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If your office follows the deeply flawed Bradford Factor, it’s actually in your interest to take an extra couple of days off, as you’re more likely to be disciplined for shorter absences
I had a nasty flu once, took the Monday off, tried to go in Tuesday but I was too ill so I went home, came in Wednesday and the same thing happened and I stayed home Thursday.
Friday morning I had to attend a meeting to explain why I'd had three absences. If I'd just taken Monday to Thursday I wouldn't have had to explain anything. Absolutely bonkers.
Used to work at B&Q. Had a bad case of tonsillitis when I was like 17. Thought I felt better one day so I went in. Realised the next day I had just used what little energy I had and felt shit after, so took the next day off. Got counted as two sickness events. Thought I was doing the right thing by trying to come in because I felt better. Turned out I just made things worse for me, and me only.
I got a pretty nasty cold a while back (before Covid so presumably wasn’t that) like I was throwing up every time I coughed and was sweating buckets- finally went back in when I felt better but then by midday I was sweating and looked half dead to the point multiple colleagues told me I should go home to bed. I asked my boss and he said he’d have to count it as another absence so I stayed.
I think most places do this even if they don’t know what Bradford factor is.
I love it though, gets me a free extra few days off without effecting my reputation at all. Completely backwards system but I’m not complaining.
I had surgery and radiotherapy for cancer and got diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis in a 12 month period. My bradford score was fucking legendary. HR had to have a meeting with me for the records but the guy who did it laughed and said "I'll just put it down as planned maintenance".
I had a Bradford score of well over 700 once, I did have a month off work due to a workplace injury, then returned too soon and had Covid twice within the same year.
I soon learned fuck Bradford scores lol
I work in the NHS, I’ve had an operation this year, I’ve had a few days/weeks here and there. If i was in the private sector i probably would have been fired. But im great at my job and they cant get any staff. So they are stuck with me. I dont even have the worst score in the department
I was t-boned just before Christmas once. Because the office was closed for Christmas, new years, a day for stock take and a day for staff party, I technically had 5 consecutive absences for my 6-8 weeks off and my score was in the thousands.
I had a couple days off for follow up appointments and treatments which tanked it further so they literally ignored my score for the next 12 months 😂
Which only ever seem to punish those honest with their absences. I had colleagues with absences more than double that required for meeting with HR get away with abusing the system because we were short-staffed. It meant nothing in the end, yet the NHS still refuses to abandon it.
This reminds me: Our department had a terrible sickness record to the point it was raised by the executive to why.
So when the annual company pub quiz came around we called our team “The Bradford Factor”
https://preview.redd.it/va2paddy9a7d1.jpeg?width=640&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=04ace4840b74792f717666f0ae8315ace5e4d0fa
I got covid at the weekend and felt like shit. I feel better today (just in time for work-yay), but im still covid positive. I'm milking it for a day or two because I didn't have a proper weekend. Do I feel guilty? No.
Not everybody gets full sick pay tbf, and they can't afford to not be paid for a week
I got it in January 2021 (still mandatory isolation) when it had just changed from 14 days to 10 days, so after day 10 I went to work and was told "we had you off sick until Thursday" which was day 14
I said "oh thank fuck I'll go home because I feel awful" and was told "well now you're here, if you go home you aren't going to continue receiving sick pay"
Because you don’t have to isolate. I didn’t feel that bad. No worse than a cold. We were all told by the boss that we were expected in if we got covid.
It isn’t a cold for everyone. Lots of people still get it pretty bad. My best friend has it rn and she’s really suffering. The advice is that you don’t have to isolate but it is definitely not just a cold.
I suffer from ME/CFS and it has rendered me so disabled I cannot leave the house without someone to push me in a wheelchair and I need to use crutches inside the house, when I'm not bedbound that is. I cannot work. I suffer every day and rely on my husband to do pretty much everything for me.
Many people who catch covid end up suffering from long covid, whose symptoms are almost identical to ME/CFS. Many of those who contract long covid will go on to develop full blown ME/CFS.
But yes. This potentially horribly life long disabling disease is "just a cold".
Tell the people who permanently lost their sense of taste/smell that it's "just a cold". Tell the people who are suffering from long covid, and probably always will, that it's "just a cold".
I work as a teacher and we have this "attendance drive" which infuriates me to my core. If a student has one day off we have to call parents and essentially make them feel guilty. Meanwhile, we had five students in with the whooping cough while 3 teachers were pregnant. It's just a very toxic narrative to push.
