What do you think of co-workers that are always calling in sick?

[Cruise]

We have several people at work that take off at least 1 day a week because they are "sick". It's weird how it's usually on a Monday or Friday.....

My companies policy is very liberal on sickdays. And it's getting very frustating to the rest of us that have to carry their workload.

Any thoughts?

 

[Zorro]

Originally posted by: Cruise
We have several people at work that take off at least 1 day a week because they are "sick". It's weird how it's usually on a Monday or Friday.....

My companies policy is very liberal on sickdays. And it's getting very frustating to the rest of us that have to carry their workload.

Any thoughts?

Call out sick.

 

[dman]

Hopefully mgmt identifies those who are covering for them (w/ rewards) and HR recognizes the patterns of those mon/fri sick folks and punishes them.

 

[DPmaster]

Depends on if the company has an allotted amount of sick hours for each person. If so, then it should be OK as long as they don't go over their allotted amount. Where I work I get 6 sick hours every pay period. I've got something like 400 sick hours now (and it's constantly building up every pay period) so if I don't use them, they just go to waste.

 

[lancestorm]

Yeah call in sick....

 

[Mucho]

Be a team player or quit!

 

[LordThing]

I have the same problem here. There is one person that seems to take at least a few days off a month. Almost always a monday or friday. He has gotten better, but it really sucks sometimes cause we are short handed as is.

At least his excuses are rather funny to hear.

- Ran out of washer fluid
- Roads too wet
- Trailer's skylight leaking
- Cat died
- Kicked a tree
- Boil on the back
- Neck hurts
- Uncle is getting a divorce

I could go on, but I wont.....

 

[thermalpaste]

incentives should be planned on the basis of the number of sick leaves a person takes, the more the sick leaves implies that you get a lesser incentive.

 

[y2kc]

Honestly I don't care what people do. I have several co-workers who have developed attendance patterns (off mondays/fridays) and some of my other co-workers are quite vocal in their displeasure about it. I always tell them (the angry):

1. that it's none of my business
2. that as adults it's their job to keep or lose,
3. they know why they come to work and if they choose to risk it, so be it.

On the other hand several of the angry employees are the type that have no lives, take no vacation are single, live alone, with parents etc and I feel that alot of the anger they express is due to their jealousy that these folks (the absentees) have lives, go on trips have children and spouses...

I go to work and I take my days off (vacations). I usually end the year with days owed because I rarely get sick.

As far as being burdened with an extra workload, I do what's put in front of me. When I'm on vacation somebody has to pick up my slack. I do my job, short staffed or not. I understand that chronic, abusive absenteeism should not be tolerated however if you don't like the company's attendance policy you should seek employment elsewhere.

 

[kranky]

People in my group who take more than 5 sick days a year on Mondays and/or Fridays get a little talk from me about their ability to do the job. If it continues, it affects their evaluation in the areas of Integrity, Commitment, and Teamwork. Those are three of the five main areas so it has a big impact.

I don't look at the total number of sick days used as much as the number of different times they are claiming to be sick.

 

[Triforceofcourage]

Originally posted by: kranky
People in my group who take more than 5 sick days a year on Mondays and/or Fridays get a little talk from me about their ability to do the job. If it continues, it affects their evaluation in the areas of Integrity, Commitment, and Teamwork. Those are three of the five main areas so it has a big impact.

I don't look at the total number of sick days used as much as the number of different times they are claiming to be sick.

taking 6 sick days in a years span is nothing. You must be a real ass to repremand employees for 6 days. Get a hobby buddy and leave your employees alone. I rarely if almost never take sick days and if I am sick I usuallly come in but if you have them to use why let them go to waste.

 

[Amused]

My employees must have a Dr's note for any sick day past 3 days a year.

Sick days are not there to give employees 3 day weekends. They are there if you get sick. When I notice a pattern in an otherwise healthy employee, they lose my trust and must prove to me they are sick.

 

[Ausm]

As long as I did not have to do their work...who cares!


