Ringing in work when already elsewhere

OpenToSuggestions · 2 Apr 2010 at 15:13

A little bit of a strange title I know!

This week I was on a CAD course. There were 6 of us plus 1 CAD expert.

The course was Mon to Fri and today one lad did not show up. His housemate said that he will ring in to say to explain, which is that his dad is on a farm on the other side of england and he needs to go and help with the lambs or something along those lines (I know little of farming).

Surely he cannot do this? You cannot ring in work when you are already elsewhere doing something else? Isn't this gross misconduct as if he receives sick pay from this job and he is working elsewhere?

Also another employee asked in advance if he could have Friday off work (unpaid) as his relatives are on the very very North of Scotland and the drive is 9 hours - To which HR said no (I assume this is because a CAD course is expensive).

Just looking for opinions as I feel he might be in for it after the easter break?

regulus · 2 Apr 2010 at 15:15

Most likely best suited for GD.

OpenToSuggestions · 2 Apr 2010 at 15:18

regulus said:
Most likely best suited for GD.

Could a mod move please

Gaidin109 · 2 Apr 2010 at 15:23

mglover070588 said:
A little bit of a strange title I know!

This week I was on a CAD course. There were 6 of us plus 1 CAD expert.

The course was Mon to Fri and today one lad did not show up. His housemate said that he will ring in to say to explain, which is that his dad is on a farm on the other side of england and he needs to go and help with the lambs or something along those lines (I know little of farming).

Surely he cannot do this? You cannot ring in work when you are already elsewhere doing something else? Isn't this gross misconduct as if he receives sick pay from this job and he is working elsewhere?

Also another employee asked in advance if he could have Friday off work (unpaid) as his relatives are on the very very North of Scotland and the drive is 9 hours - To which HR said no (I assume this is because a CAD course is expensive).

Just looking for opinions as I feel he might be in for it after the easter break?

To claim sick pay while working elsewhere is illegal.

Dolph · 2 Apr 2010 at 16:52

He's either AWOL or misusing sick leave, unless he can magic up some dependants somewhere... Both could be considered gross misconduct.

Domi · 2 Apr 2010 at 17:03

If you have a family emergency and have to go, you have to go.
Some things are more important than work.

You seem to have made an asumption that one of these people is doing paid work elsewhere , helping your family in a time of crysis is not exactly the same thing.

yes he may get sacked for it but if his family were desperate then in my opinion he did the right thing.

Dolph · 2 Apr 2010 at 17:07

Domi said:
If you have a family emergency and have to go, you have to go.
Some things are more important than work.

You seem to have made an asumption that one of these people is doing paid work elsewhere , helping your family in a time of crysis is not exactly the same thing.

yes he may get sacked for it but if his family were desperate then in my opinion he did the right thing.

That is accounted for under legislation, but is unlikely to apply in this case.

Dave M · 2 Apr 2010 at 17:08

mglover070588 said:
This week I was on a CAD course. There were 6 of us plus 1 CAD expert.

...

Also another employee asked in advance if he could have Friday off work (unpaid) as his relatives are on the very very North of Scotland and the drive is 9 hours - To which HR said no (I assume this is because a CAD course is expensive).

You were on a CAD course on a bank holiday?

Amp34 · 2 Apr 2010 at 17:10

Good point actually, he's unlikely to be being "paid" as such if he is infact helping his father on a farm. It could very well be he is helping because his father can't afford to pay someone...

Dave M · 2 Apr 2010 at 17:11

mglover070588 said:
Surely he cannot do this? You cannot ring in work when you are already elsewhere doing something else? Isn't this gross misconduct as if he receives sick pay from this job and he is working elsewhere?

...

Just looking for opinions as I feel he might be in for it after the easter break?

He was absent without due cause, he could argue it was with due cause but unless a direct family member is in hospital or he has dependants to care for I doubt it would wash.

It's not gross misconduct though, not for just doing it once.

If he's generally well thought of at work I'd expect a warning but nothing more.

danza · 2 Apr 2010 at 17:14

Telescopi said:
If he's generally well thought of at work I'd expect a warning but nothing more.

I'd expect a deduction from annual leave allowance also.

Dave M · 2 Apr 2010 at 17:17

Or a deduction in pay, a deduction in holiday would be generous as it's not been booked.

danza · 2 Apr 2010 at 17:20

Telescopi said:
Or a deduction in pay, a deduction in holiday would be generous as it's not been booked.

True. A deduction in pay 'hurts' more aswell, so in the company's eyes is probably more likely to put someone of doing the same again.

OpenToSuggestions · 2 Apr 2010 at 17:23

We have set holidays and cannot choose when we take them. Our BH days are mon and tue next week.

He is working on the family farm. A family emergency is when someone is in hosptial or something of that severity.

Dave M · 2 Apr 2010 at 17:26

mglover070588 said:
We have set holidays and cannot choose when we take them. Our BH days are mon and tue next week.

Different companies have all sorts of arrangements, just surprised you've paid for a trainer to come in on a bank holiday - I wouldn't have expected them to work bank holiday's for normal rates.

OpenToSuggestions · 2 Apr 2010 at 17:27

Telescopi said:
Different companies have all sorts of arrangements, just surprised you've paid for a trainer to come in on a bank holiday - I wouldn't have expected them to work bank holiday's for normal rates.

The trainer is employed and paid by the same company as me.
An 'internal' trainer.

aardvark · 2 Apr 2010 at 18:31

surely if its a reasonable company he can say its a family emergency and take it as a holiday?
maybe its because i work in a university but i could easily take a day off with no notice and they would be fine about it. i would only have to phone my supervisor and he would would say 'ok'.

bloodline76 · 2 Apr 2010 at 18:35

I think people are over reacting on this. He missed a days work. Who cares. I am sure he has good reason and if not he obviously doesnt care about the job too much. No loss.

Puzzled · 2 Apr 2010 at 18:52

bloodline76 said:
I think people are over reacting on this. He missed a days work. Who cares. I am sure he has good reason and if not he obviously doesnt care about the job too much. No loss.

Agreed

Don't really get why the OP is so bothered by this.

starfighter · 2 Apr 2010 at 18:56

Sounds like a family emergency to me, if he isn't getting paid then fair enough. Hardly on the beach getting his jimmy waxed. Assuming this is not a common thing obviously.

To speculate it probably isn't easy to know when lambs are going to be born, perhaps the person helping the dad is unable to help etc or more lambs were born than expected etc etc, i dunno really. but if it was planned it is perhaps dishonest.

Still, one day off. Nothing can be done really. A bit more original than putting on a dodgy voice and pretending to have a cold.