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?

I’ve been off a year and had no option but to take ill health retirement. I’ve incurable cancer. Two and a half years, seems a long time. I guess you would need to know the policies around the income protection scheme?

So ask your manager. How are we meant to know on an internet public forum what your workplace company sick policy is.

No read it again. She asked had anyone else come across this (admittedly unusual) situation. That’s not prying.

OP, I would suggest that the person "off" sick is now being paid by the insurance, and notionally on the books for that purpose - And the company does not want to replace, I'd assume that you won't see them again, and your team is now what it is.

That’s a silly response. Lots of people simply haven’t even heard of instances like this, including you by the sounds of it.

I have previously worked with some people who have taken long periods of sickness, not two years, but they were very ill, usually cancer which had spread and needed a multi pronged approach. One managed to die ‘in service’ so her DH received the death in service payment as she was so young he otherwise wouldn’t have received very much money towards the mortgage. We did pick up a lot of extra work, but then we knew she was terminally ill. It was very difficult.

I don’t know if someone can be ‘sacked’ for ill health. But I agree with the others who say it’s a management issue. You are not having to pick up the slack because a colleague is indefinitely off sick, you are having to pick up slack because the company have chosen not to employ any cover. They have chosen to offer their employees this income protection insurance which is potentially a real lifeline for someone who has become long term disabled. Now the company have to assume (and it must have been clear by about 6 months) that this person is effectively out of play in the team and they need to create a new role and recruit for that, and do what they legally can to employ cover for the original role. There are just relying on you lot picking up the slack so they don’t need to pay anyone.

I don’t need to read it again. Op needs to talk to talk to her manager. End of .

It is not rocket science.

Any anger should be directed at your employer not the person who is ill.
There is far too much sympathy for companies who put their profit over people.

YANBU for expecting another employee's long term sickness to not increase your workload. YABU for seeming to want them sacked.

Where does she say she wants them sacked? Or wants to know what’s the matter with them?

This thread is getting odder! She’s having to pick up the slack cos thy haven’t backfilled the role - and that could be for all sorts of reasons including contractual and recruitment and headcount. But bloody hell the projection on this thread is crackers.

OP YABU for going round there and putting her windows in.

I am currently on a temporary contract for a person out on sick leave. It has been 2 years now and the sick leave recently turned into maternity leave, so at least now I have certainty for 6 months!

I have to remind myself not to get too comfortable because she could come back at anytime. On one hand I am glad the woman is not super ill, but I do hate that she is stringing the company and, therefore, me, along

No I'd take the issue to my boss the actual person responsible for the situation.

Due to disability discrimination it's hard to sack a disabled person but ultimately this really isn't your business and you should have empathy with someone that Ill and talk to your management team

How is she “stringing the company along” exactly?

"Is it hard to sack someone for being ill then? We have company income protection insurance which covers to state pension age so it could go on til then I guess." I'd certainly interpret at OP thinking they should be sacked.

As I say, completely reasonable to not expect to pick up their workload, but rather unkind to be thinking they should lose their job.

It doesn’t read like that to me. And in any case the insurance company who are covering the payment will be doing all they can to dislodge the claim so if th colleague still qualifies you can be very sure that they still meet the terms of the policy.

My dh got a few months (3 or 4 I think) of SSP and then he got the sack.

Why ask if it's difficult to sack them if that's not what OP thinks should happen? None of her business beyond any impact on her own workload which she is right to expect the employer to prevent.

I understand the difficulty for those left to pick up the pieces in the workplace, however I’d like to think that if I ever develop a serious illness (think cancer or a chronic disease) that I’d be supported by the workplace and not sacked. I wouldn’t want that for anyone in such a position

I’ve actually said that I am reluctant to raise it with management in case she does get sacked!

In the situation I described upthread, there was no insurance and the person was being paid, just either off sick, having chemo or radiotherapy or in work but not to her usual high standard (unsurprising as they were very ill and died very soon after her last day in the office - this was pre- Covid / wfh era - we were in the office or out for business meetings etc. 100%). I did have one very unsatisfactory conversation with a senior leader about getting help, but then he would have pursued capability and she would have lost her job and been medically retired. I decided I couldn’t do that to her.

🤣🤣🤣 She deserves it, lazy cow!

I worked somewhere that didn't generally let someone be off for more than 18 months without dismissal on ill health. Staff accrue holiday when on sick leave too which was a factor in setting a limit as it got too expensive otherwise (small business ).

My current employer has a long term sick income protection policy so effectively outsources the problem to the insurer to decide on cover and expiry.

So you have a management problem then. If she is claiming the income protection they aren't paying her anything.