Was my absence unclear

[ThePerkyCoralPoet]

I knew I was not going into work today. i work in education and I contacted my line manager last night at 6 pm to say I was not going to be in today. I work in education and I know that we have to alert the line manager first in order to ensure that they are aware and can organise cover. I accidentally clicked the wrong name when alerting the school absence line and the only person that was aware was my line manager and my trainee who works with me in the team.

I woke up at 9 am to 4 missed calls from work asking where I was? But I alerted my manager that I would not be in. It was clear, categorically clear that I would not be in. It was further cemented by the message I sent to my trainee that I would not be in.

They then chose not to place me on the absence list until I contacted them at 9 am after they left me missed calls.

I have decided to get signed off from my doctor because it’s making me even more unwell.

Have I done anything wrong here?

I who in education- early years and we can alert our line manager the night before however we also have to phone into our place of work the next morning.

the alert the night before was in case they need cover for ratios, the phone call to the work office is the official notification.

Well yes, if your line manager was also unwell and didn't pick up the message no cover would have been provided. Its likely the office team that tot up all the teachers who are off and ring the agency's for supply teachers and the Department head that sort out printing the cover work etc that you send in. We used to have to ring the school absence number by 6:30 so they could sort out the right number of cover teachers.

I don't know how your system works - did you ask your manager / trainee to add you to the absence list?
Maybe they just had loads to do and didn't think of that side of it / maybe they assumed you had already told the absence list person too?
This does just sound like a system problem, but clearly work is making you unwell separately from this. . I hope you get sorted OP

I am actually leaving. But nonetheless I’m always diligent. I phoned in and was told “you have created a nightmare for cover this morning as we havent heard from you” but I did alert my line manager and it was clear that I was not in the building.

I’m actually leaving as they’ve made me so unwell

It was a genuine error. I normally always contact the absence line via email but today I made an error and I sent it to the wrong place. It was a genuine error in judgement and I rarely make these errors. My manager was alerted. If I’m not in the building at the time I normally am it is clear enough surely.

It sounds like an automated phone system. I would presume someone would listen to the absence msg first thing, either the head or admin staff and then they have time to call in another member of staff or agency. You left a message with your line manager who may not pick up that message until later. So precious time was lost. You’re in the wrong.

Just apologise that you unintentionally made a mistake. You might need them for a future reference and should get yourself back to work as soon as.

It doesn't matter that you weren't in the building, no one is keeping track of you, you could just be running late and stuck in traffic. Cover teachers are organised in advance with agency's you must know that, not being in the building at 8:30 is too late. You could have been in car accident on the way to school so they were chasing you up.

This totally normal in every school, you are in the wrong but leaving anyway so I guess it doesn't matter - are you getting signed off for the rest of the month.

I’m leaving.

Have I done anything wrong here?

Well yes, you admit you made an error.

Clearly you have. Not seeing the point of this thread....

not being in the building without having alerted the correct people creates a welfare issue that they need to follow up on, so yes they will be ringing you to check.

Anything could have happened to you on the way to work.

Well, yes you have. Accident or not, you didn’t message the correct person this morning about your absence. You only did the first part of a two part system.

They are allowed to feel pissed off about that because it caused them extra work. You are allowed to feel ‘so what? I did tell my line manager.’

These things happen.

Well, you did make an error and didn't follow the absence procedure (based on what you said). So yes, it does sound like you caused an issue. However, if it was my school I'd just have apolpgised and we would all have moved on. Sounds like there's more going on at your school.

I thought you’d already decided you weren’t going back last week? There’s at least two other threads on this.

My doctor told me to self cert first.

You have done something wrong, yes. You didn’t contact the absence line. I’m assuming you contact your line manager so they can arrange cover work; it’s not their job or place to organise replacement staff.

I arrange cover work and I contact manager. I said I’m sorry to those involved. It was not intentional.

A lot more going on.