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Original poster

Teachers or anyone really how ill do you have to be to stay off work?

85 replies

flouncerpoppedbackforadvice · 15/12/2008 14:08

I am on my third nasty bug of the term, have had 2 days off so far and am home today.

On Thursday I had a headache and sore throat but went in. On Friday I went in to teach with no voice and genuinely thought I was going to pass out with exhuastion. My head was banging, there was not way I could teach but feeling guilty I went in.

This weekend I have been ill all weekend in bed, awful coughing fits which have left me very sore, real dizziness, complete exhaustion and awful headaches whicb i think are sinisitus. I have made my whole family ill as well. I think I am fine until I go to do something, if I get out of bed or even sit up the whole room spins. If I try to talk I get a mad coughing fit which leaves me in agony.

I wamted to go to work today but dp phoned up the teacher who I go in with an told he not to collect me and turned the alarm off so I slept through.

I just know I am going to get into trouble when I get back to work but I do feel awful and know if I went in to work I would just make others ill over Christmas.

OP posts:
bodiddly · 15/12/2008 15:03

I haven't read the rest of this thread but I am sure the school will realise that this bug is really nasty and that there is no way you are making it up - especially if they saw you last week! They won't like it ... but at least they won't doubt you are telling the truth. I am off as well and I work for a tiny company so my being off has fairly drastic consequences. I know I am probably incredibly unpopular .. especially this close to Christmas and seeing as the man I work for is never off sick! At the end of the day you can't do anything about it so try and concentrate on getting better so you can enjoy Christmas next week!

twinsetiscrapatflouncing · 15/12/2008 15:03

I would hope they would not deny me a promotion because of sickness but they made a point when presenting the jobs of saying they need people full of energy, stamina and something else which means you are not off sick.

I doubt very much they would move the interview as they want people in post for Jan.

twinsetiscrapatflouncing · 15/12/2008 15:06

The school do have a very high opinion of me and my back to work chats have been nicer than most other peoples, so there is hope.

I was sat next to a deputy head and faculty manager at lunch with no voice on Friday so it was clear how ill I was.

Lemontart · 15/12/2008 15:13

Somebody within your school is paid extra as part of their job description to organise cover for your classes. Part of the school finance department?s brief, when allocating funds, is to allow for staff illness and budget for cover staff. I know how frustrating it can be to suddenly find out a colleague is off sick and you need to rush around sorting out emergency cover. However, I was paid to do exactly that and hope I never ever made anyone in my department feel bad for having time off. If your school secretary was funny about it with you, please make sure you have a quiet word with your line manager about that as it was very unprofessional of him/her and totally uncalled for. I bet other staff will thank you for it too as I bet that secretary does it with everyone who calls in sick and the sooner they are pulled up about it, the better.
When I was still teaching we did a whole school thing on looking after and caring about people within the work place - got an award for it. Wish I could remember the name of it - is a professional workplace standard award that schools can get extra funding to do and is really useful. The point of it is to look at issues that affect performance and deal with it - this included looking at proper staff training, facilities (we upgraded our staffroom and added a quiet teacher study room, better computing equipment, upgraded marking systems for faster, more co-ordinated etc), and also looked at staff wellbeing. We all filled in a questionnaire and it highlighted the stress involved in staff feeling blackmailed into avoiding sick days at all costs. People felt pressured to go in as we all knew our fellow fulltime staff would end up losing "free" lessons to cover our absence. The upshot of this was that we all realised that this was an issue and feeling by all staff, from cleaners to the head and that nobody should feel guilty for being sick. We all started building cover lessons within every scheme of work (2 per topic - 1 for trained specialist member of staff and 1 that any teacher could pick up). This made lessons more relevant and stopped heads of dept having to rush around setting cover at the last minute. Instead, it was a quick dip in the filing cabinet and a folder complete with lesson plan and worksheets all ready. I know all this is no use to you right now, but when you are feeling better, I would speak to your line manager and the school about sick staff policies so that you can avoid these scenarios in future.

