Off sick for years

[BoredandStuck]

Someone I work with has been off work sick for over two and a half years now. That seems a really long time without them being sacked or let go. Has anyone else come across anything similar or longer?

Former Eastern block.

That's wild! How does anyone allow that?! 12 years on the sick?!

Actually, probably more, as that is was it was when you left. And he was still being paid in full, and even more than the workers who were actually WORKING, and doing his workload?!

Batshit!

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A friend of the family has been signed off sick for a year from working in a shop. I think he is waiting until they make him redundant as he doesn’t want to go back to the job anyway. I’ve known people who were fired from retail for taking too many sick days/being unreliable so it’s absolutely wild to me that someone can keep their job for so long. I’ve been self employed most of my working life and quite frankly don’t understand why anyone does any work if you can get signed off and still be paid (I know it’s not that simple but it sounds it to me)

As an employer I'd be thinking the role could be potentially redundant. Seeing as the work has seemingly been absorbed by other staff.

But if they're never coming back then the remaining ones should be being paid extra for doing the extra work. Well, they should be anyway.

You may not be aware of how much they're being paid. It could be SSP only at this point? But I'd say if it was my company I'd let them go on the grounds that they were too unwell to fulfill the role.

I don't know what the limit is legally. Also I don't know what type of illness they have. That might make a difference.

But if you feel your workload is affected you need to speak to the boss. Though they clearly were trying to avoid getting in a temp to cover them or they'd have done so by now.

Even if your employer is choosing to V continue paying her and employing her (which is very generous) they should still be employing a replacement to cover her absence.

I have an adjacent team member who has been off sick for 5 years. He has a degenerative condition and our company insurance policy pays out while he is employed and should he pass, he will be entitled to 12 x his salary in life assurance. The company aren’t paying his sickness out of pocket, it is part of his package. If they let him go he would not have any cover and that would be awful! Why would an ill person be sacked when the company offers cover?

Blimey, win win, for the employee (your family member,) and for the company! I'm surprised the insurance company isn't looking a lot more into it though. How long til this family member retires?

As I said, I'm surprised the insuance company aren't looking into it more....

My DH was made redundant some 17-18 years ago, and we instantly contacted the insurance company that we had our unemployment insurance with, to pay the mortgage. They told him he couldn't claim for 6 weeks (some clause in it that we hadn't noticed/didn't know about.) DH didn't apply for any jobs as it was late November, and there would be nothing but temp Christmas jobs.

Around 5 days into the 4 week period (which was 5 days after he finished his job) the company who would be having to pay our mortgage, started phoning DH, and emailing him, and sending him literature on how to get another job. They said they have helpers and advisors who can help him get another job! As if he wasn't fucking capable of doing it himself!

They kept demanding to know how many jobs he had applied for, and how many interviews he had had. Someone even turned up at our HOUSE (uninvited) 6 days before Christmas day, asking to see DH to discuss the progress he had made so far with trying to get a new job. DH was in bed with a sore throat, and a high temperature. I did NOT let them in, and was very brusque with them.

I said 'how dare you just turn up at our home, badgering my husband. You have not let up on his for the past 3 or 4 weeks, not a single bloody day has gone by without you texting, phoning, emailing, and now coming to see him. It's 6 days to Christmas, and there's no WAY you are coming into our home.' I slammed the door in his face. It was just coming up to 4 weeks since DH had finished his job, and this bloody company were relentless in their badgering him, and they hadn't even paid a fucking penny out yet!

He got a nasty, snarky email the next day, (from them) saying they will not be covering any mortgage payment to him/us, as it seems not enough steps have been taken to find suitable work. They closed the claim. Utter cunts.

tl;dr, We didn't even respond, or get back to them again. We lived off our savings for another month, and DH got another job at the end of January. We cancelled the unemployment insurance, and they had the audacity to demand to know why. DH emailed them back, and asked them if they were having a laugh! He said 'you refused to pay us anything, because allegedly I didn't work hard enough to find another job. Just five DAYS after finishing my last one you were haranguing me.' (As I said, they hadn't even started to pay us anything and wouldn't have done til 6 weeks in.)

They wrote a nasty email back telling DH that he should have read the terms and conditions and small print la la la... He just ignored them. Never had unemployment insurance again after that. Not worth the paper it's written on.

But why are you assuming that poster is up to some scam? They’ll just be someone who meets the criteria to be paid out until retirement. It doesn’t have to be a fraud!

Yes, I work for the council, and I had a colleague who was off sick for 2 years. He came back for a little bit during this time, then was off again. He played the system, but it left our team in the lurch. He has actually left now, I guess it was a, you either resign, or we go to the proceedings stage.

Just shows how far you can push it.

Every person I know that has been off sick for more than say a year has been managed out on the grounds of capability. It's just not sustainable for them to be kept on.

I would approach management on the basis that the current team cannot manage their workload and frame it as needing a new recruit rather than mentioning the sick employee at all.

I didn't say they were up to any scam. I never even mentioned a scam. You're the only one who has mentioned a scam.

I know someone in my large company I worked for, they were off sick for two years with scarlet fever. I’m guessing it’s a long term illness.

Hmmm, yeah I agree. And isn't it interesting how the ones who are off on the sick for more than a year, are pretty much paid in full! Those who are hourly paid/doesn't get paid if they're off (except for £118 a week sick pay) usually manage to return to work within a couple of weeks. Go figure...

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But short, sweet and to the point.

Because you’re saying you’re suprised they haven’t investigated? That makes the assumption they haven’t, and if they did there would be a negative outcomes.

whereas it seems obvious if the person is still on sick leave funded by the insurer it’s been investigated and she’s met the criteria

I never said anyone was up to any scam though. I said I am surprised the insurance company haven't investigated someone being off sick for some years. (Because they are having to fork out for that person's salary, and most insurance companies do not like to pay out if they don't have to.)

I did NOT say anyone was up to any scam!

I am not discussing this with you any further.

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Once they were off over three months they knew it would be long term, don’t make excuses. And stop doing the extra work, while it’s getting done in her absence there is no issue for management.

What does paid off mean? They literally give someone a lump sum to end their contract?

A lovely man at my old work was off sick for a couple of years. He died a few months ago. It was desperately sad. If you are finding yourself burdened with work then you need to speak to your manager about this. I wouldn’t assume the person off sick isn’t really really ill though.

Yes. Often facilitated via the insurance company rather than the employer because it’s worth it to them to close the claim.

Unless the company has permanent health insurance and the employee meets the terms of the policy.

Yep. More cost-effective.

Wow, this has been a bit of an eye opener, I'm amazed at the different policies at companies.

I'm in H.E. and this wouldn't happen here due what many people have mentioned, the blocking of a role that over people have to cover.

Ultimately, after a period of reduced and then no pay, Occupational Health would deem the employee unable to perform the role and the contract would be ended with a small payout.

Anything over a year off sick would be incredibly rare.

There would be no temporary cover either, no ' doubling up' on a role as the staff budgets are very strict.

Why do you think they haven’t investigated though 🤣 that’s the bit that is indicating you think it’s a scam. You know nothing about it and have assumed they haven’t investigated- why?