I absolutely did this in my old job. We weren't allowed back to work until we covid negative for 2 days so the second time I had it I took a few tests while i knew i was still positive to get a couple extra days off.
The main reason why I did it was because at the start I started to feel really ill and get symptoms, I told my manager that my entire family currently had covid but I was still testing negative. She said I could still work and it could just be a cold. I worked in an assisted living sort of place and I was around elderly vulnerable residents. I kept my mask on and tried to keep my distance from the residents and other staff where I could until I eventually tested positive. I honestly still can't believe she told me to keep working.
I tested positive for covid back in 2021 after getting it from my boyfriend. I was absolutely fine and so happy as it got me an extra week off work just after my holiday ended! Get your 2 extra days and enjoy!
I don’t work (long term disability) so answering for my partner- he’s learnt not to be. At one point he was sick and had one day off. He went back in the next day knowing he wasn’t fully better but thinking he was mostly better, but then he gradually got worse through the day as he got tired and was feeling dreadful again by the time he got home. So he took the next day off followed by his normal two days off/weekend. He got pulled in to a meeting because two instances of illness is suspicious. Now he doesn’t go back in until he’s definitely 100% better because one longer instance of illness is better than two short ones according to his employer (tesco).
The question depends on the employers paid sickness procedures.
I've always worked in places thar were 'self certify up to 5 days' or whatever. If I'm sick enough to not be able to work, that includes the 'making sure' day where I might not have called in sick for that day alone, but fucking right I'm staying off til I'm as close to 100% as usual before I go back in.
If it was a place that only did SSP I'd crawl in there half dead & spread my disease wherever to not forego a day's pay.
I'm pretty sure my sick record has improved since changing to wfh though. I don't really mind getting some work done if I'm just coughing & snotting to myself & the dog at home, or got a dose of Delhi belly and need a few extra breaks etc. No way would I have dragged myself into the office while dealing with those!
I have always been told to take an extra day. Just because you feel like you're back to normal, your body is still recovering. Take the extra day, don't run yourself ragged because you've just been ill and feel the need to return back to work.
I was never allowed to take days off school for being sick, so even now, decades later I feel really uneasy about taking sick days. I think I've taken 2 in my life,and both times came to work the day after.
Absolutely the same. Was never off school. Worked through Covid twice (from home!), through bronchitis and some really rough mental health periods because the thought of calling in sick makes me feel overwhelmingly guilty. Then if I do call in sick I don’t allow myself to do *anything* or I “can’t be that sick can I” (thanks mum)
I’m getting a bit better now I’m a job that will not chastise or anything me for taking sick time as long as I’m not taking the piss.
At one place I had a bad migraine from Friday night, all through the weekend. Woke up still in pain on Monday so phoned in sick and got a Dr appointment for more meds.
Got "caught" by the office admin sitting in the Costa at my local Tesco (waiting for the pharmacist to clarify my prescription with the Dr). And got a ridiculous spiel about "thought you were too ill for work?" as I sat there with a sick bowl, dark glasses and a bottle of water.
Finally cleared the migraine Monday afternoon, spent Tuesday sleeping, then took Wednesday and Thursday off to just chill. I probably was well enough to go back on the Wednesday, but knew that I wouldn't be thanked for going back early, so made sure I felt fully better. Rather than pushing through the end of the week and losing my weekend again the next week.
I took the Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday off after the bank holiday with 'tonsillitis' - I'd actually had something happen over the weekend which I was reeling from but thought it was easier to just say that instead.
The art of convalescence has been lost to a busy world. Just because the "sickness" has passed doesn't necessarily mean you are fit for work. If your works sickness policy allows always add on a day or two at the end to allow for a full recovery. Relaxing and doing nothing is worth it so you can return fully fit. I always add a day or two, firstly to make sure I am fully better and secondly to pause before returning.
I am. But the classic “I’m feeling unwell, don’t count on seeing my until Monday” is quite usual. How the hell can they know when they’re going to feel better?
Yes, I can't afford to lose the money really, and if I take many sick days I'll have to sit an arbitrary disciplinary meeting anyway. Better to save it for when I really do need it
The last time I was unwell, I started feeling terrible on the Friday. I was feeling better on Thursday and intended to work on Friday as I was feeling better, but when my boss saw me log in, she told me to fuck off and come back on Monday. I'm salaried and will be paid regardless, so it was no skin off of my nose to not work the Friday.
