true

JorgyPorgy · 03/04/2025 08:12

CandyCatsHat · 29/12/2024 13:50

because someone else picks up the bill - financially or healthwise.

True