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.

I’d do it if I could be absolutely sure no one in DDs school would recognise me from my school. I would try to get other family members to go first because it’s quite risky if your school find out. It’s a shame you can’t just take your PPA at home and then that way you could go. Like others have said- could you have an appointment in your PPA time so you could leave after lunch or will they demand proof?

Given that the person you are replying to appears to live in Scotland considering their username, although I could be mistaken, the weeks leading up to holidays in schools are very unlikely to be "business as usual". Why not let the kids have some fun. Not everything has to be study study study, exam exam exam.

If the OP would prefer to have 'less time off and more flexibility' then she wouldn't have chosen to get a job in a school.

Ultimately, she currently has a job which means she doesn't need to arrange or pay for childcare during any of the 13 weeks of holidays her child has, because the OP also has those holidays.

If she had a job with 'less time off and more flexibility' she could certainly take a couple of hours off for a school play, but she wouldn't be able to take 13 weeks off a year for the child's summer, Christmas, Easter and half term holidays.

If that's the case I'm glad my children are getting a fuller education in England, I'm absolutely certain their secondary school is not watching Christmas films and making decorations in the first week in December (or ever in fact)

Is that really what happens in Scotland?

There isn't a single school in our area that does an evening performance. They all do it during the day so I don't think it's that common.
Most teachers, parents and kids don't want to be hanging about for ages after school or dashing about to get home from work and then getting their kids back to school.
I think I'd risk it. If you are seen out of the house you could always say you were on the way to the chemist or something

Your school sounds rubbish, if it’s your PPA anyway you should just be allowed to go, and you can catch up on your work in your own time. I do this all the time with my PPA.
Where you said if you feigned a headache you still wouldn’t be able to get out rapidly, just makes me think your school is not great at all. I’d absolutely go to the nativity (you know the risks!) and if you get found out, maybe a good time to find a more understanding school!

Good for you. I personally would never send my children to an English school so sounds like everyone is happy.

Not all day every day I would imagine but I wouldn't be at all surprised if it was an occasional activity no.

I have sympathy as I worked in a school and having zero leave is tough, but I reckon you'll be found out.

My colleague snuck out for an hour and only asked her teacher.

This is one of those you can't have it both ways situations. You have all the school holidays that others would love. But you can't take time when you want. You could ask of course. But I wouldn't pull a sickie.

She also works part time and says that moving schools isn't proving easy.

My children attend a Scottish school, they haven't watched Christmas films but are making Christmas decorations

No connections between the 2 schools ?

What about parents with children at both schools ? It only takes the secondary school aged child to say we had a cover today because Mrs X was off sick and that parent then sees you at the primary school play because they have a younger sibling at that school.

I would be approaching the school to ask that they reflect the reality that most parents have to work and to time future plays for after school hours. It could be as early as 4.30pm to avoid the youngest children getting too tired.

My kids primary was single form entry, so not tiny, but not huge either and ran 2 shows, one in the afternoon and one in the early evening (different days too). They did have collection buckets jangled by the Y6's on the way out to raise money for school funds and it was often one of the highest fundraising events of the year.

Why would she lose her job?!

Because if she's caught out lying about being sick that would be deemed professional misconduct.

Prove I wasn’t sick.

”I felt awful in the night, really bad. Felt slightly better in the morning but still not able to function. By the afternoon, I was feeling a little better and was able to get out for an hour to my child’s play. I shouldn’t have done that, it exhausted me and I was in bed for the rest of the afternoon and evening.”

OP, you’d better take the next day off too, silly you for thinking you were okay to sit in a school hall for an hour, it really set you back.

I think that it’s so highly unlikely I’d be ‘caught’ I’m not worried about it, but even if I was … and?

I did once genuinely call in as between my children I didn’t get a wink of sleep one night and I didn’t think I could safely drive there. Felt fine once I’d slept.

There is nothing whatsoever to say that if you’re off ill you can’t pick your child up from school, go to the supermarket, whatever. If anyone finds me a policy saying so, point me to it. It may be frowned upon which I understand, but it isn’t gross misconduct to be off ill and doing A N other activity.

Could you go down the appointment route. They shouldn’t pry into your medical needs. Then if the unavoidable ‘appointment’ finishes earlier and you can make it to school for play so be it.

No, they don’t authorise medical appointments in school time.

They can’t have a blanket ban on medical appointments in term time. If you’ve found a lump in your breast etc you need to be seen quickly.

The school I worked in tried that on me. I had an urgent colonoscopy. They told me to rearrange it for the school holidays. Yes, because you can just pick and chose NHS.

I told them I was going on that date. They tried to cause hell but I wasn’t missing it (turned out to be serious).

That policy is a joke.

Sounds like you need to speak to your union.
If you are truly saying if you vomit in afternoon or soil yourself with diarrhoea they won’t let you out of building (lock you in) you need employment advice. It’s a contract of employment not slavery or prison. Schools aren’t exempt from the law.

It would very likely be gross misconduct to dishonesty take sick leave when you're not actually sick, just so that you can attend a child's performance in school.

Yes, it's true that the employer might struggle to prove that's what you did. But employers don't have to prove things beyond reasonable doubt, they just have to prove that, on the balance of probabilities, it is more likely than not.

Exactly. I was off work after an op and a colleague reported me because I was in the fish and chip shop picking up some dinner. HR called me while I was off and told me that I was expected back. I got a letter from my consultant explaining that while I was fine to grab some dinner there was no way I could work! It was the first time I had eaten in a week.

Wow. What a sad little life your colleague must lead to do that.

I could have a co woker off on long term sick leave and see them doing the conga at Butlins - I’m looking the other way and keeping my mouth shut as I’m not a sad little worker bee who wants a gold star from the boss for telling.

I would do it!
You could in theory be not feeling well (period cramps?) in the morning and fine by the playtime.

Life is too short - when your short life is over, what will you be happier you did - saw your kids play or went to another day at work?