To be tempted to pull a sickie?

[ofthelandandsea]

And yes it’s morally reprehensible but …

Work in a school, so can’t take annual leave or anything like that, and it’s my DDs first school play Friday.

My school won’t let you have time off for anything like that; they just won’t, it’s just no, no, no. It’s similar if a teacher needs to leave the site during the day, you just can’t get out.

I really am tempted to say sod it and say I’m unwell.

You are allowed to take time off sick and be well enough to go out for an hour's concert.

No one is going to lose a job with the local authority for taking one days sick leave 🙄

it's a matter of integrity and whether you have that or not ....

It is gross misconduct. And you’d be dismissed. You can go to an employment tribunal of course to try to say if was unfair dismissal but good luck with that when you were attending your child’s play. And, if we reallly want to get to the bones of this, you’re defrauding the taxpayer. You will be paid for this from public money. Don’t like the terms of your employment, fine, change your job. This is a very simple choice. Take the job as is or move on. To pull a sickie is morally and legally wrong. But you know that and don’t care, you probably won’t get caught but if you do it would end your employment. And also sets a terrible example to your child imo

My (secondary) head teacher approached me a few weeks back to tell me about the lovely conversation he’d been having about my daughter with her (primary) head teacher at the regional heads meeting.
The schools are nearly 20 miles apart.
Heads definitely talk.

Will you regret calling in sick if you get caught and they make your life a misery (they can't sack you for it as it would be impossible to prove, but like you said if they want you gone they'll force you out)? Maybe for a few months. But if you don't go, you'll probably still be regretting it in 30 years.
Go watch your daughter and have the best time!

A late medical appointment, so you aren’t taking the whole day?

The holidays are great however, there is absolutely no flexibility at all. Need to book a doctors appointment? No. Want to watch your child’s play/go to sports day/graduation? No. Attend a wedding/funeral? No. Boilers broken in the middle of winter, need to get it fixed? No.
School staff are also not paid for all of those 13 weeks either

Yes - it's the lying which - if found out - would be classed as professional misconduct.

No I don't think you should take the day off, but I do think your school would be unreasonable not to let you go if it's during your own PPA time. We don't routinely let staff do PPA at home but if they have a good reason, we do.

Sod them. Family first.

Are you 100% sure? That's illegal surely? Who's your staff governor, this needs to be sorted, it's not OK?

Apparently this is something that a teacher would be dismissed for, quite a number of different posters have said the same

As a one off it wouldn't end up with that at my work but it seems teaching is very strict on lying, not saying that's a bad thing

Is it a Local Authority school?
I think the dismissal wouldn't be for being off sick, rather that she was found out.

She can't take a medical appointment during the school day.
Same where I work.

Exactly. I've known teachers to be disciplined for similar.

My mother made this argument to me when she wanted me to look after our clothes shop when i was about 15. I had never seen anyone from school in the shop , but lo and behold my English teacher walked in about 15 minutes before closing time- it's never impossible you'll get caught.

I would think this is a big risk do you know all the children at the school you work at could any of the children at your daughters school have siblings at the school you work at where a parent would recognise you. It does suck though not being able to take time off to see it.

No, you're not allowed. That's the same in the schools in my MAT.

I hear where you are coming from OP but I don't think you should throw a sickie.
I fully understand why you want to attend your daughter's first play but if you are working in a school, you are already in the enviable position of having all school holidays off.
I have family members who work in education and I am aware of the rules re staff being unable to take time off during term time.
I worked full time when my child was little and wasn't in a position to take leave for all school events as much as I wanted to.
The fact that you have to ask for our opinion shows me that your conscious wouldn't allow you to enjoy your daughter's play.
I hope a family member can attend the play.

Go to the nativity. You’ll have to lie, but it’s a situation the school have created. If they were reasonable, and allowed unpaid leave, you’d only miss your PPA lesson. If seen and challenged, just say you were feeling a lot better by the afternoon and didn’t want to let dd down. Talk a lot about your headache the day before and after. My school always let me go to stuff like this snd it made me more willing to go the extra mile for them. It’s not good leadership to be so inflexible.

I'd just leave if that's the case.

What a ridiculous head.

Hospital appointments aren't negotiable or optional. You get what you get wtih the NHS. Put your health first.

That’s the thing; if you genuinely have something that you need to go to you just have to pull a sickie. Weddings, funerals (of non immediate family) hospital / medical appointments (bar pregnancy and then only very reluctantly) any other emergency situations - you just have to call in sick and take the day off.

I know there aren’t any links between the two schools; I’m not bothered about that.

What a shame I love being squabbled for having morals and standards in my personal and professional life but hey ho!