To think my colleague could work from abroad even if she is stranded?

[Pozzled]

Here's the situation:

Colleague is abroad at her family home. Due back at work on Monday just gone, but won't be back until next Wednesday. She'll be on full pay in the meantime but doesn't have any major expenses because she's staying with family (not sure if that's relevant). She doesn't have children to look after. She has access to a pc and the internet, and although she couldn't do her full job, she could do quite a lot. However, she is enjoying her extended holiday while we all have to work extra hard to cover her workload.

I understand that she couldn't foresee this, can't do anything about it etc. But AIBU to expect that she could at least offer to help us out a little?

Webdude - so if you're stranded and having a hell time you should be paid? But if you having a good time you should return part of your salary?

Or do you think that all those stranded by volcano should have their wages docked?

True, but that's more likely to be the case for people in sales or consultancy than many office based jobs (or "lower" education, where "higher" education would mean anything after 6th form), surely.

In this case, it appears as if there is some possibility of doing work, just a lack of willing, even if pay is not {apparently} stopped.

Downdog: It's one thing to have a hellish time paying out for hotels and so on, worried about costs, esp if one has family to look after, and where facilities may not be available to do any work.

It seems to me to be quite another thing if staying with family, getting paid, but apparently not having any compunction to reduce workload on colleagues and "living it up" because of the extra time off. That's damn selfish, and if I were a colleague, it would go down very badly with me, for sure.

There seem to be a lot of different options and it will probably depend on past 'willingness to work' as to whether an employer adopts the 'dock pay for not being present' (which is their legal right) to 'give pay and take pity' (which is from goodness of their heart) and the ability of a firm to offer paid leave.

Some firms may consider it part of an employee's annual leave, which may make having a long break at Christmas or in the summer impossible. However, it's down to employers to decide. Legally they don't have to pay when someone is absent without prior arrangement (ie taking annual leave), to the best of my knowledge. I've previously negotiated a good salary and 30 days + bank holidays, but not all jobs have flexibility (as in the case of schools/ education).

Sorry - that "ability" thing was meant to be "ability of a firm to afford to offer paid leave".

Given the economic situation, not all firms can absorb the extra cost, and just "let someone off" for being away and still be paid.

Well I have now heard from her and she has sent me some stuff, so I guess she didn't think I was BU. The few hours that she has put in have made things a lot easier on myself and others, and I honestly don't think they would have caused her too much stress, so I am really happy with that. Thanks again for all replies.

'her own staff are telling her to stop working cos she's not getting paid,'

And this is a HEADTEACHER? A professional? Of course she'd be working, even if she's not getting paid. That's what being a professional means: having a concern for your profession which goes beyond simply earning money from it.