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?

Yes. She says “Xxx has left. Yyy - no idea what’s happening with her?”

In a new role, when you’re unaware of the policies, I would assume keeping in touch every day. That’s quite standard procedure now I believe unless on day 1 you provide a sick note which is for x amount of days. Your manager needs to know when to expect you back, as you said you’d let her know, you should really have sent a quick email each morning to say yes, still unwell, just to keep work in the loop. They don’t know you yet, presumably this is the first time you’ve been off sick since starting there hence you didn’t know if you’d be paid for sick etc, for all your manager knew you might have just decided not to come back. It happens quite often with new staff, they sometimes disappear and just never return to work without bothering to say they are leaving.

If all your manager said in the meeting was “x, not sure what’s happening with her”, she may well have been just wondering if anyone else had heard from you. I know if my manager hadn’t heard from a member of staff for a few days and they’d not arrived for work, they would probably ask around my colleagues to see if anyone had heard from me.

So if the phone lines were down until Thursday and there are no mobiles on site, how exactly were you expected to call in every day? It seems odd that your manager would pick you up on not calling in despite knowing that there were no working phones all week. It also seems odd that you didn't make more of the fact that you couldn't actually have called in your OP...is this a bit of creative editing of the facts, OP?

Not at all, I assume given that I emailed on the first day when I couldn’t call in that she expected me to email daily in lieu of a call, as she actually stated on the RTW form that I had called in on the first day of absence per reporting procedures, when I actually emailed due to the phones not working. As I said, I was unaware of this expectation until last night so I haven’t had the opportunity to raise this with her overnight.

Yes, she knew the calls were down so would have expected an email each day. Not unreasonable for a manager.

I'd definitely be annoyed she told everyone you've left when you haven't! And the disillusioned comment.

Have you even read the OPs posts???

She HAS asked, they haven't given it to her!

You can.

Saying that as someone who works full time with a disability.

They can invent a reason.

eh??? Are you reading the same thread as me? I see absolutely confrontational or angry

Not being rude op but you seem to be making excuses for not phoning.
It's standard to update managers on absences and courteous.
As for the tram.meeting thst is inappropriate and should be redacted. She nay have said it off the cuff.
You do need ti accept your part in this though.

I’m surprised her comment was minuted!