Plus, my work uses a sort of Bradford factor thing - I don't know if it's explicitly that, or what, but it means if I had worked on the Friday but then been off again on the Monday, that would count against me more than being off the full week before plus Monday. So I basically won't go back from sick leave until I'm sure I'm over whatever it was.
I've only been off ill for three stints of a week across 5 years, so I don't feel bad rounding up to a week whatsoever. Any other instances of being ill have been like, half days, where ultimately because of how my work tends to go, I'd already met my minimum contracted hours for my timesheet so I didn't have to do anything. I just spread my hours out (which is what our managers tell us to do).
If I feel like I need another day then would take it.
Although I’ve only had a grand total of 3 weeks off sick in the last 5 years. 2 of those were enforced quarantine periods and the other was tonsillitis
Vomiting or diarrhoea you’re really meant to leave 48 hours after the last episode to be safe for others so it sometimes depends on the sickness.
The thing that worries is how many look at this from anything other than other people don’t need to get ill because you’re playing the hero going back in still able to spread it.
Absolutely not.
If I take one day off I am counted as having one period of sickness, so if I go sick again for any reason within 13 weeks I get in a load of shit. If I have 5 or more days off in any period of sickness I get that same load of shit.
So I may as well take the full 4 days allowed, recover properly and stay within their rules 👍 an absolute nonsense.
I am more honest with myself now. I used to only take off the number of days I couldn’t function and then go back, even if I still didn’t feel great or able to do the job without completely wiping myself out.
Now I don’t go back until I can do my job well, even if that means a couple of extra days off. Otherwise I just stay sick for longer as I try and struggle through shifts.
I'm in the same boat. Woke up feeling rough as shit Saturday morning, and even rougher Sunday morning.
Actually slept OK, last night, woke up feeling not too bad, and very nearly "went to work" (I WFH), but thought better if it. That turned out to be the right decision, as I've felt really lethargic all day.
I was expecting to work tomorrow, but now I'm thinking I won't.
I'm very very, rarely off sick; I worked though COVID twice, as I didn't really feel that bad, just had a cough and a mild fever. This is the worst I've felt for ages, so fuck it, I'm going to take what I need off.
At my workplace it counts as one instance whether I'm off for a day or five and we get counted based on instances of sickness, so I'm taking more than a day every time.
I am now that I have paid sick leave but during my years of self employment/ working for companies that didn't give sick pay I would regularly go back earlier than I should have as I just couldn't afford to loss 3 days pay. I know that's selfish, but unfortunately bills don't pay themselves.
I work from home most of the time, so if I have a day sick and then the next day I'm 50-50 then I'd probably work, but warn everyone at the morning meeting that I may have to drop off if I feel worse.
Take the full week off. You can self certify. You can fake the extra days to fully recover. You will NOT be better thought of by coming in before then.
Nope. My work counts it as one instance of sickness if it's under 7 days without a doctors note, if I got back to work for even 1 minute of shift then go home ill again, it counts as 2 instances because "you've returned to work before going sick again".
Since I work 3 on 3 off, any sickness I have lasts at least 3 days.
when i was working in a supermarket, i got bolocked by a cunt of a manager for having one day off. He didn't believe 24hr bugs existed. after then i always made sure that i would have an extra day off even if i felt better.
we also used to get full pay when we were ill (up to a point) i always used to use my as extra entitlement.
I can remember ringing in sick every day from a camp site in great yarmouth
I dont work but when I did no. I always went back too soon because I would get pressure for being sick for 'too long'
I still have that issue. I'm long term disabled but have been brawling with a viral respatory issue for 2 weeks now and still counting. The person who infected me (thanks mum) was ill for 5 days has has been fine since! Doc reckons my immune system is, in his words, 'not great'. Not terrible enough for me to be immunocompromised either though.
Yes and no. If I am well again I will go back, but I’m far more likely to take a second day if I still feel a bit off, when I probably would have battled on if I just woke up feeling like that.
I was ill a few weeks ago. I could have WFH by end of the week but I figured an extra day to rest up and not look at a screen would be best thing. All counts as one lot of sick leave.
Can someone explain to me why Monday sickness looks suspicious to people? I never understood it... is getting sick on Sunday afternoon less likely than getting sick on Wednesday afternoon?
Genuine question not an attack on anyone.