Sorry for waffling, just brought all the memories back about it all and remember how strongly I/we all felt about it and how good it was to talk openly with staff and put some of it right.

hope you are feeling better soon x

cece · 15/12/2008 15:21

back to work chats?!

You have only been off twice this term and I assume this is a new job from Sept. New school, new bugs and all that. Why are you having back to work chats!? I have never had one in my life and have had a couple of longer absences plus various shorter self certificating illnesses. I thought you only had those sort of chats if you had way too much time off?

twinsetiscrapatflouncing · 15/12/2008 15:23

God know you set your own cover work, one of the reasons I went in on Friday as I knew i was not well so had planned easy option lessons but not something a cover teacher could do. If I had called in I would have been up at 6 planning and emailing in cover work.

There are some really good ideas there lemontart I will raise them.

ramonaquimby · 15/12/2008 15:25

lemon tart - investors in people?

our school has this and it's a great school to work in

cece · 15/12/2008 15:28

You have to be up at 6 am to email in cover work I am speechless

I covered someone on Weds morning and I think I am capable enough to plan my own lessons for the morning. The teacher was sick and all her planning was with her so I did my own lessons! I also left enough for the Head (who took them for the afternoon) as he was ill too...

twinsetiscrapatflouncing · 15/12/2008 15:33

Everyone has back to work chats, mine have all been nice and well meaning but they are viewed with dread. It is not unknown if you are off to get a PE cover or an unpleasant class to cover at the earliest oppurtunity.

I had not viewed it from the angle of a new area new bugs, dp has been ill a lot lately which is not like him.

I do think being off twice in a term is a lot.

WalkingInAWonderStuffingLand · 15/12/2008 15:50

Twin if you are sick you are sick, one year I got flu twice, I was off for 10 days with that and I had a mc which I took 3 weeks off for, if I had stayed away longer I probably wounldn't have got flu!

I know from previous posts that you are a very conscientious teacher, I am sure that no one at school will think you're sciving, if you are sick twice in a term then you have to be off, simple as that, you probably got sick the second time because you didn't take enough time to recover the first time, it is frustrating and a nightmare to set cover and come back to find out the kids haven't done as much as they would with you etc. but really you are no good to anyone if you are unwell. I would be tempted to take tomorrow off to recover properly. I have now decided that it just isn't worth going in when you are unwell, in the long run you do no one any favours. (though having said that I went in last week unable to talk because i'd lost my voice but had been off once this term already so I totally know were you are coming from)

The cover at your school sounds awful, don't they have cover supervisers to deal with sickness?

expatinscotland · 15/12/2008 15:50

I'd be annoyed if my kids' teacher came in with something like norovirus or flu.

ramonaquimby · 15/12/2008 15:52

was talking to my mum about sick days etc etc and she asked what happend to my 'sick days' if I didn't use them up at the end of the year.....

apparently in Canada (strong teaching unions ) you have an allocation of sick days for the year, they can be carried over year after year so that towards retirement you can tack them onto that - so basically retire earlier using your accumulated 'sick days' on full pay! hows that for madness?!

OrmIrian · 15/12/2008 15:59

How much serious work are your class doing at this time of year anyway. I have a feeling that my DC have hardly put pen to paper since Friday

I can sympathise with your concerns TBH, I work for a complete workaholic who is never sick, and the ethos is to carry on more or less regardless, but if you are that sick it's not just a matter of taking a few paracetamol and soldiering on is it? Sometimes you just have to give in and let others take over. Can't be helped.

twinsetiscrapatflouncing · 15/12/2008 16:03

OrmIrian I am quite a stickler so most of my classes are working as normal until the last day of term.

My year 8s have a test on Thursday, my a level and GCSE will work as normal. One year 8 class are finishing a project and the others are making Christmas cards for amnesty international, I teach RE.

