Does your workplace have a problem with sickies?

[Markymark]

I stopped my critical illness cover, at my age and employment it stopped being cost effective.....

Shaun

There will be a point where my pension pot will outweigh the need for it.

 

[screenman]

I have critical illness insurance as well as life insurance.

I used to have the same.

 

[gbb]

In our maintenence team of 5, sickness is almost unheard of. Even at my worst , TB, pneumonia, pleurisy and hives, I think I only had 5 days off total. Trouble is, that head down and get on with it is why I went undiagnosed so long, just struggled along for maybe 3 months.
90 % of the rest of the workforce are agency, 99% of them are east european who will work whatever...and that probably led to a cluster of 9 cases of TB in our factory.
So struggling into work isnt always the best thing for everypne around you.
What is emerging now seems to be a health and safety nightmare, several accidents, albeit none serious, and some are now very quick to get their claims in.

 

[gbb]

When I worked in the steel trade it was quite common for some of my work colleagues to take their thirteen weeks sick leave annually, they knew how to work the system and always had sick notes etc, i reckon they were on good terms with their local gp, probably shared the same local boozer or something.

Ive known people like that In one of my former employers. A few considered it 'normal' or 'their right' to take a couple weeks off now and then.

 

[Flick of the Elbow]

When I worked in the steel trade it was quite common for some of my work colleagues to take their thirteen weeks sick leave annually.

And people blame politicians for the demise of British heavy industry...

 

[mjr]

And people blame politicians for the demise of British heavy industry...

Well yes, the buck for this culture stops with the managers' managers aka governments.

 

[MarkF]

Ive known people like that In one of my former employers. A few considered it 'normal' or 'their right' to take a couple weeks off now and then.

Where I work in the public service, a flyer will come around from management with the monthly sickness level, and also a sickness level target. Entirely predictably..........the workers see the target as the amount of days they are "entitled" to have off (not) sick without getting into trouble.

 

[mjr]

Can I ask, do most self employed workers not have insurance in case they are unable to work?

I'm not sure there's any statistics on it. Many people are self-employed because they have long-term illnesses which doesn't affect their day-to-day activities but means they know they will need maybe 1.5 to 3 days/year of medical care at times not entirely of their choice. Usually that will be as leave, but employers seem to assume it'll be sick days and act as if there will be more despite it being actually less likely as any "healthy" worker may have an undiagnosed illness and it's diagnosis which is often unpredictable and time-consuming.

Anyway... so many workers get fed up with this shoot and go self employed if they can, but of course, insurers charge more and demand more documentation to cover the self-employed anyway (ostensibly as there aren't payslips), plus they either refuse to cover people with treated long term illnesses or simply load the premiums so much they're unattainable.

Because most (all?) long-term illnesses are considered disabilities now, I'm surprised all this shoot is legal but it still seems to be going on, as far as I've heard.

 

[Jefferson Meriwether]

In my last place of work there was 1 guy who was often off sick. He's like that wherever he works.

In 18 years of working I've had about 4 days off with actual sickness & a combined total of about 3 months off with btoken bones.

 

[PhilDawson8270]

I had my first "sick" days last year. I've worked through plenty of illnesses, but mostly I was working solo anyway so little risk of infecting others.

Although my first time "sick" last year, I was out for just short of 4 months after breaking my arm.

 

[Toshiba Boy]

No.

Small team of six, very much rely on one another plus enjoy what we do. One person had a (genuine) day off sick on Monday this week, first time anybody has for two or three years.

Been in employed work for 34 years, and other than a six week period some 12 years ago, following an accident (got bored at home and went back early), have taken four days sick leave. Suppose I have been lucky with illness/accidents, and perhaps there have been times when I have been in "sharing" my germs around when I shouldn't have been.

Having said that, I would get annoyed with a regular "sickie taker", but haven't particularly come across one.

 

[Rooster1]

No unwarranted sickes from me, or warranted ones either.
Worked for same place for 15 years and I've had about 10 days off sick in total.
That's cycling and luck I guess.

Colleague called in yesterday to say he'd be late, no reason at first, then later he said he had a plumbing issue, then he said he was feeling under the weather, then he took the day off (as holiday). lol

 

[Stephenite]

There was a fella at the last place I worked who was off sick a lot. Almost everyone thought he was malingering. I knew he didn't like the job much. He was complaining about a mysterious back pain. After a couple of years I began to believe he was putting it on and using the system. Then came the diagnosis - a malignant tumour in his spine. He died, shortly after, a very painful death.
These days if someone rings in sick I say 'Get well soon.'

 

[Electric_Andy]

nope. NHS. All our managers were previously nurses, so if you're well enough to pick up the phone to call in sick then you're well enough to come to work

 

[Drago]

Assaulted on duty, elbow smashed, 2 rounds of reconstructive surgery necessitating almost a year off in 2 chunks. Our wonderful HR try to UAP me (ie, sack me for unsatisfactory attendance), but the Fed solicitor pointed out to them they'd lose in Court and I'd be up for estimated £400k in compo.

They backed down so quick it was laughable.

Most of these fools aren't clever enough even spell HR, much less be actually working there.