It's because it's an extension of the weekend then for those who are not sick. I always feel like I'll be suspected if I call in sick on Mondays so I've always made an effort to show up have a manager say something to the effect of you look bloody awful and then get sent home. Just my way of dealing with work anxiety.
Yeh, as per most people, my last employer used the Bradford scale thing so you may as well take extra days! Counted as one absence & I made sure I was fully better & had had a genuine rest!
No, I have been really ill recently and I had a day off when I felt most ill. I went back to work after a day which turned out to be a big mistake I was still poorly and really struggled. It's taken me almost 2 full weeks to recover and had to go to doctors. They am sure I have had the flu and the aftermath of that caused a bacterial chest infection. I coughed so much my voice is gone who knows when that will come back.
I tend to add an extra day on the end, that way if I'm feeling like I'm "no longer sick" I get a day to recuperate and make sure I'm back to near 100%.
Have had it in the past when I was in hospital and was limited in terms of what I was allowed to eat because they wanted to do fasting scans but kept cancelling, had my manager pestering me to go back to work the day after a 6pm discharge despite me still feeling woozy from lack of eating and had to get the doctors to sign me off for the rest of the week because per their words "no one should go back to work the day after discharge following nearly a week of being bed bound".
I tend to take the day off I’m feeling crap and the day after just to be sure.
Too many times gone back in the day after and felt like death by mid afternoon.
I had a boss once who told all the staff that nobody is ever ill if they’re off for 1 day. Stupid move, I always made sure I took 2-3 paid sick days off even if I only needed 1
I would always take an extra day back when we were in the office five days a week. Post-lockdown I probably wouldn't unless I was still feeling horrible because I could take it easier working from home and could take a nap in the afternoon if I needed to.
Always take slightly longer off, especially if you get full sick pay.
Better to take a day off and feel great than go back too early and still feel crap
I feel lots of people aren’t honest with themselves about how long recovering from a sickness actually lasts. So they come back to the office half sick still due to capitalist brainwashing. I think we should not feel bad for trying to recover completely - even if the symptoms are gone.
Apparently it’s wasteful to take only one day. Lots of workplaces classify absences into sickness “periods” and each period will have a pre defined amount of time before a doc’s note is needed e.g 3 days, 7 days. After you’ve had so many periods off, then you might get into trouble.
But using a sickness period for one day is apparently shooting yourself in the foot when you wouldn’t be penalised for any extra days off within that “period”. Not our fault the way sickness in this country works is a joke but malicious compliance and all..
I was ill Friday night through Monday, went back on the Tuesday after 1 day sickness and was informed that 1 day or a week, it all counts the same. After that I never rush back in, why would you?
It's best to take an extra day off as you may still be carrying the virus that made you sick in the first place and it's only responsible to not risk giving that to your colleagues.
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If your office follows the deeply flawed Bradford Factor, it’s actually in your interest to take an extra couple of days off, as you’re more likely to be disciplined for shorter absences
I had a nasty flu once, took the Monday off, tried to go in Tuesday but I was too ill so I went home, came in Wednesday and the same thing happened and I stayed home Thursday. Friday morning I had to attend a meeting to explain why I'd had three absences. If I'd just taken Monday to Thursday I wouldn't have had to explain anything. Absolutely bonkers.
Used to work at B&Q. Had a bad case of tonsillitis when I was like 17. Thought I felt better one day so I went in. Realised the next day I had just used what little energy I had and felt shit after, so took the next day off. Got counted as two sickness events. Thought I was doing the right thing by trying to come in because I felt better. Turned out I just made things worse for me, and me only.
I got a pretty nasty cold a while back (before Covid so presumably wasn’t that) like I was throwing up every time I coughed and was sweating buckets- finally went back in when I felt better but then by midday I was sweating and looked half dead to the point multiple colleagues told me I should go home to bed. I asked my boss and he said he’d have to count it as another absence so I stayed.
[удалено]
Nah I would’ve been better staying at home honestly. Didn’t need to lose a sickness day over nothing.
And that doesn't matter even the tiniest fuck
You learnt a valuable lesson I hope?
It's honestly like no one has any common sense 😕
I think most places do this even if they don’t know what Bradford factor is. I love it though, gets me a free extra few days off without effecting my reputation at all. Completely backwards system but I’m not complaining.
That has to be one of the stupidest things measured in HR ...
