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.".

So quit and find another job elsewhere. Don't cheat the paying public by being paid for doing a job you're not willing to do.

I would say she's obviously playing the 'sick note' culture which is prevalent in the UK these days. Basically, it seems pretty clear she's playing the system, letting you and all her colleagues down.

If you're in so much pain you get a food delivery or get and friend or relative to shop for you.

I work with someone who has lost a leg and in a lot of pain but never takes time off.

Pity you didn't speak to her....

Pathetic.

I was going to say exactly this. * *

I wish you had spoken to her. That could have been enough to get her back at work sooner. It's often not that someone is ill, it's how long they are off for.

As you did not, I don't think you are in a strong position to query it.

Eye opening to read that sciatica is an easy thing to fake and get a sick note for! My dr agreed it was sciatica and pointed me to an NHS website of exercises and told me to get on with it

I wouldn’t report her to anyone, but at the same time I don’t think it’s unreasonable if you feel like saying to other colleagues that you saw her in the supermarket the other day. You are under zero obligation either way.

What they then do with that information is up to them. Some may thank you for it, others may think worse of you for it, rather than her, as this thread accurately illustrates. Personally I’d be one of those who would probably prefer to know.

You didn’t see her clubbing or at a funfair. Jeez I mean the supermarket is an essential activity. Childcare is also non optional. Neither of the things you’ve described signal ‘she’s not unwell she’s just taking the p* to me.

Before you report her you should make sure you have video evidence from today. Or she'll talk her way out of it with HR, and you'll be the one to get in trouble. X

Before you report her you should make sure you have video evidence from today. Or she'll talk her way out of it with HR, and you'll be the one to get in trouble. X

Why would she get in trouble? Just because you can’t prove something doesn’t mean that it’s a lie.

That she went shopping? What do you think that proves?

It doesn’t need to ‘prove’ anything.

I’m intrigued as to what people think a workplace can do in this situation? I line manage a team of people and if one of them is signed off sick there is pretty much nothing I can do about it, I can’t make them come in and I can’t over-rule a medical professional and claim that they are lying.

I also think people should remember that the OP only knows what the person has told her about her reason for being off work, this might not be the real reason at all so running off to management to tell tales will just make OP look bad.

She could spend a week riding nemesis at Alton Towers, and there is fuck all HR can do. She’s been signed off. There is nothing for her to ‘walk her way out of’. Most HR departments aren’t stupid enough to think there is anything they can do to supersede a fit note.

So why would you be so interested to know that your colleague had gone to Tesco to buy food when she’s off sick? What do you think anyone could do with that information? She can’t get in trouble for leaving the house while she has sciatica. But gossiping and starting rumours about someone while they’re on sick leave could be bullying. Which is rife in the NHS

You're damn right. Work is not an option, and I'm fed up with wasters thinking it is.

If it were up to me, we'd get the Anti Workers party elected, and ban weekends, ban sick leave and bring back servitude.

I wouldn’t ‘do’ anything with it - as I already said, I wouldn’t report her anyway. I would just prefer to know so I can form my own opinions.

Bit over invested aren’t you 😂

I guess she’s hoping that they might start disciplinary procedures against her when she returns.

My old manager once has someone call in sick after he tried to get leave for his some school activity for his daughter. She called his daughters school and asked if he’d been there. He accused her of bullying and it was her that got in to trouble. They felt that her actions had been unnecessary, maybe breached data protection or something and she didn’t have permission to start her own stealthy investigation. She only got a slap on the wrist, but all of the Agatha Christie’s suggesting she should have recorded her want to be careful as if I were a manager I’d view that as vindictive

Well it could vey easily be construed as bullying

Really? A one-off report? I very much doubt it.

Whete to even start with this 🙄

Following your colleague around a supermarket recording her (as others suggested) deffo comes across as vindictive. Gossiping about her, or sending passive aggressive messages while she’s off sick also could be considered bullying

Do you love. ? Recording someone and reporting them for lying about being off sick. Give it a go. See what happens