Holidays/festivals whilst on the sick

[Twinklingterapin]

A few colleagues of mine (I work in a school) have been long term sick with mental health, however they have regularly been posting their lives on social media. Ranging from mental health walks, allotment days, coffee dates with friends and even holidays abroad, all whilst off sick. Dont get me wrong i wouldnt expect people to stay inside all day or become a recluse, however I do think there should be a line. The latest has really boiled my blood, seeing posts of a colleague at Download, posing with his friends, and saying how good it is for his mental health.

Surely I cant be the only one to think this is too far? You shouldn't be able to be off on the sick from work but still go festival.

Yanbu about festivals but going for walks and meeting a few friends for coffee really helped me when I had depression.

I think it's out of order. A friend got caught out at a community event in a local park while she was off sick with a broken leg. She couldn't walk but did manage to hobble there on crutches. She was seen by other staff and long story short, they got rid of her

I think it largely depends on the reason your off work. If your off work with a bad back / physical injury and stating you can’t possibly get out of bed then yeah your taking the piss a bit. Mental health is different though, people have to do things that make them happy in order to feel better. You can’t improve your mental health by isolating at home alone.

That seems wrong to me.
Are people with broken legs meant to stay at home until they are 100% ready to return to work?

They were daft to post on social media given the judgement they're getting. The activities they undertake while off sick with mental health issues are none of your business but given your reaction they'd be wise not to give their colleagues ammunition.

I think if you are off because you claim you can’t go in rather than you just physically cannot do the job then yeah it takes the piss to be on holiday and festivals and such.

If you are home because you cannot do your actual job because of a broken leg or hand then fair enough.

Working in a school and attending a festival are clearly going to have very different demands on your mental health. You can do whatever helps your health whilst off sick, if that’s a holiday or a festival, that’s fine. If it’s working in a different school whilst off sick then obviously not fine.

YABU
They will be doing it anyway. The only difference is that you see it on their social media.
Are they meant to be posting pictures of themselves crying instead?
Getting out and doing things is good for mental health, and the fact they are doing those things is a sign things are looking brighter for them, and they could be back to work soon.
You do not go from being ill, to being ready for work overnight.
When you have MH issues, the worst thing you can do isolate at home.

the one and only time I was signed off sick from work for two weeks I was told by my manager that I wasn’t allowed to leave the house except for medical appointments and that if I did it would be classed as gross misconduct

I fully disagree, I went on holiday after my mum died and I was "off sick" and I cried most of my time there.
Have you ever actually been off for mental health?
You're comparing mental health with a stomach bug and they would be handled very differently. If someone is off with mental health do you expect people to just sit at home in a dark room and not try do these to help?

Your manager should stick to their own business.

If you are single you would have to go to the supermarket and it's none of your manager's business.

They would have been very wrong then.
You are signed off sick from work, not signed off from life.

Well that sounds illegal. How ridiculous. Unless you were signed off with a highly contagious disease, and even so your manager still wouldn't have been in charge of whether you stayed home or not!

YABVVU. None of your business. Their health, their signing-off. Your use of "on the sick" is very telling.

Mind you discuss none of this with colleagues either. You may find yourself on the wrong end of a bullying disciplinary.

Thank you everyone for your opinions.

I wouldnt expect anyone to stay inside the whole time they were off no, but I also think have a bit of respect for those you are leaving short staffed and picking up the extra slack and dont post pictures of you having a piss up at a festival.

Unfortunately I have suffered from mental health in the past, and whoever said im comparing it to a stomach bug? I never said that, funnily enough I wouldnt go for walks or for a coffee if I had a stomach bug.

Is there a difference if holiday was prebooked before the sick leave?

I'd dob them in - but then I'm Not Nice like that.

https://www.warnergoodman.co.uk/site/blog/news/what-can-i-do-if-i-suspect-my-employees-illness-is-not-genuine

Everyone will deal with things in different ways, I understand that and I accept that I was being unreasonable by being annoyed at it being posted on social media.

Obviously I would not voice this in person. Hence coming to an anonymous forum, I may have opinions but im not for kicking someone when they are down.

mental health walks, allotment days, coffee dates with friends

So youd rather they stayed in their bedrooms, curtains shut.

The only thing that needs to happen is stop following their social media. Problem solved.

Their sick time is sweet fuck all to do with you. If you're understaffed, thats a management problem. Direct your anger there. Stop following your colleagues on social media.

Should they be able to go on holidays and festivals - yes absolutely. Should they post it all over social media - nope because people judge what is acceptable and what isn’t - the only people who should judge are occupational health and the employer.

If they're well enough to go to a festival why can't they go to work

How is going to a festival similar to working in a school?

How many school children are you having to teach when you go to festivals then, to make it’s the same demands on your mental health as going to work?

Would that depend on the job though? With a broken leg you can't work as a nurse or carer or anything that involves driving but still get to the festival. If it's a sit down job then it's a bit different

Really? I’m currently off work sick having had a hip replacement. My fit note has me signed off for six weeks minimum. I’m expected to get out and about walking as part of my recovery. I’m not going to be a recluse for weeks!