Just seen "sick" colleague in supermarket

[Daniellemcg]

We're part of a small team (NHS staff) and are chronically under staffed and overworked.
One team member went off sick earlier this week with what she called the most horrific back pain caused by sciatica. Submitted a sicknote yesterday for 4 weeks. Saw her in supermarket today carrying her toddler and pushing trolley full to the brim with other hand.
She led us to believe she's in agony but was laughing to her toddler and walking normally today. No signs of the pain she's been displaying at work.
She didn't see me today.
Should I say anything at work? Everyone at work has been saying "poor Emma (name change), she must be in agony.. The poor thing.".

Did you take a picture? If you have no proof, you better stay quiet.

You have no idea about her circumstances. She could be drugged up to the eyeballs or be having a pain free window, You are not medically trained I assume. She has a medical certificate so I'd keep out of it.

She may be off sick but she still needs to buy food and look after her child! She was probably dosed up on painkillers and will suffer for it. Sometimes when you are really ill you have little moments of being able to interact with your child and they're so uplifting in an otherwise miserable time. She is off sick which isn't the same as being under house arrest.

Is today a working day for her?

when I had sciatica I had periods when the drugs kicked in and I could feel relatively normal then later in the afternoon I would be on the kitchen floor unable to get up. You are judging her on a small window of her day

None of your business. Direct your anger at the system that leaves your dept understaffed and overworked.

Hmm. I'd leave it be.

I'm a single mum and have drugged myself up to the max, stuck a heat pad on my back or some ibuprofen gel etc and cracked with picking my kids up from school or going to pick up groceries or meds as I've no other choice! I rarely let them see me in serious pain if I can help it either, and their little faces do spur me on and cheer me up.

She might be a bullshitter slacking off, or she might just be doing her best and you caught her in action cracking on and getting the mumming done.

Unless you're the one who authorized her absence this is none of your business. She doesn't have to explain anything to you. Maybe she was high as a kite on painkillers. Maybe she said sciatica but the real reason is something else she doesn't want to disclose to a colleague. Maybe she's just a massive liar. Whatever, unless you're accountable for her to your employer, it's not your concern.

I have de quervain's tenosynovitis and I am in agony all day every day at the moment. I still have to put a brave face on and look after my 2YO and 4month old.

Her sick note might say something else, did you actually see it?

I've had bad sciatica before a few times. Sometimes you can manage, sometimes not. Sometimes you're on a lot of painkillers. She has a sick note for 4 weeks. Stay out of it.

Nothing to do with you.

Sick people still have to eat you know.

Someone signed that sick note. Blame them. 4 weeks for a condition that can recover much quicker is the issue

Too many people regard work as an option I.e. opt out if its sunny/Wimbledon on/not feeling it....

Yes but if your back pain is that bad you'd be in obvious pain. If she can carry a toddler and push a trolley one handed it wouldn't seem too severe...,

I wouldn't say anything at work but I would certainly believe she was skiving. Four weeks sick note submitted yesterday but happily carrying her toddler round a shop today. If dosing up on painkillers was that effective, she could do it to attend work.

She may have periods of relief due to medication but will pay the price later for lifting her child. Why didn’t you say hello and ask how she was?

I'm signed off with inflammatory arthritis and tendon issues (tenosynovitis and enthesitis) when on meds and having a 'good' day I can do more, but working in an office / environment for a full day is agony. She's been signed off by a physician so just keep yourself to yourself, speak to the management about bank staff cover etc

Absolutely none of your business. It’s best to keep mobile with a bad back.

Yeah literally had it on Monday and couldn't get up to answer the door. Had to book Tuesday off to rest and then it eased off. It's not predictable.

As someone else said you could question a doctor giving 4 weeks but who knows.

i would of gone up to her and said its nice to see shes feeling better!

I get horrific back pain. I can't sit down or bend down when it comes on. I can walk though and could push a trolley.

I would keep out of it. You don't know what her pain is like.

Gosh if only there was some way to order food to be brought to your house by a delivery driver or something.

you sound vindictive and I’m not sure what makes people act in this way. It’s quite callous and says more about you than her.

Firstly, do you expect someone that’s off sick to never leave the house? Because at a bare minimum, they would need to leave the house to do certain things like attend medical appointments, collect medication and grocery shop. These are basic things focused on survival. I’m sure you don’t expect her not to eat during this time.

You’re acting like you saw her at the pub dancing on the tables/having loads of fun. You saw her shopping at Tesco in reality? Like get some perspective here - she wasn’t doing anything in breach of work sickness policies. You’re randomly jumping to gross misconduct, but that’s not the case. You would look crazy for reporting her for this.

Secondly, if she has a toddler - part of what you saw might be her putting a brave face on for her toddler. Are you expecting her to not smile or laugh at the toddler because she’s off sick from her NHS job? Are you expecting her to not take the child out? You don’t know what her childcare options are? It’s not the case that she can switch off being a mother because she’s off sick.

Finally, an actual medical professional assessed her and gave her the fit note. So your visual assessment of her pain doesn’t mean anything, because you are not her physician. It could be the case that the doctor feels her pain is caused by work for example, so authorised time off for the sake of improving her condition. Or it could be that she’s taking medication which is working, but she needs to rest for 4 weeks alongside that.

Yeah but how dare she smile and laugh with her toddler.

@Daniellemcg perhaps the pain is because her colleagues are the pain in her ar....?