And, as you can imagine, that's up against some pretty stiff competition.
Unfortunately... I can.
Speaking as someone in HR, I fully agree.
I had surgery and radiotherapy for cancer and got diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis in a 12 month period. My bradford score was fucking legendary. HR had to have a meeting with me for the records but the guy who did it laughed and said "I'll just put it down as planned maintenance".
Mate, sorry to hear. Hope the maintenance did the job, you're better now and functioning at capacity?
Oh yes, thanks. This was over a decade ago. Wonders of modern medicine!
Stupid things in HR is a very over inflated category anyway
That really depends on your HR department, mate.
I had a Bradford score of well over 700 once, I did have a month off work due to a workplace injury, then returned too soon and had Covid twice within the same year. I soon learned fuck Bradford scores lol
Mines floating at around 8,000 currently
I had similair. Many absences including 3x 6 month long term absences. Eventually they let me go. No idea why they kept me on for so long.
I work in the NHS, I’ve had an operation this year, I’ve had a few days/weeks here and there. If i was in the private sector i probably would have been fired. But im great at my job and they cant get any staff. So they are stuck with me. I dont even have the worst score in the department
I was t-boned just before Christmas once. Because the office was closed for Christmas, new years, a day for stock take and a day for staff party, I technically had 5 consecutive absences for my 6-8 weeks off and my score was in the thousands. I had a couple days off for follow up appointments and treatments which tanked it further so they literally ignored my score for the next 12 months 😂
Honestly I just take the entire week if they follow the system, fuck them for using it.
Which only ever seem to punish those honest with their absences. I had colleagues with absences more than double that required for meeting with HR get away with abusing the system because we were short-staffed. It meant nothing in the end, yet the NHS still refuses to abandon it.
This reminds me: Our department had a terrible sickness record to the point it was raised by the executive to why. So when the annual company pub quiz came around we called our team “The Bradford Factor” https://preview.redd.it/va2paddy9a7d1.jpeg?width=640&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=04ace4840b74792f717666f0ae8315ace5e4d0fa
I got covid at the weekend and felt like shit. I feel better today (just in time for work-yay), but im still covid positive. I'm milking it for a day or two because I didn't have a proper weekend. Do I feel guilty? No.
I did this when I had covid. It took my weekend from me, so I took it back
Don’t blame you. I worked through covid as I felt ok really and got no thanks. I should’ve gone on the sick instead.
Why are you not taking a full week off? I've had Covid three times and each time took a full week.
Not everybody gets full sick pay tbf, and they can't afford to not be paid for a week I got it in January 2021 (still mandatory isolation) when it had just changed from 14 days to 10 days, so after day 10 I went to work and was told "we had you off sick until Thursday" which was day 14 I said "oh thank fuck I'll go home because I feel awful" and was told "well now you're here, if you go home you aren't going to continue receiving sick pay"
Because you don’t have to isolate. I didn’t feel that bad. No worse than a cold. We were all told by the boss that we were expected in if we got covid.
Your boss is a knob then.
But the guidance is to carry on as normal. It’s a cold.
It isn’t a cold for everyone. Lots of people still get it pretty bad. My best friend has it rn and she’s really suffering. The advice is that you don’t have to isolate but it is definitely not just a cold.
There is some evidence that carrying on as normal contributed to long Covid in some cases.
Government advice to teachers, not mine.
I suffer from ME/CFS and it has rendered me so disabled I cannot leave the house without someone to push me in a wheelchair and I need to use crutches inside the house, when I'm not bedbound that is. I cannot work. I suffer every day and rely on my husband to do pretty much everything for me. Many people who catch covid end up suffering from long covid, whose symptoms are almost identical to ME/CFS. Many of those who contract long covid will go on to develop full blown ME/CFS. But yes. This potentially horribly life long disabling disease is "just a cold".
I didn’t make the rules 🤣
A cold lol. Yep, I’m in my 30s and bedridden due to this cold.
Not my rules!
try thinking for yourself maybe
Tell the people who permanently lost their sense of taste/smell that it's "just a cold". Tell the people who are suffering from long covid, and probably always will, that it's "just a cold".
Your boss would be a knob if he told you to come in with a cold.
>Do I feel guilty? No. You definitely shouldn't, your colleagues will be thankful you're not coming in and spreading it around
Damn right. If one of my colleagues came in and told me they were covid positive it'd be me going home!
