To think your work should leave you alone when you're ill?

[Thatsnotmynameee]

I was off sick last week. Rare for me to be off, last time before last week it was 4 months ago and then 6 months before that one. I told them why I was off (standard illness) and when I would be back (few days) my manager rings me at lunchtime that day to "discuss my absence" what is the need for this?? I missed the call because I was asleep (because I was ill and been up most of the night being ill) it just seems like complete overkill. Let people rest ffs.

@Thatsnotmynameee

"I would think being ill 3 times in a year was rare".

wtf??

It is rare. Most people are off sick much less frequently than that.

Definitely not rare.

I've had 1 day off sick in 10 years

As others have said it's probably that you didn't follow procedure of speaking to a manager before a certain time each day or you've triggered some sort of point of too much sickness over a certain timescale.

Most places I've worked has been 3 periods in a rolling 12 month period. The average (across hundreds of people) was something like 1.7 absences a year - though they could be multiple days.

Most places I've worked have also heavily suggested management wellbeing check-ins whilst the colleague is off. Not necessarily from day 1 but I don't think that's a major overreaction.

Yes, but they're expected to go to work if they're not bedridden and few illnesses require that.

It's just the way it is. You've had a lot of time off sick.

It’s really not. I’m doing end of year reviews with my team. 2 have never had a sick day since starting 2 or 3 years ago. One has had a few episodes. I’ve been off sick 4 episodes in 10 years and 2 of those were pregnancy related.

If you didn’t speak to your manager it’s in my work policy to ring you. I wouldn’t with any of my team because they are infrequently sick. 3 times in 10 months and you hadn’t spoken to a manager in my workplace you would absolutely get a phone call.

Being ill 3 times in a year may not be that rare. Being ill enough to miss work 3 times in a year is rare.

You need to check your absence policy. I mean it does seem like overkill, but have you actually checked your absence policy thoroughly and followed it to the letter? The fact that you think it's 'rare for me to be off' when you have been off a lot more than me (last time I had sick days was 3 years ago) makes me wonder if you've presumed you've not been off much and so failed to bother with your absence policy, when actually been off quite a bit and triggered something.

Triggers are usually 10 days or 3 occurrence in a 12 month period.

I had a 4 days in 2024 due to bad back. Prior was bereavement leave in 2019 when a parent died.

I dont have a lot of absence

You have significant amounts.

I’m shocked at most people here. At my job almost everyone is off three times a year, many more! It’s not treated as a big deal at all.

I really don't think it's excessive. This time I had D&V, 3 months ago I had a chest and sinus infection where I was on antibiotics and felt dreadful and 9 months ago I put my back out so bad I couldn't weight bear.

You've been ill a lot. They are checking in which managers are expected to do with multiple sickness periods in a 12 month period.
I have been ill over the last 12 months but not ill enough to take a day off. I think I've had four sick days (in a row) over the past 6 years. So only one period of absence.
Compared to most people that have replied, you have had a lot of time off sick.

3 periods of sickness in 10 months is a lot.

They may all be legitimate, but your work are right to be concerned.

You say it's rare but it's actually over the average for sickness and we use the Bradford score, this would put you forward for a meeting about your sickness as it's 3 instances in a year

I think 3 times in a year is pretty frequent.
I've not taken a day since around 2018 - 2019 and my mum never had a day off sick in 30 years of working full time - now that is rare!

Don't be put off by the many messages here telling you it's frequent.

That really depends on what your job and level of contact with the public is.

WFH and all meetings are on Teams? I'm not surprised if you're in all the time.

Office work with the same people all day? Again, you'd be hard pushed to find a reason for so many serious infections unless your immune system is compromised.

Working as a healthcare practitioner in a GP practice full of people coming in with flu, D&V and other infectious diseases? I'd be surprised if it wasn't more often. Same goes for infant school teachers, nursery assistants and shop workers in close contact with the public at all times.

@Thatsnotmynameee

It is. And literally every single person on this thread is telling you the same.

They may all be genuine reasons but it absolutely would trigger a review in most places. But a review is just that...if it's obvious that you weren't taking the piss and all the cases weee genuine, they're likely just to monitor.

But the thing that is concerning here is that you don't see it as a lot of absence when it most definitely is

One "when you have some time" call with your manager is perfectly reasonable.

3 episodes of illness that require multiple days off in 9 months is fairly high. And frankly calling to tell them that you would be out 3 days rather than taking it day by day will usually raise an eyebrow or two unless you've had specific medical instructions to isolate/stay home for at least 72 hours.

But regardless, it's fine for a manager to call once, particularly if your job involves any sort of time-sensitive tasks or other things that might need to be passed to a colleague.

OP I’ve just triggered absence process. Off sick three times in last rolling 12 months. In my case manager isn’t worried but has procedures. They allow me to raise things. However it is also legal cover for the employer. Multiple absence may indicate a problem at work and management need to check steps have taken. It could impact in the future any dismissal or discrimination claim if it went to Tribunal.

I don't think that 3 times in less than a year is "rare to be off", that sounds really quite frequent to me. It can't be helped if you're ill, of course, but I don't know of anyone in my team that has been off 3 times in 12 months

Planning to have " a few days" off with d&v isn't normal either. Unless you work in a school or healthcare setting, most people would see how they feel on a day to day basis.

We have to ring in daily unless long term sickness

3 times in 12 months is a lot and you would normally trigger.

Have u followed the company policy as per your contract for sickness and absence? Where I work you need to make agreement with manager for regular update. Ie if it’s an illness likely more than 3 days (chicken pox as an example) you need to agree next contact.
If you have not followed policy you are putting yourself at risk for unauthorised absence and non payment.

I’m never off sick but I think the idea of a standard amount of sick leave is bonkers and controlling as fuck.

Some people are ill much more frequently than others! Who gets to decide what “rare” or “common” is?

Funnily enough, when people are paid to do a job, they need to be there a certain amount of time to do a job. It's not unreasonable to have a review for above average sickness.