If I had to do their work,we would have words

Ausm

 

[ShotgunSteven]

My boss has a lot more sick leave than annual leave. He told us straight out that he would use any excuse to use it, even if it was just driving one of his daughters or his wife to the doctor, or if his wife had a headache, or whatever. So basically any time he is out "sick," we're suspicious of it.

Then this last Summer I got a lung infection due to all the smoke from the constant forest fires. I was out nine days, doctor wanted me out from work longer. I get back and find out he's been going around telling other people at work that I'm just faking sick to get even for some work I didn't particularly want to do that I was doing the same day I came down with a fever. He also claimed if I was sick enough to be out that long I should have been in the hospital. It's still never cleared up totally, I've had a day or two of sick leave because of it since then, and I'm on vacation time right now but going to get a doctor's note so I can change it to sick leave, because it came back with a vengeance. I'm sure he will be spouting off behind my back as usual, though.

 

[Arkitech]

Originally posted by: Ausm
As long as I did not have to do their work...who cares!


If I had to do their work,we would have words

Ausm

ditto

 

[kranky]

Originally posted by: Triforceofcourage

Originally posted by: kranky
People in my group who take more than 5 sick days a year on Mondays and/or Fridays get a little talk from me about their ability to do the job. If it continues, it affects their evaluation in the areas of Integrity, Commitment, and Teamwork. Those are three of the five main areas so it has a big impact.

I don't look at the total number of sick days used as much as the number of different times they are claiming to be sick.

taking 6 sick days in a years span is nothing. You must be a real ass to repremand employees for 6 days. Get a hobby buddy and leave your employees alone. I rarely if almost never take sick days and if I am sick I usuallly come in but if you have them to use why let them go to waste.

Thanks for the career advice, but in my experience people who miss 5 or more Mondays/Fridays are not always sick, they just want a long weekend without using a vacation day. There are five work days in a week, and the chance that someone only is sick on either a Monday or a Friday creates suspicion. The vacation policy is extremely generous plus we get 13 paid holidays a year, so it's not like they can't use a vacation day if they want a long weekend.

 

[IHateMyJob2004]

Originally posted by: Cruise
We have several people at work that take off at least 1 day a week because they are "sick". It's weird how it's usually on a Monday or Friday.....

My companies policy is very liberal on sickdays. And it's getting very frustating to the rest of us that have to carry their workload.

Any thoughts?

Wahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh

In all seriousness, you do realize that management sees this and when lay-offs come, who do you think will get the size 12? Also, do you think these people will get good raises?

"Mind your own"

 

[ugh]

Don't they have to produce some kind of medical certificate to certify that they're sick?

 

[Amused]

Originally posted by: IHateMyJob2004

Originally posted by: Cruise
We have several people at work that take off at least 1 day a week because they are "sick". It's weird how it's usually on a Monday or Friday.....

My companies policy is very liberal on sickdays. And it's getting very frustating to the rest of us that have to carry their workload.

Any thoughts?

Wahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh

In all seriousness, you do realize that management sees this and when lay-offs come, who do you think will get the size 12? Also, do you think these people will get good raises?

"Mind your own"

It's hard to "mind your own" when you have to pick up their slack. In fact, by reporting them and complaining they ARE "minding their own."

"learn to read"

 

[J0hnny]

Funny how my coworker has been out sick the last 2 days and the work we need from him is dire and he can't be contacted.

 

[knivox]

Where I work sick days and vacation days come out of the same pot. It solves this problem, but it sucks for people that are really sick for long periods of time.

 

[TheAudit]

I wouldn't care. If they can get away with it then more power to them.

 

[Amused]

Originally posted by: TheAudit
I wouldn't care. If they can get away with it then more power to them.

Even if your workload doubles on those days?

 

[TheAudit]

Originally posted by: Amused

Originally posted by: TheAudit
I wouldn't care. If they can get away with it then more power to them.

Even if your workload doubles on those days?

Sure. You or whomever is doing it, right?
Complain to management if it's a problem.
They are doing it, if it was an issue someone would say something and they would stop or find other employment.

 

[K1052]

Anyone who did that at my work would be gone rather quickly.