Would you pull a sickie for a pre-booked trip?

[EsperTillus]

I’ve had a really shite time lately with some family events and my mental health.

My lovely partner today surprised me with a long weekend to my favourite city in Europe in April. It’s been booked.

he didn’t think anything of booking it as he knew I had loads of annual leave (will need to book the Friday off) and I’m over the moon. The only problem is, my department requires us to work 1 in every 4 Saturdays and my Saturday has fallen when we’re supposed to go away.

they are usually fine to book any annual leave but there’s a strict rule that you have to do your Saturdays, no exception. It was an oversight on my partner’s part and he’s very apologetic.

The trip isn’t really refundable, he got a fab deal on the hotel and that part is refundable but the flights which make up 80% of what he’s paid are non-refundable. We couldn’t really afford to re-book.

Saturday shifts at my job are also notoriously busy and stressful.

I’ve had such an awful time lately and really need this trip to look forward to. WIBU to pull a sickie on the Saturday?

I don't think it's an ethical thing to pull a sickie, but you can self cert for 7 days so I don't think any employer is entitled to ask for medical evidence in this situation.

The place would replace you in a heartbeat if you got hit by a bus or they had to cut back; remember that as you make your decision.

Having a "rule" that you have to work your Saturday no exception is ridiculous. So a family wedding, your own wedding! a funeral, a trip of a lifetime would be no go because of a job saying you have to work your allotted Saturday? Nah ridiculous.

Unpaid as well. They make a lot of demands for not a lot of giving...

The fact that you’ve already asked him being refused and have the Friday booked off puts this in a completely different league - you will absolutely raise suspicions and if I was your manager, I would remember a year from now that you had requested and been denied.

I guess it’s really whether it’s worth losing your job over this.

I would keep pushing for an alternative - showing your boss the amount of financial loss from non refundable booking - even if that means working two Saturdays in a month for the next three months or something ridiculous like that.

Ordinarily I agree with you , in fact I threatened to quit a job many years ago for blanket banning holidays in January because that was our busiest time - but we were overstaffed, so it wouldn't have mattered and my holiday at the time was a once in a lifetime situation - they caved in the end.
But being pregnant is a risky time to lose a job, no?

They need to change their processes, you cannot say that no one can book a Saturday as holiday, supposing it’s a wedding invite for a close relative? you can’t attend because you’re not allowed holiday? Rubbish.

they’re asking for people to pull sickies, what’s the other options?

But difficult now you’ve mentioned it!

What? They don’t pay you for working Saturdays?

Just wondering what kind of job you work saturday unpaid. For me (libraries) saturday was part of the working week and you got another day off in lieu. At least once a month I used to troll off across the city on public transport to cover for someone not turning up. I quite enjoyed it as a change of scene and a chance to call at the bank and/or do some shopping on the way. There were no mobiles back then. So I took a pragmatic approach if I needed the occasional sickie as I had covered for other people.

Sickness is unpaid, so I wouldn’t be stealing a days pay

If you contract a dose of Norovirus, it might be wise to contact 111 and ask what remedies it is safe to take over the counter.

That way, something will appear on your medical records should you be required to produce evidence. No GP would ask you to come in and be examined if you’re glued to the toilet, would they.

Sickness is unpaid? What century do you live in?

Or maybe put to her employer that the strict rules are not acceptable for normal life, as she gladly take annual leave or swap.

It is a risky time being pregnant; but given that she mentioned her sick time is unpaid in a previous comment; I'm guessing the place isn't going to be giving her above and beyond benefits of employment aside from definitely having to work one Saturday a month. It'll probably be Statutory Maternity pay, nothing enhanced.

She is willing to book leave.
Having the rule is ridiculous. What happened if it was her own wedding? that was planned on her parents anniversary? That fell on that Saturday? Cant get married because it falls on YOUR Saturday? Get out of it... ridiculous rule. Not that it'd be solved by this situation but pointing out that its ridiculous.

Paid time off - I'm telling you im taking leave; not asking. She has the leave; the rule is ridiculous

I think the employer can ask at any point- and especially given that the OP has said she’s pregnant and may use her pregnancy as an excuse (pregnancy is a longer term condition and the employer may be able to say they need more details to ensure they are abiding by health and safety legislation/ risk assessments). Of course as you say if it’s less than 7 days the OP can refuse to provide details voluntarily but this will likely be noted and if a pattern emerges she could be put on enhanced monitoring and/ or poor performance, depending on policies.

No need to get arsey with me, that’s my company’s policy. Short-term sickness is unpaid.

Poor employer all round really….

No but you would be lying to an employer and risking loosing your job

Having the rule is ridiculous. What happened if it was her own wedding? that was planned on her parents anniversary? That fell on that Saturday? Cant get married because it falls on YOUR Saturday?

She gets 3 Saturdays out of 4 off! So maybe plan the big events on one of these days. And in fairness it sounds as though they tried to allow employees to swap in the past and it turned into an absolute shit-show so they had to ban it.

Lots of companies don’t pay anything for the first three days of sickness. It’s not remotely unusual.

Loads of jobs are unpaid for sickness for the first 3 days. Im guessing its retail where it is common to work weekends and its one a month so theres 3 you can book off so hardly difficult.

So OP goes to the doctor and says I was sick last Friday and Saturday, employer wants proof. What are they going to say? No, I’m not doing that? You didn’t have a bug?

it’s a pointless exercise and I’m sure OP would get the “proof” she needed

Not really, first 3 days are unpaid...... You expect employers to pay the odd sick day when it appears from here that many are taken when not genuinely sick...?
If every employer paid for every sick day, it gives people more excuses to 'skive' off.

Just to add - we get our rota 5 weeks in advance but you can usually count forward 4 weeks to get a good idea of what Saturdays you’ll end up working. Sometimes people have gotten it wrong and ended up in a mess where they’ve missed weddings, had to take unpaid leave for childcare etc

You have a point here as @VickyEadieofThigh has bluntly pointed out, the employer doesn't sound great, so fck em - they're not going to take care of the OP during her maternity leave I suspect.

Shit employer so do a sickie

Why are they shit employers?