Am I going to fail probation

[Greenraintoday]

I'm getting worried, half way through probation, have had 3 unavoidable bouts of sickness ( all different cases and not disability related) been late in to work 4 times and have been reminded to answer emails that I forgot several times

In my defense I have had alot going.on in personal life and this has impacted me

AIBU to think I should be given another chance ?

Most people catch around 10 viruses a year, that's before migraines, broken bones etc.
Do you expect to be off work for every cold? You need to be going in unless vomiting, shaking with fever or hospitalised.

Many people have kids and shit going on in their lives, but you have to make sure you aren't late for work and respond to emails, or you will be fired. That's the same for everyone

3 bouts of sickness. Were you so ill on all 3 occasions that you were unable to work?
If the sickness wasn't bad enough you're late to work on multiple occasions and don't deal with emails. Do you think that sounds like a good start?
If you were in my team I would think this was the start of things to come and would be terminating your contract!

It’s always the same people who are off with coughs/colds/childcare issues/funerals of their Mum’s neighbour from 20 years ago/train issues/routine appointments in the middle of the day

If I were your line manager I would not keep you on, however, you would not have reached this stage of your employment with me without knowing that. You should be getting regular feedback as part of your probational period to give you a chance to improve. It shouldn’t come as a surprise to you at the end of if you are let go.

I’d fail you if it was my decision. 3 bouts of sickness already is a joke, then you say it’s just cold and flu? I’m sorry but since you’re on probation you can drag yourself to work with that, it’s not a highly contagious sickness bug is it? You can work with a cold.

Then on top of that you’ve been late FOUR times? That’s ridiculous. Childcare issues is your responsibility and if they mean you can’t do the job then you shouldn’t do the job. Once for say car or traffic issues, maybe acceptable. But after the first instance of childcare issues making you late why wasn’t this sorted, why has it happened another three times?

Then on top of that you have to be reminded to do your job when you do actually bother to show up?

If your company doesn’t fail you they’re a soft touch. Time to take some more responsibility, if everyone else can manage to show up and do their job what’s stopping you?

You sound difficult and flaky. I wouldn’t confirm your probation

Cold/flus. Proper flu and you can't go in, a bad cold then I hate to say it, but you should at least attempt. I hate it as it's spreading to others and WFH is a game changer for this. Are you feeling quite run down as it's quite unlucky to have had so many in such a short time frame.

Lateness - have you spoken to your boss about this. Can any flexibility be built in, could they change your start time slightly.Threre are always some jobs where they will tell you that being super early is expected where you can't guarantee on time, if this is one of those then it may not be the best fit for you anyway and I'd look for a job with Flexi.

Emails, I sympathise, I have ADHD and it is occasionally tricky to keep on top of. You need a system because these will help you remain employed. Reminders in your calendar, set the follow ups on outlook on individual mails/tasks, maintain to do lists. It isn't always as easy as people make out it is to just remember stuff.

I would have an open chat with your line manager and see if there is any salvaging it. If there is you need to demonstrate reliability and be open to extension of the probation

Unless you have blown me away with your skill, work ethic and intelligence and aptitude for the role when you had made it into work, I almost certainly would not pass your probation.

Can you answer Yes to these questions:

Are you in a niche role that is hard to recruit to?

Were the missed emails due to you focusing on higher priority work and people were chasing sooner than needed?

Have you been highly performing on every other day, outperforming your kpis and getting great feedback?

Are you in a role where you can't work at less than 100% (and I mean your employer can't have anyone there at less than 100 due to risks of high risk mistakes, not that you don't feel up to it) or if contagious due to mixing with very vulnerable people?

Was your lateness due to a childcare issue that was unavoidable, non repeatable and was one event that happened 4 days in a row e.g childminder ill and substitute childcare couldn't take your child any earlier?

If you can answer yes to every single one of these then you may be ok. If any of these are a no then I think you need to accept that you won't pass probation and that you have an unrealistic view of workplace expectations.

