company is making us use a third party to call in sick too

[boat]

They say you have to call in and report why you aren't at work, to a nurse, and they will then call work and tell them why you aren't in.

It is meant to cut sickness rates, seems dodge to me, does your company do it?

We're a little bemused and worried about giving information out to this co but if we don't don't get paid for the sick day.

Lots of places are starting to do this now. I introduced this at some of my sites a while ago - it does cut sickness rates a lot.

You phone a nurse (always ex NHS) in a call centre and they ask you some simple questions about what is wrong with you. They will then ask you more questions based on the symptoms you describe etc.

If your not pulling a sickie then you have nothing to worry about.

What happens if the nurse doesn't feel you've answered the questions right though??

In theory you should be okay if you're not pulling a sickie by DH always feels really guilty whenever he's too ill to go into work and would probably get himself in a tizz if being questioned in this way.

Where as I feeling admit I can bullshit for England if needed (not that I pull sickies by the way!) and could easily pretend I was ill and answer the majority of questions.

I think that if you are so stressed/unhappy/unfulfilled at work you need to pull sickies, then that is a form of sickness in itself.

tbh, i'd prefer this to my last work, where the 'personnel' guy was a misogynistic old who decided for himself, whether your 'excuse' for being absent counted as medical or not. he had no medical training, and no knowledge of mat/pat rights passed within the last 10 years.

turned out, if you were a man phoning in about yourself or severe sickness/death of a relative, you got paid. if you were a woman, then a doctor's note or death cert, along with grovelling explanation of how upset you were about the death of your aunt/uncle etc, was required for a grudging response (preferably unpaid, if he could manage it)

an objective, knowledgeable third party sounds way better to me. if it also means people are less likely to call a sickie, cos they don't think they'll get their bullshit past a nurse, that sounds good too.

they WON'T, not they'll, obv.

Sickness and the runs, not too many questions can be asked bout that.

i wouldn't like having to give symptoms to someone when i phone in work sick.

Tbh I'd rather discuss my symptoms with someone medically qualified than with my boss.

what i mean is, i dont want to have to give symptoms to anyone if i phone in sick. i never had to with my last boss. he took my word for it that i was ill.

Sounds good to me. I have Endometriosis and have dragged myself in all sorts of times as I can't bear to discuss it with my male boss, I'd welcome the idea.

How is it 'dodge'? If it is something particularly personal that you are not comfortable discussing with a nurse but would feel comfortable talking to your boss about, I'm sure you could ring the nurse as per procedure, say it's personal and confirm that you will be talking to your boss about it.

It sounds as though this is a condition of occupational sick pay your company offers. It's perfectly normal to put terms and conditions on sick pay employers offer over and above statutory, and when it's such a basic condition like phone x to ring in sick rather than your boss, there shouldn't really be a problem.

As I say, in the event you are sick with something you are not comfortable discussing with a nurse but are happy discussing with your boss, then raise it at the time.

we had that at work. every time i called them up for advice they told me i could not go in with xxx condition. oh well not my fault, i was only calling for advice on how to cope with it, was perfectly willing to go to work.

it is not as bad as it sounds i actually prefer it to having to give details to my boss and the decision is left to someone else.

Sounds likea good idea.