Page 6 | To think your work should leave you alone when you're ill?

Thatsnotmynameee · 2025-02-26T18:53:14+00:00

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.

Createausername1970 · 27/02/2025 08:21

TappyGilmore · 26/02/2025 23:14

I actually agree with you OP. It’s not really about whether 3 instances of sick leave is a lot and whether a conversation about sick leave use is justified. The fact is, the conversation will wait until you return to work.

Obviously if someone is off for an extended period, say a month or so, then the manager might need to contact them at some point while they are off. But for a couple of days, no.

I remember once when I had flu, and my manager called me every bloody day. I had left work early so the first day of sick leave was really a half day, then I was off the next, and then the morning after that I got a call like “why aren’t you back at work yet? I really can’t understand why you’re not back yet!” Um, I have flu Sharon. Most people don’t just bounce back from flu after a day and a half.

The conversation should wait till someone is back at work, I agree, but perhaps the OP has given them cause to wonder if she is genuinely sick, or was she actually taking time off for other reasons - half term etc.

Maybe she had previously requested holiday and been refused?

So whilst I agree that normally it should wait until someone is back, or at least don't call them the first day, no-one on here, apart from OP knows the full story and why her manager felt it was appropriate to call within a few hours of her calling in.

Cattreesea · 27/02/2025 08:37

@PeachBlossom1234

At my work (charity) we don’t get paid for the first 3 days of sickness to stop people taking the piss. It’s amazing that most people can drag themselves out of bed when they’re not getting paid!

Frankly it is not something your company should be proud of! people can't help being sick and you are actively penalising people with long term health conditions and disabilities who often can't help having more instances of sickness.

People 'dragging themselves out of bed' if they have things like flu or covid is irresponsible and will cost more to the company when their illness spreads to the rest of the team.

If some individuals abuse sick leave then it should be addressed with them, not used to 'punish' the entire staff.

The lack of grown-up thinking is amazing...

Enigma52 · 27/02/2025 10:45

feistyoneyouare · 26/02/2025 21:49

Blimey, some of these replies.

OP says she followed her workplace's policy, why are people ignoring that? Not everybody has to ring up every morning they're ill. If she followed it, then she's right, her manager shouldn't be harassing her when she's ill.

And if some of you think 3 episodes of illness in a year is excessive, all I can say is that some of us have no choice in the matter. And if employers are kicking off about 3 sickness absences a year, they're shit employers. (Including yours by the sounds of it @PeachBlossom1234 - it's appalling you had to work through chemo.)

At this rate employers will be pushing people into higher rates of sickness absence, making people sicker than they already are, and eventually forcing them out of jobs altogether if they don't wake up and realise they are employing people not robots. At which point they'll be labelled scroungers for not working. Not that a bad employer would care, of course - they'd just replace them and proceed to treat the new lot just as badly, potentially impairing their health as well.

This being Mumsnet, I'm quite sure this post is going to be laughed at and I couldn't care less. Some people on here really do inhabit very narrow little worlds.

Well said!!!👏

Jasnah · 27/02/2025 19:08

People on here are still ignoring the very valid point that it completely depends on the OP's job.

Anyone working with lots of different people day in day out, especially sick people or children will be ill much ore often.

There's also a huge difference between carrying out a desk job, where you can hide in the office and take things easy(ish) for a few days while you feel under the weather, and physical work like care, or work where you have to be on stage at all times, like teaching.

It's easy to say you're never sick enough to be off work when you don't need physical strength, when you don't need your voice or when you don't need to interact with strangers who will judge your company by how well you perform in a presentation on a daily basis.

Enigma52 · 27/02/2025 19:18

@Jasnah yes these are very valid points being here. The nature of the OP's job role, is crucial to the debate.

I know that if I had a less intense WFH job, or a desk job where I could just slow down for a few days, I'd be working through my chemo right now and not having to take yet more time off. But as it stands, I work as a TA in a lovely ( but intensely busy) SEN school and working right now, would be too exhausting.

OP, what is your job role? ( apologies if you have said already).

feistyoneyouare · 28/02/2025 10:49

Jasnah · 27/02/2025 19:08

People on here are still ignoring the very valid point that it completely depends on the OP's job.

Anyone working with lots of different people day in day out, especially sick people or children will be ill much ore often.

There's also a huge difference between carrying out a desk job, where you can hide in the office and take things easy(ish) for a few days while you feel under the weather, and physical work like care, or work where you have to be on stage at all times, like teaching.

It's easy to say you're never sick enough to be off work when you don't need physical strength, when you don't need your voice or when you don't need to interact with strangers who will judge your company by how well you perform in a presentation on a daily basis.

Yes, this is why I can't abide it when people make halo-polishing 'I haven't had a day off sick since 1976' type comments. IME these are so often people who have some leeway to keep a low profile if they're not well. And also, IME, the ones who spread the bugs around so half the office gets sick as well.

pointythings · 28/02/2025 11:50

feistyoneyouare · 28/02/2025 10:49

Yes, this is why I can't abide it when people make halo-polishing 'I haven't had a day off sick since 1976' type comments. IME these are so often people who have some leeway to keep a low profile if they're not well. And also, IME, the ones who spread the bugs around so half the office gets sick as well.

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This is absolutely true. On the face of it I am one of those halo polishing people, but I'm fully aware that I am 1) fortunate to have a really good immune system, and that is blind luck, 2) privileged enough to have the flexibility to work from home if I'm not 100% but well enough to work, and 3) have good sick pay terms and conditions (NHS) so if I can't work, I can take time to get well. Spreading the sickness is not a thing I do, but I'm fully aware that most people aren't lucky enough to have that option.

And it wasn't always like that; when my DC were little, they'd bring home every bug from nursery and share them with me. I'd also have to train people in IT systems on wards with a lot of elderly people, so I caught a lot of norovirus. I got Bradforded a couple of times.

feistyoneyouare · 28/02/2025 18:52

pointythings · 28/02/2025 11:50

This is absolutely true. On the face of it I am one of those halo polishing people, but I'm fully aware that I am 1) fortunate to have a really good immune system, and that is blind luck, 2) privileged enough to have the flexibility to work from home if I'm not 100% but well enough to work, and 3) have good sick pay terms and conditions (NHS) so if I can't work, I can take time to get well. Spreading the sickness is not a thing I do, but I'm fully aware that most people aren't lucky enough to have that option.

And it wasn't always like that; when my DC were little, they'd bring home every bug from nursery and share them with me. I'd also have to train people in IT systems on wards with a lot of elderly people, so I caught a lot of norovirus. I got Bradforded a couple of times.

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Absolutely. So many people like to oversimplify this as 'significant time off sick = skiver/malingerer/isn't looking after themselves properly/poor work ethic', when the reality is way more nuanced.

(And that's why I think the Bradford factor is problematic - it might be fair enough if the entire working population was healthy most of the time, but that's not real life.)