OrmIrian · 15/12/2008 16:19

Oh secondary. Sorry I thought we were talking primary. Yes, my DS#1 is still hard at it (much to his disgust).

Blandmum · 15/12/2008 18:14

Don't teach with no voice. It is an utterly unproductive thing to do, and you can end up with long term damage to the vocal cords.

I did it once and ended up with no voice for 2 weeks

I stay away for the aboslute minimum, as I find catching up such a bloody nightmare.

But you mustn't mess about with your voice

roisin · 15/12/2008 18:46

It is a pain when people are off sick though, and some staff at my school have a reputation for being malingerers. As you have not been there very long, they haven't had the opportunity to get to know you, and know whether to give you the benefit of the doubt or not.

Sorting out cover staff is a nightmare job, and is particularly tricky at this time of year. If I did that role (and there is no way I would agree to) I think I would sound cross and grumpy with everyone who phoned!

For the last 2 weeks I have been coming in 15-30 mins earlier than usual in order to sort out things for absent staff. I do not get this time paid, and there is no time to do it, other than coming in early: I have my own classes to prep for and teach. Even if someone emails or sends in their work, it still needs sorting out - sometimes photocopying needs to be arranged, classlists need to be sorted out, new-to-the-school supply teachers need to be looked after, etc.

Your absence is not great for the kids and it puts additional strain on other staff. So, I'm sorry, but I agree wholeheartedly with your school's strict policy on absence.

PS Hope you have a fantastic, relaxing Christmas and come back fighting fit for next term!

janeite · 15/12/2008 18:54

Please don't try and teach with no voice. I did for years and years, losing my voice for several days every half term and insisting on teaching through it. I ended up with no voice for 4 months and unable to teach and now have to teach with a microphone.

3 days in a term is really not unreasonable. If you are really ill, you are really ill.

Unfortunately, as in any job, there will be some people who take time off for a broken fingernail (okay I jest) and that is why many schools insist on back to work interviews now, even after just one day's illness.

Get well soon.

Myrrhcy · 15/12/2008 18:54

My dd's teacher is often ill (she has a chronic health problem).

Recently she was off again and some parents weren't too happy - but now half the school (plus staff and parents) has what she had so they are less complaining.

The problem is when a class has a different supply teacher every day or 2. Consistency is the key imo. Unfortunately it seems my dc school is unable to find decent supply staff/or those who are willing to stick with a school. Which is a management failing imo.

Please don't struggle in. I get the impression you are a perfectionist but if you are ill, you are ill.

Hope you feel better soon

twinsetiscrapatflouncing · 15/12/2008 19:05

I know roisin you do have to earn your stripes as a teacher and I have not earned mine, well not enough anyway. I do need to go in tomrrow whatever, am going to dose myself up and go to bed in a minute so I can make it in.

I do know what you mean about damaging your voice if you teach when it is is going, I did this at my old school as I just knew that if I did not come in it placed too much pressure on colleagues - we had no money for outside cover. Since then my voice has never been the same and I have strugled regularly with voice/ throat problems.

janeite · 15/12/2008 19:08

Get thee to the doctors. And if you want any info re: microphones, give me a shout!

twinsetiscrapatflouncing · 15/12/2008 19:09

I do have a doctors appointment tomorrow after the school day.

Lemontart · 15/12/2008 19:42

aha! ramonaquimby it was investors in people!

Made a huge difference in our school and definitely made people feel that they counted. Made such a change with all sorts of issues, especially general attitudes towards each other in issues like sick days.
Hope the doctors appt goes well twinset

twinsetiscrapatflouncing · 15/12/2008 20:13

have checked and we have investors in people status.

roisin · 15/12/2008 20:18

the problem is some institutions jump through hoops to get those sort of awards/status, but don't make any changes for the longterm.

My school has investors in people: I don't know when we got it, certainly not in the past 3.5 yrs. But there is no sign of that sort of support IMO.

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