To think that, as a manager, the occasional “sick day” when someone needs a break is fine?

[ByFluentPombear]

I manage a team and I accept that sometimes people just need a day off, even if they’re not physically unwell. As long as it’s not frequent or disruptive, I don’t really mind if someone calls in sick when they just need a mental health day or a breather.

Some managers would see this as dishonest or an issue - AIBU to take a more relaxed view?

No it's not.

It’s a kind thought as a manager, but once you give an inch with anything, people will take a mile. Some people stoically come to work even when struggling with all kinds of issues, whilst others will take the piss and want a day off every time they feel a bit sad/the cat’s not well/they are stressed about a house move, etc. People should use sick leave and annual leave properly to manage these events.

Also, as a manager, you have a duty of care to monitor patterns of unexpected absence, as it can be indicative of a serious underlying issue. I used to work in a team where a guy who was a heavy drinker would regularly phone or text the manager on a Monday morning asking to take a day’s annual leave. The manager was far too accommodating and would agree, even though the policy was that all AL had to be pre-booked. We all knew it was because the guy had had a heavy weekend, (his drinking was an open secret) but the manager never addressed this with him. Fast forward about 18 months into this pattern of no-notice absences being approved, and the co-worker just didn’t turn up one Monday. No one thought to check on him until he failed to turn up the second day and he was found dead at home, from a massive stroke. IMO, management should have exercised their duty of care at a much earlier stage, spoken to him about what was going on with the Monday absences, asked about his drinking, and offered an OH referral, but instead they just enabled his very destructive behaviour.

I took a ‘duvet day’ a week ago but all my manager knows is that I was unwell and took sick leave that day. Why so much drama hear about co workers getting jealous and managers ‘allowing’ it? It’s not something I make a habit of but will take one a couple of times a year. I’m in Australia and not the UK so no Bradford scale here. I get 12 sick days a year that roll over if I don’t use them. Once the ‘bank’ is used up you need to take annual leave or leave without pay. No 6 months of sick leave here unless you’ve built up your bank over many years. I have over 7 months saved up so am hardly a serial sick leave taker.

In an ironic twist I ended up getting a migraine the evening of the day I took off (which was a Friday) and had two more migraines over the following weekend.