People who go into work sick - Rant

[helpimcrap]

Agree with the OP however managers often don't understand how to 'manage'.

"you're not dying? I expect you here coughing your guts up everywhere." rather than: "you're ill, get yourself right and get back." so they're not spreading it around.

That said, English people in particular are absolute pains in the backside as they often ring up 'sick' because they've had a night out or want a lie in. Cynical however pure truth as I used to deal with warehouse people and I knew others who confirmed my thoughts but I couldn't report people as that's a managers job. Non-English people were far more reliable especially at weekends! lol

Sometimes we reap what we sow. When I worked in admin - I knew the managers and they knew that if I phoned in ill I was literally leaking illness everywhere lol.

 

[Semple]

We use the Bradford Factor but most of the time people just work from home if they are under the weather (rather than full on sick). I do know some people had truely enormous scores

I do know people who have been off for extended periods due to depression and anxiety ... one is now back at his (supportive) employer after being off for 2.5years and doing well. The other was in the wrong job and was off twice for 12months+ with about 6months in between. He now works in a completely different industry and doing a lot better.

Just had a read up on this Bradford Factor. The calculations are a bit ridiculous.

Going on their scale, a score of 22 is classed as "some concern".

If you have a single occurrence of illness that lasts 21 days, your score will be 21 - which is good.

However if you have three occurrences of illness that lasts 1 day each, so a total of 3 days, your score ends up being 27 - which is concerning.

Now i'm not sure what company would deem having three days off albeit over three occasions (could even be over 3 weeks) is classified as worse than someone having 21 days sickness in a row.

Agree with the OP however managers often don't understand how to 'manage'.

"you're not dying? I expect you here coughing your guts up everywhere." rather than: "you're ill, get yourself right and get back." so they're not spreading it around.

That said, English people in particular are absolute pains in the backside as they often ring up 'sick' because they've had a night out or want a lie in. Cynical however pure truth as I used to deal with warehouse people and I knew others who confirmed my thoughts but I couldn't report people as that's a managers job. Non-English people were far more reliable especially at weekends! lol

Sometimes we reap what we sow. When I worked in admin - I knew the managers and they knew that if I phoned in ill I was literally leaking illness everywhere lol.

A lot of that depends on the type of industry and people you work with. - Yes it's being discriminative, but like you say, a load of lads working in a warehouse and having a night out during the week is bound to have a few of them phoning in sick. I remember my old man telling me that one of the lads working on the factory floor had even asked how much sick leave they're entitled to each year as they just add those onto their holiday allowance. Unfortunately senior management were too soft to do anything about it.

 

[helpimcrap]

Just had a read up on this Bradford Factor. The calculations are a bit ridiculous.

Going on their scale, a score of 22 is classed as "some concern".

If you have a single occurrence of illness that lasts 21 days, your score will be 21 - which is good.

However if you have three occurrences of illness that lasts 1 day each, so a total of 3 days, your score ends up being 27 - which is concerning.

Now i'm not sure what company would deem having three days off albeit over three occasions (could even be over 3 weeks) is classified as worse than someone having 21 days sickness in a row.

Because they are unreliable. First 7 days are self certified, after that needs a doctor's approval. My last place had a 3 strike rule. You'd be amazed at how many non-genuine people that caught out. I was off for 9 months due to accident and they were brilliant with me.

 

[Squark]

Just had a read up on this Bradford Factor. The calculations are a bit ridiculous.

Going on their scale, a score of 22 is classed as "some concern".

If you have a single occurrence of illness that lasts 21 days, your score will be 21 - which is good.

However if you have three occurrences of illness that lasts 1 day each, so a total of 3 days, your score ends up being 27 - which is concerning.

Now i'm not sure what company would deem having three days off albeit over three occasions (could even be over 3 weeks) is classified as worse than someone having 21 days sickness in a row.

It picks up on people who, for example, take Mondays off, or pull sickie days and doesn't penalise those who have to have 3 weeks off for a genuine health issue.

 

[EddScott]

When I used to work in the public sector it was great full sick pay on full salary for up to 3 weeks a year. There were a lot of absences though.

Mate of mine works for the council. Been off 2 weeks with flu. Yes, he's ill but 2 weeks solid?

We where told during "training" we have 2 days sick per year (of which we have to have proof of being "ill") if we go over that its a formal meeting with your manager, HR and their manager to explain and if you don't have a VERY good reason, like for example, you died, your gone.

Mrs works in retail on a till most of the day. She's had two days off in the last 3 months. She gets colds really easily and looks and sounds terrible. Just a pants immune system I guess. She recently received a letter saying do it again and you're out - they have surprised me how ruthless they are. She's on the till in front of the public, mostly old people. She's going to spread the cold.