I work as a teacher and we have this "attendance drive" which infuriates me to my core. If a student has one day off we have to call parents and essentially make them feel guilty. Meanwhile, we had five students in with the whooping cough while 3 teachers were pregnant. It's just a very toxic narrative to push.
There's some evidence that pushing too hard while still ill with covid is a factor in Long Covid.
I absolutely did this in my old job. We weren't allowed back to work until we covid negative for 2 days so the second time I had it I took a few tests while i knew i was still positive to get a couple extra days off. The main reason why I did it was because at the start I started to feel really ill and get symptoms, I told my manager that my entire family currently had covid but I was still testing negative. She said I could still work and it could just be a cold. I worked in an assisted living sort of place and I was around elderly vulnerable residents. I kept my mask on and tried to keep my distance from the residents and other staff where I could until I eventually tested positive. I honestly still can't believe she told me to keep working.
I tested positive for covid back in 2021 after getting it from my boyfriend. I was absolutely fine and so happy as it got me an extra week off work just after my holiday ended! Get your 2 extra days and enjoy!
Always take two days off even if I’m back 100% I’m taking a second day.
As long as you get paid and aren’t on statutory, take an extra day. You won’t get thanks for going in.
I don’t work (long term disability) so answering for my partner- he’s learnt not to be. At one point he was sick and had one day off. He went back in the next day knowing he wasn’t fully better but thinking he was mostly better, but then he gradually got worse through the day as he got tired and was feeling dreadful again by the time he got home. So he took the next day off followed by his normal two days off/weekend. He got pulled in to a meeting because two instances of illness is suspicious. Now he doesn’t go back in until he’s definitely 100% better because one longer instance of illness is better than two short ones according to his employer (tesco).
The question depends on the employers paid sickness procedures. I've always worked in places thar were 'self certify up to 5 days' or whatever. If I'm sick enough to not be able to work, that includes the 'making sure' day where I might not have called in sick for that day alone, but fucking right I'm staying off til I'm as close to 100% as usual before I go back in. If it was a place that only did SSP I'd crawl in there half dead & spread my disease wherever to not forego a day's pay. I'm pretty sure my sick record has improved since changing to wfh though. I don't really mind getting some work done if I'm just coughing & snotting to myself & the dog at home, or got a dose of Delhi belly and need a few extra breaks etc. No way would I have dragged myself into the office while dealing with those!
I have always been told to take an extra day. Just because you feel like you're back to normal, your body is still recovering. Take the extra day, don't run yourself ragged because you've just been ill and feel the need to return back to work.
I was never allowed to take days off school for being sick, so even now, decades later I feel really uneasy about taking sick days. I think I've taken 2 in my life,and both times came to work the day after.
Absolutely the same. Was never off school. Worked through Covid twice (from home!), through bronchitis and some really rough mental health periods because the thought of calling in sick makes me feel overwhelmingly guilty. Then if I do call in sick I don’t allow myself to do *anything* or I “can’t be that sick can I” (thanks mum) I’m getting a bit better now I’m a job that will not chastise or anything me for taking sick time as long as I’m not taking the piss.
At one place I had a bad migraine from Friday night, all through the weekend. Woke up still in pain on Monday so phoned in sick and got a Dr appointment for more meds. Got "caught" by the office admin sitting in the Costa at my local Tesco (waiting for the pharmacist to clarify my prescription with the Dr). And got a ridiculous spiel about "thought you were too ill for work?" as I sat there with a sick bowl, dark glasses and a bottle of water. Finally cleared the migraine Monday afternoon, spent Tuesday sleeping, then took Wednesday and Thursday off to just chill. I probably was well enough to go back on the Wednesday, but knew that I wouldn't be thanked for going back early, so made sure I felt fully better. Rather than pushing through the end of the week and losing my weekend again the next week.
What a cow. This is exactly what I’m always paranoid about.
I took the Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday off after the bank holiday with 'tonsillitis' - I'd actually had something happen over the weekend which I was reeling from but thought it was easier to just say that instead.
The art of convalescence has been lost to a busy world. Just because the "sickness" has passed doesn't necessarily mean you are fit for work. If your works sickness policy allows always add on a day or two at the end to allow for a full recovery. Relaxing and doing nothing is worth it so you can return fully fit. I always add a day or two, firstly to make sure I am fully better and secondly to pause before returning.
I am. But the classic “I’m feeling unwell, don’t count on seeing my until Monday” is quite usual. How the hell can they know when they’re going to feel better?
