Colleague off sick for five weeks. Has Doctors note. Is currently in Ibiza.

Soldato
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OP you sound very jealous, and tbh a ****. As mentioned it has nothing to do with you, mind your own business.

If you need to pick up more work then surely that means you get more hours and more overtime pay, which is a good thing.
How deeply embedded is your capitalist chip
 
Soldato
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How deeply embedded is your capitalist chip

How does a different monetary system improve his situation? In a Communist system presumably there would be no overtime pay, that's better? What is it about Capitalism that you're angry about, someone being paid to do additional work?
 
Soldato
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How does a different monetary system improve his situation? In a Communist system presumably there would be no overtime pay, that's better? What is it about Capitalism that you're angry about, someone being paid to do additional work?
That's one way to interpret "how deeply" - the complete polar opposite :p

I was referring to the bit where poster said picking up more pay and overtime is a good thing. You only have to go to maybe... page 3 of GD and see a thread about how being overworked is killing us younger.

Enjoy jumping for joy at overtime though if that's your thing!
 
Soldato
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That's one way to interpret "how deeply" - the complete polar opposite :p

I was referring to the bit where poster said picking up more pay and overtime is a good thing. You only have to go to maybe... page 3 of GD and see a thread about how being overworked is killing us younger.

Enjoy jumping for joy at overtime though if that's your thing!

Sometimes it is nice to earn overtime, other times I decline it. In a Capitalist free market system we have the choice, in other systems you literally would not have a choice except to do the additional work without the additional pay. Please stop this ******** anti-Capitalist propaganda.
 
Soldato
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Sometimes it is nice to earn overtime, other times I decline it. In a Capitalist free market system we have the choice, in other systems you literally would not have a choice except to do the additional work without the additional pay. Please stop this ******** anti-Capitalist propaganda.
Man you are really triggered. Nothing about my post was overtly anti-capitalist; maybe you're just overly sensitive? Bad nights sleep? I am deeply capitalist but I wouldn't turn Op's thread of whinging about colleague being off into a positive spin because I can/have to work more :cry:

Edit: Forgot to add 6 lolling faces at your inference I was spreading propaganda:
:cry::cry::cry::cry::cry::cry:

Edit2: Double lol back at myself, just realised I am salaried and basically have to work without additional pay. Am I communist? :(
 
Soldato
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Depends what they're off for, if it's stress or something along those lines then that doesn't really stop them going on holiday.

No it doesn't depend what they are off for, but agreed being off sick doesn't mean you aren't necessarily able to go on holiday. But if they are off sick due to stress say, and part of their recouperation is to 'go on holiday' then holiday leave should be used to cover it, not sick pay.

If the guy has genuinely gone on holiday, for what ever reason, whilst on sick and not taken holiday leave then he is in the wrong. The examples given cover this issue

Reasons why employees can take holiday while on sick leave

By way of example, an employee can take annual leave while off sick if they:

  • Are sick over a long period of time, and a holiday might aid their recovery
  • Are not fit to work, but are physically able to take a holiday
  • Are suffering with a mental health condition that might be eased by a holiday

So just because the holiday is part of the recouperation of being sick, it is still classed as holiday and holiday entitlement should be used.

The grey area comes on what constitutes being on holiday, but it's hard to argue that flying off to ibiza in this context, isn't :p

There are two issues going on here, one is the optics from the other employees and as much as I agree it's not their business, that doesn't stop them getting upset at someone else abusing the system. The other issue is from the employer, where it most certainly is their business and if the guy has gone on holiday whilst sick and hasn't requested annual leave then he can be sanctioned.

And an employee does have the legal right to carry over 4 weeks of holiday entitlement if they are unable to use it due to long term sickness, so it's not a case that he would lose it as has been raised in this thread.
 
Soldato
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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.

I had a similar experience when I broke my collar bone after crashing my bike, wanted to go back to work after a couple of days - wasn't in a great place mentally having just split with my long term gf, so the distraction would have been very welcome, but they wouldn't let me (ended up playing Wow for about 20 hours a day for 2 weeks instead :rolleyes:)

Yes of course. If someone is off sick, their holiday days should be returned to them. That's how any decent company should deal with it.

See, this I get a bit annoyed about, I can understand in the situation where the illness or injury prevents you from utilising your holiday, you shouldn't really lose out because of it, but say in this case the colleague is off with stress, its not stopping him doing anything - he's basically getting free holiday days.

I need to take a couple of days to sort my garden out, do a bit of painting around the house etc. Maybe I should claim the weeds and dirty marks on the walls are stressing me out :D
 
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Soldato
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As I was responding to what the OP asked in terms of how they should feel about it and not about the legal side of things it does.

Fair enough :) I just quoted you as a generic post as there seems to be a lot of sentiment ITT that it's his choice to just go on holiday if he feels like it whilst on sick and not use holiday entitlement, which is wrong.

The grey area comes when deciding what constitutes 'going on holiday'. If he had gone to stay with a relative in the country for a week for some R&R then no-one would have batted an eyelid. But to go on what obviously is a holiday and then bringing attention to it by posting on SM is just stupid.
 
Soldato
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I think the main problem here is that it doesn't sound like he's overly liked anyway, if it was another team member it probably wouldn't bother anyone.
wouldn't be surprised if he was off sick BECAUSE of the work place environment. Seen it in so many toxic work environments.

At the end of the day OP would be better directing that energy into something more positive then wondering why someone is away whilst being on leave.
 
Soldato
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Don't really care what the rulebook says I'd be cheesed.

Don't go rubbing it in people's face on social like an ass. People don't know how to keep anything to themselves anymore.
 
Soldato
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I'd be ****** too, certainly wouldn't be picking up any slack in work, I've done 2 peoples jobs for 4 days in the past too, on the 5th I told em to shove it
 
Man of Honour
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I suppose context is important. Things like:

What sort of person is the colleague? The sort who will be on a major booze up and clubbing while off work 'sick'?

Or someone who has gone on a quiet break with their family - Ibiza would suggest not though.

It's also not really advisable to be plastering things all over social media either when you're meant to be unwell and unable to work, it's just simple logic.

The fact this thread exists would imply to me at least that the OP thinks the colleague is a bit of a waste of space - rightly or wrongly.
 
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