Soldato
Gone are the days when a day off meant chicken soup on the settee under a quilt, watching Pipkins.
Colleague off sick for five weeks. Has Doctors note. Is currently in Ibiza.
- Thread starter MissChief
- Start date
Soldato
@MissChief
I completely understand your POV, and there may be factors contributing to your reaction we don’t know about, e.g. personal stresses, so I can see why you feel annoyed at them for being off sick and being on holiday.
However, as others have mentioned, not all illnesses result in being bed ridden, and this small holiday may mean the world to them right now.
Instead, support them even more - wish them well, ask how they’re doing etc. You might end up getting an employee back who puts in extra effort
I completely understand your POV, and there may be factors contributing to your reaction we don’t know about, e.g. personal stresses, so I can see why you feel annoyed at them for being off sick and being on holiday.
However, as others have mentioned, not all illnesses result in being bed ridden, and this small holiday may mean the world to them right now.
Instead, support them even more - wish them well, ask how they’re doing etc. You might end up getting an employee back who puts in extra effort
Soldato
Some people think you should not leave home when on the sick. After eye surgery, I went out for a walk round the block. I was unfit for work as the lighting is too bright to tolerate for 8 hours a day.
I said at the beginning, in the first post, 'I’m unsure if I should be angry, ambivalent, not bothered etc.'
There's nothing I can do about it really, it just feels a little like he's taking the Michael, but if he's signed off sick then I guess he can really do what he wants. It's a little frustrating he can go away without using up his holidays like We'd have to though!
There's nothing I can do about it really, it just feels a little like he's taking the Michael, but if he's signed off sick then I guess he can really do what he wants. It's a little frustrating he can go away without using up his holidays like We'd have to though!
Commissario
I deactivated my Facebook account back in December last year (I kept messenger, that's very useful) and I've not missed it at all.
Good to see you, FF
When I was off, back in 2016, I did post on FB while I was away and I remember work colleagues who were friends were very sympathetic and positive but that's because I was quite open with them and they knew the reasons I was off.
Man of Honour
I deactivated my Facebook account back in December last year (I kept messenger, that's very useful) and I've not missed it at all.
Good to see you, FF
When I was off, back in 2016, I did post on FB while I was away and I remember work colleagues who were friends were very sympathetic and positive but that's because I was quite open with them and they knew the reasons I was off.
Hi
I've popped in recently as I needed a few bits of tech advice, and decided to wind a few people up! 
Won't be posting super regularly, life is too busy!Yeah your situation is fair enough if people know you then they wont' give you hassle, but if a colleague is posting seemingly "having a jolly" it does look pretty bad!
If they having to carry someone else's, it kind of is their business. At least the work part is.
They should encourage management to find a permanent replacement to cover the work.
I recently had my first ever doctors note to sign me off work for a month. After 2 weeks I asked to phase back in but was declined, I had to wait out the full 4 weeks and then start phasing back in at a much slower rate then I had initially wished to, I found the whole process very much tilted to those who wish to take advantage of the system. I told my superiors that I was fine and had started going back to the gym, which I expect would have looked odd if I was seen there but was part of my physio.
Lazyness coupled with acceptance of mental health problems starting at a spectrum of "a bit jaded from work"?
Commissario
If the colleague has got a note from the doctors then it's pretty much none of the business of the fellow workers as to the reason unless the person is willing to share it.
There are a lot of things where you might not be fit for work, but might be fit enough to do something where you can simply stop.
My brother in law was off sick for most of the last year after an accident at work, he would have been fine after the first 3 months going on a holiday (except for the need to do physio ect) but there is no way he would have been fit for his normal job, even now 18+ months later after the accident he's only on "light duties"*. He looks fit as a fiddle, but he can't currently use one arm properly.
5 weeks signed off by the doctor sounds fairly serious given they don't tend to like signing people off for long these days (and isn't it a "fit for work" note now).
It would suggest to me some planned treatment/recovery period as it's an odd length of time to be signed off for in advance.
*He was raring to get back to work, and is IIRC currently doing things like doing inventory, assisting in paperwork/training, and documenting things that need attention so long term "minor" but safety or reliability issues could hopefully get fixed (his injury was caused basically by one such thing).
There are a lot of things where you might not be fit for work, but might be fit enough to do something where you can simply stop.
My brother in law was off sick for most of the last year after an accident at work, he would have been fine after the first 3 months going on a holiday (except for the need to do physio ect) but there is no way he would have been fit for his normal job, even now 18+ months later after the accident he's only on "light duties"*. He looks fit as a fiddle, but he can't currently use one arm properly.
5 weeks signed off by the doctor sounds fairly serious given they don't tend to like signing people off for long these days (and isn't it a "fit for work" note now).
It would suggest to me some planned treatment/recovery period as it's an odd length of time to be signed off for in advance.
*He was raring to get back to work, and is IIRC currently doing things like doing inventory, assisting in paperwork/training, and documenting things that need attention so long term "minor" but safety or reliability issues could hopefully get fixed (his injury was caused basically by one such thing).
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Soldato
Not quite, modern day CBT and REBT have foundations in the Stoic philosophies made famous by Socrates and Marcus Aurelius.
Obviously the principles can't work for everyone and someone with extreme trauma probably isn't going to respond well to someone saying "It's out of your control so don't worry about it!" but Stoicism has some very wise and helpful words for living in the modern day world which seems to be getting more and more narcissistic every day.
If you did want to read more Happy by Derren Brown is a great book which draws from ancient types of philosophy, it's a history lesson and a "self help" book (bleurgh) all rolled into one!
Mostly its none of anyone elses business but appearing to be a normally behaving person while signed off can upset colleagues.
If you see something you believe is contrary then sure inform management.
But don't expect to be right or to be allowed to hear about someone elses personal issues or medical status to settle your unhappiness.
If you see something you believe is contrary then sure inform management.
But don't expect to be right or to be allowed to hear about someone elses personal issues or medical status to settle your unhappiness.
Wow that takes me back! That's what I used to do when off sick from school.
Time for Hartley Hare!
Soldato
Your solution to the possibility that another member of the team is taking the **** with sick leave is for the OP to definitely take the **** with sick leave?
Stress due to being overworked isn't a joke.