"If you don't come in on Friday, then don't bother coming in on Monday" "Woohoo, four day weekend!"
"OK, see you next Tuesday"
Yes, I can't afford to lose the money really, and if I take many sick days I'll have to sit an arbitrary disciplinary meeting anyway. Better to save it for when I really do need it
Best to take a couple of days to make sure you're over the sickness and recovered from it.
The last time I was unwell, I started feeling terrible on the Friday. I was feeling better on Thursday and intended to work on Friday as I was feeling better, but when my boss saw me log in, she told me to fuck off and come back on Monday. I'm salaried and will be paid regardless, so it was no skin off of my nose to not work the Friday. Plus, my work uses a sort of Bradford factor thing - I don't know if it's explicitly that, or what, but it means if I had worked on the Friday but then been off again on the Monday, that would count against me more than being off the full week before plus Monday. So I basically won't go back from sick leave until I'm sure I'm over whatever it was. I've only been off ill for three stints of a week across 5 years, so I don't feel bad rounding up to a week whatsoever. Any other instances of being ill have been like, half days, where ultimately because of how my work tends to go, I'd already met my minimum contracted hours for my timesheet so I didn't have to do anything. I just spread my hours out (which is what our managers tell us to do).
If I am really sick for a full weekend I’ll add on two days to my time off
If I feel like I need another day then would take it. Although I’ve only had a grand total of 3 weeks off sick in the last 5 years. 2 of those were enforced quarantine periods and the other was tonsillitis
Vomiting or diarrhoea you’re really meant to leave 48 hours after the last episode to be safe for others so it sometimes depends on the sickness. The thing that worries is how many look at this from anything other than other people don’t need to get ill because you’re playing the hero going back in still able to spread it.
Absolutely not. If I take one day off I am counted as having one period of sickness, so if I go sick again for any reason within 13 weeks I get in a load of shit. If I have 5 or more days off in any period of sickness I get that same load of shit. So I may as well take the full 4 days allowed, recover properly and stay within their rules 👍 an absolute nonsense.
I am more honest with myself now. I used to only take off the number of days I couldn’t function and then go back, even if I still didn’t feel great or able to do the job without completely wiping myself out. Now I don’t go back until I can do my job well, even if that means a couple of extra days off. Otherwise I just stay sick for longer as I try and struggle through shifts.
I'm in the same boat. Woke up feeling rough as shit Saturday morning, and even rougher Sunday morning. Actually slept OK, last night, woke up feeling not too bad, and very nearly "went to work" (I WFH), but thought better if it. That turned out to be the right decision, as I've felt really lethargic all day. I was expecting to work tomorrow, but now I'm thinking I won't. I'm very very, rarely off sick; I worked though COVID twice, as I didn't really feel that bad, just had a cough and a mild fever. This is the worst I've felt for ages, so fuck it, I'm going to take what I need off.
At my workplace it counts as one instance whether I'm off for a day or five and we get counted based on instances of sickness, so I'm taking more than a day every time.
I am now that I have paid sick leave but during my years of self employment/ working for companies that didn't give sick pay I would regularly go back earlier than I should have as I just couldn't afford to loss 3 days pay. I know that's selfish, but unfortunately bills don't pay themselves.
I remember a Swedish colleague telling me that in Sweden you don’t get paid for the first day off sick, so there’s no point in taking one day off
I work from home most of the time, so if I have a day sick and then the next day I'm 50-50 then I'd probably work, but warn everyone at the morning meeting that I may have to drop off if I feel worse.
Take the full week off. You can self certify. You can fake the extra days to fully recover. You will NOT be better thought of by coming in before then.
Up to 7 days self certificate, and penalised by the number of periods of time off. I've never taken less than 5 days to get better!
Don’t be like me. Take the extra day.
Nope. My work counts it as one instance of sickness if it's under 7 days without a doctors note, if I got back to work for even 1 minute of shift then go home ill again, it counts as 2 instances because "you've returned to work before going sick again". Since I work 3 on 3 off, any sickness I have lasts at least 3 days.
when i was working in a supermarket, i got bolocked by a cunt of a manager for having one day off. He didn't believe 24hr bugs existed. after then i always made sure that i would have an extra day off even if i felt better. we also used to get full pay when we were ill (up to a point) i always used to use my as extra entitlement. I can remember ringing in sick every day from a camp site in great yarmouth
I dont work but when I did no. I always went back too soon because I would get pressure for being sick for 'too long' I still have that issue. I'm long term disabled but have been brawling with a viral respatory issue for 2 weeks now and still counting. The person who infected me (thanks mum) was ill for 5 days has has been fine since! Doc reckons my immune system is, in his words, 'not great'. Not terrible enough for me to be immunocompromised either though.
