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Original poster

Having a blast while off sick

55 replies

Annteeta · 02/12/2015 10:52

One of our colleagues has been off sick for weeks with stress issues. We all know she doesn't like her job and is planning on moving abroad early next year so the chances of getting her to come back in while she's on full pay are limited. The patience of her hard working colleagues is being tested to the limit as she pops in with her sick note and a cheery wave and smile. To top it all, she's now put her name down for the Christmas do. Is all this legal?

OP posts:
dementedpixie · 02/12/2015 12:15

If she has been signed off by a doctor then there isn't much you can do. Despite being on sick leave she is still employed so still eligible to go on nights out

RudeElf · 02/12/2015 12:17

she pops in with her sick note and a cheery wave and smile. To top it all, she's now put her name down for the Christmas do. Is all this legal

Hmm being cheery, waving, smiling and attending your own company's christmas work do whilst being signed off work by a registered GP are all legal. Yes.

OneHandFlapping · 02/12/2015 12:28

Legal maybe, but certainly taking the piss. It's people like her who are fuelling the move to no paid sick leave by so many companies.

RudeElf · 02/12/2015 12:32

In what way is she taking the piss by being cheery, waving, smiling and attending her work do with colleagues she has worked alongside all year?

wickedwaterwitch · 02/12/2015 12:40

If she's not well enough to work then she's not well enough to attend a Christmas party Imo - total piss taking.

Original poster
Annteeta · 02/12/2015 12:41

How lll can she possibly be? Anyone can get a sick note for unproven illnesses. What happened to integrity? People take the piss because they can. No one can say that is never true.

OP posts:
Original poster
Annteeta · 02/12/2015 12:42

Except she hasn't worked along side them - she's been off sick so long!

OP posts:
Seeyounearertime · 02/12/2015 12:43

It's a bit of a cheek to go, I'd imagine you and your colleagues will be less than receptive to her. Confused
I'd guess it'll be quite awkward.

RudeElf · 02/12/2015 12:52

Except she hasn't worked along side them - she's been off sick so long!

One of our colleagues has been off sick for weeks with stress issues.

I would imagine if she had been of months you would have said months so i am assuming less than two months of illness. In which case she has had lets say 9 months of working alongside these people. Some of them are probably friends if she has been working there a while.

If she's not well enough to work then she's not well enough to attend a Christmas party Imo - total piss taking.

rubbish. She is off with stress issues, it is entirely possible to attend a work related social event whilst not being capable of working in your job due to stress issues. Do you expect her to sit at home crying until she returns to work? Attending the christmas do may even have been recommended by her GP or a counsellor as a way to recovering from her issues.

writingonthewall · 02/12/2015 12:52

Not every GP hands out sick notes on request. I have never written stress on a sick note and don't think it should be allowed. Stress isn't an illness , depression is.

RudeElf · 02/12/2015 13:02

Its entirely possible OP has no idea what is on the sick note. Unless she is the person's line manger. "Stress issues" could be what the lady is telling her colleagues so as to avoid giving out private health information. For example, she could have depression, however one look at this thread shows that she could have faced a load of "but you were smiling the other day, i saw you" Hmm

Original poster
Annteeta · 02/12/2015 13:03

Attending the christmas do may even have been recommended by her GP or a counsellor as a way to recovering from her issues."
Rubbish. It's called taking the piss. You can't be naive enough to think that nobody does that.

OP posts:
RudeElf · 02/12/2015 13:09

Ok youre clearly very ignorant so no point attempting to discuss this with you. You asked if it was legal it is. So suck it up.

flowery · 02/12/2015 13:09

Why would smiling while handing in a sick note not be legal? Should there be legislation mandating that employees not fit for work should maintain a haggard appearance and adopt a downcast expression at all times?

It is of course perfectly possible to not be well enough to work but to be well enough to attend a one off social event. I would suggest it displays a bit of a lack of awareness to do so sometimes. But that's not unlawful!

Fluffyears · 02/12/2015 14:56

I was off with depression. Didn't mean I couldn't go for lunch or coffee as I was still able to function physically.

ffffffedup · 02/12/2015 20:43

I'm currently signed off with PND I can't even face to go in myself with my sick note let alone go on the Xmas do but not all situations are the same

Nydj · 02/12/2015 20:48

wickedwaterwitch
If she's not well enough to work then she's not well enough to attend a Christmas party Imo - total piss taking.

What medical qualifications do you have to make such a statement? I was advised by my GP to go out and try and enjoy myself when I was off work with depression.

SauvignonBlanche · 02/12/2015 20:52

If she's not well enough to work then she's not well enough to attend a Christmas party Imo - total piss taking.

I'm off sick at the moment after repeated brain surgery, I was planning on trying to go to my work Christmas meal but petty attitudes like the above are making me question that decision.

LilacSpunkMonkey · 02/12/2015 20:53

Some marvellous understanding of mental health conditions here.

I've had severe depression in bouts since having DD 14 years ago. During that time I've worked in various places.

No one I worked with had any idea about it because I am a master at hiding it. I've developed a very good happy and cheerful mask that I still wear now when things are bad at work. I would have been the one dropping in a sick note with a smile and a cheery wave while crumbling on the inside.

I never quite reached the point of being signed off work but came close. And every single mental health professional I saw told me how important friends and social occasions were. And to push myself into going out if need be.

Honestly, people have no fucking idea.

Sharoncatastrophe · 02/12/2015 20:55

OP it's really none of your business, it's got your employers to sort out. Is her absence causing you extra work? You should insist on proper cover if so

HarveySchlumpfenburger · 02/12/2015 20:57

It's threads like these that make me eternally glad that I don't work with the bunch of utter bellends that sometimes post on here. Fortunately my work colleagues possessed the kindness and human decency to invite me to the christmas do and to encourage me to go in and have lunch with them occasionally when I was off with depression.

MrsBertMacklin · 02/12/2015 21:00

Rafa, exactly - the same reason I don't feel safe enough in my workplace to disclose depression and related illnesses. A colleague was open about it, is sometimes off sick and is a regular figure of fun and regarded as a sicknote.

LIZS · 02/12/2015 21:02

Could this type of attitude be exactly why she is off with stress? Hmm Remember you are probably only seeing her at a good moment and there may be down times.

JumpandScore · 02/12/2015 21:05

Surely her colleagues should be happy that she feels able to go to the party

I really can't see why someone off with stress/ depression wouldn't be able to go to a party. Is she supposed to stay home being miserable?