Help need a good excuse to call in “sick” to work

[colourPink]

My toddler is unwell - high temp etc. if i say I’m off to look after him I don’t get paid (and lose £130 a day!) but if I phone in sick I do get paid.

However, I’ve had to do it a few times this year and not sure what illness I can have this time. Advice? (I’ve had quite a few colds/ sickness bugs/ ruiner infections..)

I agree with you. As far as I know, no-one has actually taken 5 days off, it's only usual one or two, like you. The HT is being very unreasonable, because we all know, that as a teacher, you're working many extra hours anyway. It's a short sighted policy.
I hope you find another school with more reasonable policies.

If it's so unusual aren't you worried about your colleagues finding this thread?

What’s a ruiner infection?

I’d go with earache.

Sorry you are getting a hard time op - sometimes think some posters don't appreciate not everyone has a large local family and a partner who can all drop everything for an unwell child. No advice really just the nursery years with every bug don't last forever ❤️

I think it's a shame that no paid discretionary leave is offered for emergencies. Surely one or two days at least would be decent practice. Although I'm very much against lying about it I think that's harsh.

@colourPink I'd agree that's really unfair not to need able to take the odd day for a sick child, esp when WFH isn't an option.

If we lived in a half-civilised country, this wouldn't arise. In Sweden for instance, a parent is entitled to a maximum of 120 days (yes, that's one hundred and twenty days) of VAB (Vård Av Barn; "Care Of Child") days off per year, no questions asked (although for seven or more consecutive days VAB you do need a doctor's note for the child).

Of course Great Britain scores well below half on any measure of civilisation. But - here's why this matters - this means it's not really bad to lie, especially if your child needs it. Whilst you are agitating with your trade union and MP etc to get decent treatment for parents (and everyone else), you should do as everyone else does (think of Boris Johnson, for instance, or King Charles for that matter), and finagle matters for your own benefit by lies and deceits. That's the British way!

So, well, earache is a good one. Or migraine. Easily lied about, impossible to prove you're not suffering. Go for it.

My goodness there are some goody two shoes in this thread!

Aren't there just!

Missing couses is really frounded upon in my work need a directors signature to get out of it.
The business still gets charged for the course even if you don't attend. It also means they are less likely to put you forward for other courses - which can be career limiting.

So i can totally see why missing his course isnt an option.

That's a bit of a stretch

Disciplinary with a view to firing or more investigative?

So you are asking for advice on how to defraud your employer? Get another job that pays for carers leave if you need it often.

A lot of UK companies don't offer this. I worked for 2 when my DC were younger. It does have a massive impact on earnings, especially if wages are low. But
sometimes you just have to bite the bullet. Lying about illness can massively backfire.

If you believe (as many other parents do) that parents should get paid leave for emergency child care, maybe it's time to start lobbying for this.

👏👏👏

Some of my bangers were

• hold your nose on the phone and say “hay I’m really sorry I can’t come in my nose won’t stop bleeding”
• classic food poisoning, pick what food took you out
• has to go to A and E as you hit your head
• migraine, say you haven’t had one since you were a kid but you’ve suddenly got one. This is good but don’t use it more than once they will want a drs note.

Option one and three don’t really work if your place wasn’t proof you went to the hospital, but these are good one dayers.

When I hear things like this UK are SO behind on the times! We live in a country where you can’t survive from one income but don’t support parents to work and earn.

What is a 'return to work meeting' after a single's day's illness?

Managers have heard it all from bad prawn to dead relative. They will know you well enough to know when you are lying.
good luck

I think the trouble is that your school doesn't have the care givers' leave common to most schools, even in the UK. It's all very well wanting the Swedish system, but people would not welcome a higher level of personal taxation.

Er, that’s totally normal in schools. Even one days sickness and you had a return to work
meeting.

Also yes it’s a sackable offence but if you’ve died on shift most places wouldn’t even wait till your cold to replace you. Probs strip your uniform off to give it the next person and leave you out in the back ally so they don’t have to close.

Yes, at my school too. After even one day off, you have a conversation with your line manager and sign a document about the reason for illness, if you saw a Dr, if it's recurring, if you took medication etc.
After every single time, even if it's only a day.

So, to repeat my question, ' what is a return to work meeting'?

Edited to say: I don't work in a school and don't know what this is. Hence asking

No we don't support parents at all:

Nursery hours
Working Tax credits
Universal Credit
12 months mat leave
Shared parental leave
Parental leave

The contract of employment is about an employee rendering work in return fir pay. To do that they have to do the work. People so often forget this.

When I had my children people saved up to meet the costs of rearing their children. If people have children they need contingency arrangements in place.

Yes, cross post.