I work in an office. I've had a couple of days off I think this year but I'm actually self employed so no turn up, no get paid. Admin staff come in ill they get sent home. I can't afford to be ill and I'd rather they go home and not spread illness.

 

[Greebo]

Just had a read up on this Bradford Factor. The calculations are a bit ridiculous.

Going on their scale, a score of 22 is classed as "some concern".

If you have a single occurrence of illness that lasts 21 days, your score will be 21 - which is good.

However if you have three occurrences of illness that lasts 1 day each, so a total of 3 days, your score ends up being 27 - which is concerning.

Now i'm not sure what company would deem having three days off albeit over three occasions (could even be over 3 weeks) is classified as worse than someone having 21 days sickness in a row.

You would be amazed at home many companies use the Bradford Score and will remove bonuses if its too high and sack people with a score of over 100.

In fact not so long ago there was a thread on here about a person who had scored too high with work on the Bradford score.

 

[Greebo]

Agree with the OP however managers often don't understand how to 'manage'.

"you're not dying? I expect you here coughing your guts up everywhere." rather than: "you're ill, get yourself right and get back." so they're not spreading it around.

That said, English people in particular are absolute pains in the backside as they often ring up 'sick' because they've had a night out or want a lie in. Cynical however pure truth as I used to deal with warehouse people and I knew others who confirmed my thoughts but I couldn't report people as that's a managers job. Non-English people were far more reliable especially at weekends! lol

Sometimes we reap what we sow. When I worked in admin - I knew the managers and they knew that if I phoned in ill I was literally leaking illness everywhere lol.

My last place was like that. If you didn't have a death certificate you were expected to come in as the boss hadn't missed a day off sick in 40 years so he expected the same from his employees.

 

[shiver]

I hate taking sick days from work now. Mainly because I feel I get behind on my projects. In previous jobs, the work wasn't dependent on me as an individual so it wouldn't be an issue.

Work is pretty lenient with it though, people are encouraged to rest up etc but there's a tendency to just work from home if you're not feeling great

 

[adam cool dude]

My last place was like that. If you didn't have a death certificate you were expected to come in as the boss hadn't missed a day off sick in 40 years so he expected the same from his employees.

Give that man a drink on me.

 

[UTmaniac]

Give that man a drink on me.

A laxative infused drink?

 

[Curunen]

What about number 3?
You may feel a bit ill but there's nothing to stop you going in.
(Obviously all depends on the job you do).

To me it still falls under enjoying the work enough or simply not wanting to lose the job - or just a mix of both.

I suppose another reason could be a responsibility you don't want to let people down for - for example teaching a particular lesson. But that also kind of falls under category 2, enjoying what you do enough to care about not letting people down.

 

[Scam]

Give that man a drink on me.

Why? That sort of attitude is outdated and not useful to anyone. He goes into work and gets 10 of his employees sick. What's the point?

 

[SexyGreyFox]

Sat at work now with flu,

No you're not, you may have a cold and sore throat but you won't have flu.

 

[NooBish AbbZ]

While i agree with you, i'm afraid you can't rant about people going in to work ill, only to then state that while you're ill...you'll be going in to work nevertheless..

 

[Turambar]

Probably because they are holding onto their sickness 'allowance' in case something serious comes up. I'm pretty forgiving when it comes to my staff being off sick but there are limits, I just sacked someone a few weeks ago for being off on 6 separate occasions since staring in September.

 

[Spook187]

Probably because they are holding onto their sickness 'allowance' in case something serious comes up. I'm pretty forgiving when it comes to my staff being off sick but there are limits, I just sacked someone a few weeks ago for being off on 6 separate occasions since staring in September.

Merry Christmas .

 

[Nevakonaza]

Only time i had off work is about 4 days after pulling my back (again) ,even the slightest movement hurt..still after 4 days rest i went back too early so it never recovered fully,That was physical though.

I dont phone in for colds etc as i dont really work around other people anyway.
Some people where i work in phone in sick all the time for stupid reasons,even some less than an hour before the shift starts,they dont give a crap.

We lose 20% of our monthly bonus for each day we're off sick, so yea, I'm coming in and infecting everyone, sorry!

Thats bad,You shouldn't be punished if your genuinely sick.

 

[new boy]

Thats bad,You shouldn't be punished if your genuinely sick.

They would probably say its a reward for full attendance rather than a punishment for being sick

 

[SexyGreyFox]

Merry Christmas .

So you think 6 periods off in 3 months is OK?

 

[Spike_UK]

Two work colleagues came into the office with a cold at the tail end of last week.
They didn't want to go home as "it's not that bad".

Both were off work today with the cold and now myself and two others are ill with it.

Rather than just 1-2 people being off ill, the whole department end up going down with it and must likely having to take time off.

It's not "manning up". It's counter productive. Sick days across the whole department end up being greater in the long run. It's a pity most companies (and employees!) fail to realise this.