Off sick but suspect employee gone on holiday

[fedupandtired]

Employee requested some annual leave but it wasn't authorised due to too many other people already off. Employee then phones in sick, says she's got a doctors note but a weeks passed and we've yet to receive it. On phoning employee her phone goes straight to voicemail each time.

This particular employee has been disciplined several times in the past over her sick record and since December not a month has gone by without her having some time off sick.

I strongly suspect she's gone ahead and gone on holiday but is there anything we can do? The type of work means that others have to cover and if they can't we have to get in agency which of course costs a fortune.

[Viviennemary]

I agree with absence management policy. What a pity this person takes such an attitude when there are so many people looking for jobs and willing to work hard. I think you should write to her at the last address supplied saying no sick note has been received and what is her intended date to return to work. If she has not informed you she has moved that is her problem not the company's. Apart from that there isn't much you can do till she returns. I don't think you would be entitled to ask for her passport.

[fedupandtired]

I shall take all this on board, thank you.

And yes, you're right about us needing a proper HR service but that's out of my hands unfortunately.

[hermioneweasley]

Littlemisswise, this is unlikely to be the case for a bad back. Also, she has a poor absence record and this period of "bad back" con-incides with time off she has been turned down for.

[hermioneweasley]

It would be absolutely fine to ask for her passport as part of your investigation, but if she's within Europe it won't show anything.

[mamamidwife]

I would arrange for a sickness review interview, at date and time to suit you, ideally before her supposed sick note runs out,either post it out or heck address with emergency contact first. If she fails to turn up then I would think that you have grounds for disciplinary action.
Have you got a sickness & absence policy?

[mamamidwife]

*check

[littlemisswise]

I had something very similar to a bad back, hermione. I was off for quite a while though, months in fact, and I suppose it depends what your job entails.

[ruddynorah]

Do you not have a proper absence policy? In this case her behaviour would fall under misconduct as she us absent without leave. Most places would expect an employee to call in every day for the first week as this is self certified absence, after that a sick note is required.

If you haven't heard from her in a week I'd send a letter giving her 24hrs notice of a disciplinary meeting.

[CoconutSponge]

I would try to phone her emergency contact first, if you can, just in case something has happened to her?

[fedupandtired]

I'll try her emergency contact tomorrow. Unfortunately I was on holiday myself last week otherwise I could have spoken to her. Our policy is very vague.

Its not an issue her being off if she's genuinely unwell, its just at this point in time I/we don't believe she is.

[Pollaidh]

Go gently at first, you don't know that this time isn't genuine. Incidentally, when I was very ill my work's own doctor told me to go away on holiday.

[thistlelicker]

If she abroad and it rings it will have international dial tone won't it?

I don't think you can prove anything! Doctor note
Covers anything

[SoWorriedPleaseHelp]

Assume she is innocent until you have solid proof otherwise. Last thing you want is her actually being ill and accusing you of bullying etc.

[missnevermind]

Can you take a bunch of flowers round. Just to check that she is OK - and there.

[jumpingpillows]

If she comes back with a tan, henna tattoo and hair braids ask which nhs hospital does them

[SoWorriedPleaseHelp]

When I was off with a bad back I was advised to walk for gentle exercise.

So she may not be home (and have a valid excuse why) if you do go round with flowers.

However if you went round and left them on the doorstep and just happened to be passing the next day and saw that they were still there indicating that no one has been home. ...

[Alad]

She sounds like a drain on the company. Get rid of her.

[ForTheLoveOfSocks]

I would take a look on the ACAS website for some advice on the correct way to handle this. They offer guidance to both employees and employers.

However, if she does manage to produce a fit note, then it will be v difficult to prove it was false IMO.

It may also be worth speaking to your manager to get some basic HR training to help give you the knowledge to deal with difficult situations like this

[ForTheLoveOfSocks]

I would advise against setting any 'traps'. An employment tribunal will not look favourably upon you if you do so.

If you want to dismiss her for her conduct, then you need to play it by the book.

[poshfrock]

If you are off for more than a week where I work you get a phonecall on your landline "to see how you are" and then an unannounced visit at home to discuss your return to work. More than one person has been caught being out shopping etc when they supposedly can't leave their sickbed. One person was even moonlighting in a second job ! It's all in our absence policy so it shouldn't come as a shock to people. Failure to inform HR of a change of address within 7 days results in a written warning.

[PicardyThird]

'unannounced visit at home'

Wow. That's seriously intrusive.

I would have thanked your bosses for that had it happened to me while I was off during/after a protracted and bloody traumatic miscarriage.

[flowery]

I really can't see the point of a mad rush to find her and detective activities tbh. Either she has a doctors note or she doesn't. There is no requirement for someone signed off sick to be at home for the duration of their sickness so dramatic ways of trying to establish whether she is or not are a waste of time.

Sounds like the biggest problem immediately is her absence at a very inconvenient time, which you can do nothing about.

As she is not due back until a week on Monday there is no call at all to start phoning emergency contacts or anything like that. If she doesn't come back and you then can't get hold of her, by all means, but in circumstances where she is officially off sick and you are fairly sure she's away on holiday there's no point trying to deal with it now in her absence. In neither holiday or sickness scenario would you ordinarily be considering emergency contacts or detective activities so soon.

Assuming she comes back as planned, see if the doctors note materialises. If not, you have a disciplinary issue immediately, fine.

If she does have the note, the only thing you are then looking at is whether a disciplinary is justified purely on her sickness record.

I agree she is probably on holiday. But you can't drag her back in, and the reality is that if her absence is covered by a doctors note there is nothing you can do about it either. Sometime you get employees who are just like this, and as she is already being dealt with in terms of her absence record, this absence, if covered by a note, will form part of that overall picture.

[flowery]

X post with Picardy. Absolutely.

[Hulababy]

I've been on holiday during longer term sickness but at the advice of the GP/Consultant and towards the end of the sickness period as past of convalescence. I was also advised to get out for increasing periods of time - a walk in fresh air, a coffee with a friend, a trip to the shops and also some trips to work to keep in touch. But this was on advise of medical staff and in my notes, and my headteacher was also aware as I was concerned about parents seeing me outside!

But for shorter term sickness I'd be far more surprised if this was recommended/advised.

If be very cross if my workplace was hounding me with calls and contact when I was off sick however. This is not allowed at my workplace and contact is supposed to be led by the person off sick.

[applecrumbleandcream]

A HR Administrator in my local government workplace wouldn't be expected to be making checks like this on an employee who is off sick (genuine or not), that would be the role of the line Manager. I find it very odd that it is the role of an Administrator to do this.