Disciplined for Covid absences

[Nahhh]

Hi there,

I’m just looking for some advice. We’re in Wales we’re the rules are a little stricter but basically I’ve been put on an attendance plan for having too many absences.

In the last 6 months I’ve had 2 days off due to a miscarriage and then 5 stints of 2 days due to Covid tests. I appreciate this is a lot of absence but I’m not sure what to do. I’ve 3 kids and they bring all sorts of germs home and unfortunately on 5 occasions I’ve had a fever and a cough so have had a PCR test and stayed home until I had the results. I’ve been told to make more of an effort to stay healthy. I assume if I’m ill again I’ll have to forego the test and just go to work regardless? Morally I’m not sure what’s best.

It seems unfair as it’s the law to isolate and take a test.
However I’d suggest you take 4000IU vitamin d plus k2 and 1000mg vitamin c a day. You are probably vitamin d deficient if you’re picking up that many colds from your children. Unless you’re seriously sleep deprived? Since I’ve taken high dose vitamin d I never pick up DC’s colds.

That’s interesting. I do have low vitamin D as well as B12 and iron. I’m currently on prescribed supplements to sort it out.

covid absence should not go towards your sick leave for a start.
but take twice weekly lfts for peace of mind op

colds are still around

and step up the hand washing

To be fair if I worked with you I would think you were at it. Being off 5 times and then each time not actually having covid, would ring alarm bells for me. The government brought in free LFT tests for a reason - use them.

@LefttoherownDevizes

5 stints of 2 days each is a lot and would trigger absence review in most workplaces.

I could understand if it was leave/unpaid leave to manage DC illness and tests but it would be unusual to catch 5 separate bugs with the same symptoms in such a short space of time.

Do you have kids at school age?? It most certainly is possible. I've had 3 separate colds since September

I can understand your works position but ignoring them, I think if you're going through colds every two weeks and fevers every month, there might be something wrong with your immune system. My sister had all sorts of skin problems and kept getting small infections and she found a FB site called vitamin D protocol or something like that. She followed it and within weeks most of her issues have completely gone and those that are left have definitely improved. It's a mixture of different vits and minerals that help you absorb vit d most efficiently. The doctors can test you but they have rules that when your vit d reaches a certain level, they can stop prescribing for you. But these are still low levels and your body probably still needs more. Hope you sort it out because that sounds miserable.

That's really shit OP. I've had exactly the same - child in nursery, picks up every illness going and passes them to me. I've had at least five coughs with a fever this year - just recovered from the latest. Unfortunately I always spike a fever when I get a cold or am just a bit under the weather. My child is the same.

Thankfully I can work at home, but if I couldn't I'd be in exactly the same situation as you.

Why are you not doing lateral flow test instead of pcr?

Why are you not doing lateral flow test instead of per

Because the government advice is to take a PCR test if symptomatic. From this thread I’ve gathered that I’m obviously one of the minority of mugs who are actually following these rules though hence why I’m having problems. I should have disregarded what the experts have suggested and done LFT instead.

I've do have school age children, and fruit understand the getting sick a lot and nearly lost my job due to repeated absences when the DC started school/Nursery but that was as much missing work to care for them as it was me being ill. No one person of us were ill that frequently but collectively we were.

Re not counting Covid absences with other sick leave, our work only do that for actual Covid, not sure if that's the case elsewhere

Do a home test. It doesn't take two days to get a result.

It's illegal to count pregnancy related absence in your sickness record.
It's illegal to go to work with suspected Covid.
None of your absences should be counted towards your absence total.

I spike a temp every month with my period. Like clockwork I get a 38-39 degree temp, and a general fluey feeling. So I utilise the LFTs just to be sure or I would be out of action for 2-3 days every month. I also get ill really easily, like really easily and with 3 kids in school again I have to use LFTs or I'd never be at work.

If you know you spike fevers easily, and that is also your norm then why arent you using some common sense and doing LFTs. If I were your colleagues I'd think you were using it as an excuse for a couple of days off every month or so.

With respect, a fever with your period which you get monthly is a different thing to a persistent cough and a fever that you’ve caught from a child.

It is obviously the done thing to completely ignore the guidelines and use a LFT when symptomatic however I don’t think following the advice presented by the government to take a PCR and isolate until it’s negative is a lack of common sense. It’s obviously got me into trouble at work but one could argue that the number of people being so lax about Covid is the real lack of common sense.

You're unlucky to have had so many coughs/fevers, but you have done the right thing to follow the rules.

I would maybe clarify in writing with your manager - are you being disciplined for staying at home while waiting for PCR test results?
Do they have a different policy for reacting to a fever/new cough for you to follow?

The vitamin D should help. And they shouldnt be including pregnancy related sick leave in this.

There are a lot things you can do to minimise being infected. 5 times being ill in 6 months is quite at lot, tbh.
Also the lft seems to be quite accurate, from recent studies.

OP, at most work places, 5 periods of absence would equate to an absence review. However, considering it is a legal requirement to test (pcr) if you have one or more of the recognised symptoms, then really your workplace are not following the rules of they are including those days off. If they have a policy stating that pcr testing days are u paid then that’s a different story.
I would speak to HR and ask for them to give you a letter/email in writing, stating that they want you to come into work with a fever or cough without testing. That will soon shut them up.
Also, regarding the pp who advised to just use lfts when displaying symptoms, please ignore that advice as it is incorrect.

some people who test positive on PCR and have symptoms never get a positive LFT or only very late on. That is why they are not to be used for symptoms.

That does sound like a lot of time off.
Where in Wales are you?
We’re in South Wales and are generally getting PCR’s in the evening and getting the results the next morning - the kids their evening activity but no time off school or work.
I would politely suggest that all of you need to be washing your hands more often and more effectively, especially before handling food and eating. Also cleaning touch points etc in the house more often can make a difference
You could also start doing regular LFT’s on as many in the house as possible when you are asymptomatic for peace of mind.
Clarify the covid sick policy with work too so that you know where you stand

I do think some people here either don't have young children or have forgotten what they're like. Washing hands is great, but when a toddler coughs and sneezes in your face or they spend the night in your bed because they're unwell, you're highly likely to get sick too.

I think a lot of people are suffering a lack of natural immunity so colds and viruses are hitting us hard.

The thing is anyone can say they've got symptoms and go for a pcr so get 2 days off work and have a negative result. I would think you were at it as well tbh..I would suggest however that you get onto your GP as you obviously need further tests to sort out your immune system

Gosh that is a lot. You'd definitely have been disciplined in my office and unfortunately there is definitely a perception that some people are taking advantage. There are a couple of people in my office who've had suspected COVID numerous times coincidently always on a Monday . There colleagues believe that they are taking the piss and are annoyed with constantly picking up the slaxky