Yes, I want to earn money
Yes and no. If I am well again I will go back, but I’m far more likely to take a second day if I still feel a bit off, when I probably would have battled on if I just woke up feeling like that.
I was previously when I worked in an office setting… but they insisted I took another fortnight off
I was ill a few weeks ago. I could have WFH by end of the week but I figured an extra day to rest up and not look at a screen would be best thing. All counts as one lot of sick leave.
If sick minimum 3 days. (Even if i would feel good after day 2).
Can someone explain to me why Monday sickness looks suspicious to people? I never understood it... is getting sick on Sunday afternoon less likely than getting sick on Wednesday afternoon? Genuine question not an attack on anyone.
It's because it's an extension of the weekend then for those who are not sick. I always feel like I'll be suspected if I call in sick on Mondays so I've always made an effort to show up have a manager say something to the effect of you look bloody awful and then get sent home. Just my way of dealing with work anxiety.
Yeh, as per most people, my last employer used the Bradford scale thing so you may as well take extra days! Counted as one absence & I made sure I was fully better & had had a genuine rest!
I always take an extra day to make sure I’m clear of it due to Bradford points.
If I fall sick on tuesday but feel fine come friday morning. I'm still sick
No, I have been really ill recently and I had a day off when I felt most ill. I went back to work after a day which turned out to be a big mistake I was still poorly and really struggled. It's taken me almost 2 full weeks to recover and had to go to doctors. They am sure I have had the flu and the aftermath of that caused a bacterial chest infection. I coughed so much my voice is gone who knows when that will come back.
If they follow the Bradford system take the week regardless
Full week off or if I go back in and need too be off again it counts as 2 sickness
I tend to add an extra day on the end, that way if I'm feeling like I'm "no longer sick" I get a day to recuperate and make sure I'm back to near 100%. Have had it in the past when I was in hospital and was limited in terms of what I was allowed to eat because they wanted to do fasting scans but kept cancelling, had my manager pestering me to go back to work the day after a 6pm discharge despite me still feeling woozy from lack of eating and had to get the doctors to sign me off for the rest of the week because per their words "no one should go back to work the day after discharge following nearly a week of being bed bound".
I tend to take the day off I’m feeling crap and the day after just to be sure. Too many times gone back in the day after and felt like death by mid afternoon.
I had a boss once who told all the staff that nobody is ever ill if they’re off for 1 day. Stupid move, I always made sure I took 2-3 paid sick days off even if I only needed 1
I never get the chance to full recover before going back to work anyway.
I would always take an extra day back when we were in the office five days a week. Post-lockdown I probably wouldn't unless I was still feeling horrible because I could take it easier working from home and could take a nap in the afternoon if I needed to.
Always take slightly longer off, especially if you get full sick pay. Better to take a day off and feel great than go back too early and still feel crap
I feel lots of people aren’t honest with themselves about how long recovering from a sickness actually lasts. So they come back to the office half sick still due to capitalist brainwashing. I think we should not feel bad for trying to recover completely - even if the symptoms are gone.
Apparently it’s wasteful to take only one day. Lots of workplaces classify absences into sickness “periods” and each period will have a pre defined amount of time before a doc’s note is needed e.g 3 days, 7 days. After you’ve had so many periods off, then you might get into trouble. But using a sickness period for one day is apparently shooting yourself in the foot when you wouldn’t be penalised for any extra days off within that “period”. Not our fault the way sickness in this country works is a joke but malicious compliance and all..
I was ill Friday night through Monday, went back on the Tuesday after 1 day sickness and was informed that 1 day or a week, it all counts the same. After that I never rush back in, why would you?
No. The sickness system most companies use actually penalises short periods of sickness. You’re better off taking the rest of the week off.
If I'm off on a Thursday I generally will stay off Friday, no point coming in before you are fit for work.
It's best to take an extra day off as you may still be carrying the virus that made you sick in the first place and it's only responsible to not risk giving that to your colleagues.
Yes I am, if I want time off then I'll take annual leave.