WIBU to confront my manager?

[Disillusioned1111]

I started a new job at the end of July. I work nights, my manager works days. I’ve only seen her in person twice since I started the job, once at my induction and once at a team meeting during the day. Last week I was off sick, with a flare up of a long term chronic health condition. I told my manager about this when I was employed as my condition is classed as a disability. I tried to call in on Monday but the phone lines were down, so I emailed her and explained and I told her that I would let her know when I was ready to return to work, no problems. I returned to work last night, having completed my return to work interview via phone. There was an envelope waiting on the office desk with the RTW form for me to sign. In it she has mentioned that I failed to call in on a daily basis and must do so in future. I was a bit miffed because she didn’t mention this on the phone or when I called in, but okay. Bit OTT in my opinion, but fine if that’s procedure. However I then sat down to read the minutes from the weekly team meeting on the Wednesday I was off. ( Night staff don’t get a team meeting, we are just expected to read the minutes posted on a notice board). In it she informs the team that another staff member has left, and then on the line below -

”Disillusioned - no idea what’s happening with her?”

I’m furious. Number one, she knows full well that I was off sick, and why. Number two, why was that being discussed at a team meeting? It’s none of anybody else’s business why I’m off sick, my absence has no direct impact on the day team, I’ve never worked with them or even met all but one of them!!

WIBU to mention this to my manager?

How did you let her know that you’d be in last night?

Speak to her with HR present or the union. This woman is not ok. She doesn’t care and she is discussing you at team meetings - not ok.

Maybe ask her what the comment means? You are a bit confused as you’d said you’d be back in x day. However you now understand it’s protocol to ring in daily (unless signed off by Gp).

I have never known anywhere that requires you to phone in everyday that you are sick.

Some sickness policy’s may have it but it can be managers discretion, your manager should have told you when they emailed back that you are required to phone in every day.

Also it’s unprofessional to write that in the team meeting notes.

Not sure why you are getting a hard time on here? It’s not really that strange that you didn’t phone in everyday after the manager didn’t mention that when you said you would phone when better and returning, surly the issue is that the manager didn’t mention at that point that you need to call in daily?

How can I follow a policy that I’m not aware exists?

When you start, you ask for the sickness and absence policy and read it.

I work in a school and we have to phone in every day by 4pm so they know what cover they need.

I have, I was told it would be in with my contract when I received it along with paperwork pertaining to my pension and the employee handbook.

We’re not covered unless a certain percentage of staff are off.

Less than 2 years service and then can sack you for anything.

You would then have to take them to a tribunal and prove you were discriminated against.

Sometimes responses to OP's really baffle me, and this is one if them.

I'm totally with you OP, would annoy the hell out of me to be misrepresented like this. Whether i would talk to my manager about it or not would depend on whether I thought it could be a useful conversation.

Otherwise, jot it down, crack on with looking for other work as you are, and let it go for now.

@Nuttyroche are you the manager in question? You seem to be going out of your way to defend some poor management practices.

I don’t know why people seem to be blaming you OP. It makes me wonder what they put up with / inflict on their staff in their own workplaces.

I would be livid with those minutes in your position. They make you look unreliable to the team. And since you’ve already decided to change jobs, you’ve got nothing to lose by emailing your manager to say as much. Just keep it professional and cc HR.

If @Nuttyroche isn't the OPs manager they probably are some other poor souls manager 🤣

Or just can’t imagine having a week off work and not updating my manager to make their life and my colleagues lives easier

I’ve posted on your other post op 🙄

You weren’t aware of company sickness policy. You made them aware of a disability you have. It is up to you to then ask about the sickness policy incase you need it. Whenever I’ve started a new job, I’ve asked about what to do in time of sickness.

You emailed them but you didn’t keep them up to date on when you would return- saying you will contact them when you’re ready isn’t keeping them up to date. Saying I’ll contact you in 2 days and let you know is keeping them up to date- your manager was being polite and perhaps yes inexperienced but they would have been in the dark about when you were returning.
You should have asked for an alternate phone number to speak to them on or asked them to contact you via phone.

The manager was making staff aware that she didn’t know what was going on. She didn’t give any personal or private details about you. This would have been for the night staff to read and see you’re still off, that way they aren’t looking for you or concerned you’re not in.

I wouldn’t be confrontational about this. I can see from your updated posts that you’re unhappy with the job and clearly don’t like the manager which is perhaps clouding your judgement here. You didn’t know about company policy, now is your chance to ask for it incase if future absences. You haven’t been disciplined for failing to following procedures and your private business hasn’t been shared so I’m really unsure about your issue.

Most companies have a daily phone in when sick- this is a new company for you and you didn’t know,
now you know for the future.

I’d be curious to know when or if the Op let her manager know she would be in last night

from the minutes it says a staff member has left. you hadn't left you were sick...are you sure it's even about you?

Can’t imagine having a chronic disability and not asking about sickness policy 🤷‍♀️

Sorry - but you’re in the wrong here.
It takes minimum effort to pick up the phone for a one minute daily call to update your line manager on how you’re doing and so that they can plan and cover your work each day of your absence. It’s polite as well as procedural.

Try and see it from her point of view. You have not been there long, you email in rather than call (you could have called once the lines were back up) and say you are ill and basically you'll be back when you are back. Then you do not give her any further updates whilst you are off. It is no surprise that she wonders what is going on with you.

It's a bit unusual to just say in an email that you're off for an indefinite period and that you'll call when you feel better. Most employers would expect you to provide a rough estimate of your return date, or if that isn't known, they would expect you to keep in regular contact during your absence. This is pretty standard stuff. Just sending an email effectively saying that you're off sick and that you'll let them know when you're ready to come back is not very professional, so I can understand why she said that she didn't know what was happening with you, though I don't think that should have been minuted. Regardless of whether you had seen the reporting policy, this is about common courtesy and basic communication, surely?

The fact that they haven't given you a contract yet is unacceptable though. I would put something in writing about this, asking that it is addressed without further delay.

I'm really confused. Why are there two threads about this? 😊

The lines were down until Thursday, site wide. Mobile phones are prohibited on site (they must be kept in lockers) so I had literally no way of contacting her. I did say in the initial email that it was likely I’d be off all week but that I’d let her know. As it was, the nature of my symptoms meant that I wouldn’t have been able to return to work until at least Wednesday evening. The meeting was held on Wednesday morning.

I initially posted in AIBU, then I realised that I’d probably get more replies in the Work forum.

so I had literally no way of contacting her

well aside from email

Was she even talking about you? It says 'another staff member left' but you haven't left.