Btw the new laws don't give you a free pass to take the piss as probation periods are still allowed.

For context, my team are not expected to work when ill, they have flexible working for childcare, and I wouldn't even know about the odd missed email unless it was a really important one. What my team do though is bring in millions of pounds of business every month, work long hours in a stressful role, support each other, and have exceptional skills that are not easy to replace. The flexibility works both ways. You seem to want it all one way.

Edited for typos

Thinking about it, I think you are displaying the 'school' attitude to work. I.e I am supposed to be here, but if it's fine not to turn up or be late as long as I have a reasonable excuse to tell teacher, then I won't get in trouble.

But work isn't like that. They are paying you for a job to be done to a good standard, and buying your time from 9-5 etc. They generally don't GAF what your excuse is, beyond a one in the blue moon 'i was vomiting my arse off, sorry.'

Same here! There’s so much not to like about OP and their behaviour! Personally I probably would not keep them
on!

Reading it, OP is late, been off sick and needs reminding to answer emails. So no not a lot to like and I would be talking to OP and advising them they will most likely fail their probation!

Sorry but that's totally unacceptable. 3 sickness is bad enough but 4 late. I've been late once in 26 years and I travel by public transport

I think you should probably learn from this and move on.

Yep and Covid was a gift to them, mandated sick leave and then bad reactions to the vaccine

In short, yes YABU. You have not proved that you are a reliable employee which is what probation is all about.

In regards to the sickness, what were the circumstances? Were there mitigating reasons that are now sorted and you can move on from? Or will they resurface?Were you signed off? Or did you just not feel like going in?

The lateness and the emails is another issue. We all have stuff going on in our personal lives, but it doesn't seem like you were present, even when you were.

I would call a meeting with your line manager, express your worries openly, explain the reasons for all of the above, ask them to consider extending your probation, and step it up. You have nothing to lose at this point.

I assume when you say ‘colds’ you mean your nursery rang you to collect your child who had a cold and a temperature?
That would be acceptable.
I am very rarely off myself, I have to be bed bound and unable to move (I think the last time was around a year ago) Mainly because I have to take time off if my kids are sick and school/ nursery won’t have them, so I can’t justify being off if I feel a bit under the weather.
I would be unhappy as an employee if someone on probation rang in with a cold.
Make sure if you are off because your kids have been told they can’t go to childcare providers you tell the employer that when you ring in. Dependent leave is different.

Reading on, the sickness incidents appear to have been colds

What's your job ?

Depends on the industry

And symptoms

If any of it causes sickness OR diarrhea (flu like symptoms can cause both) that's 24hrs mandatory time off sick

And a bout of d+v is a mandatory 48hrs off

That's with working with food anyway for obvious health and safety reasons.

Sorry OP the combination of work errors, sickness and lateness you would be gone from my practice. The three together point towards distraction or at the very least a lack of care for your role.

It’s not looking good. Having said that, we’ve just kept someone on who was off sick for about 3 weeks in his first 2 months, and struggles with being on time in the morning due to the school run.
However, he’s excellent at his job, always picks up stuff that needs doing without being asked and regularly stays late (his wife covers school pick up). He more than makes up for the 5 min in the morning (and couldn’t help the sickness).

The sickness isn't ideal and may have been unlucky/unfortunate timings. If I was your employer even if I could be sympathetic too this, I personally wouldn't keep you on for the other reasons you have mentioned, being late and not answering emails is all on you and within your control, it would send alarm bells to me if I was your employer. I think at best you can hope for your probation to be extended and really try to prove yourself in that time.

Erm, nope. You have a legal contract which requires certain things of you, like turning up on time and doing your job. Your childcare is not your employer’s issue and the new Act, even when it comes into force, doesn’t alter that.

4 lates
3 sick days
Not answering emails yeah they aren't keeping you on and no you dont deserve another chance its literally the whole point of a probation period and you have failed dismaly.