Sick leave

highly1111

Just had to ring in sick there as I'm dying with a bug and a head cold - not fun. However my deputy principal just asked if it was certified or not for their records. It's not as I don't think forking out €60 to be told to go home and rest is worth it by going to doc. My little boy had a bug and was fine the next day so I don't want to spend €60 by going to doc. However I'm just wondering if this affects my pay. I'm on a fixed term contract. I can't imagine it does but if anyone could clarify this for me I'd appreciate it. It's my first uncertified sick day of the school year. I have missed 2 other half days but they were due to certified ante natal appointments.

Thanks

Boober Fraggle

The VP has to ask, because if you are certified they can get a sub in and pay them, and if you are uncertified, they have to use s and s to cover your absence. I think VPs should explain this better to staff, people here are always worried when they get asked that question, as they think he is questioning whether they are really sick!!

Delphi91

Speaking as a DP, not alone is it important to ring and let the school know whether it is certified or not, but can I also make a request to all teachers who ring in and say it is uncertified - please don't turn up the following day with a cert! I'll already have used the S&S scheme to cover your classes and those teachers are now unavailable for the rest of the week to me. I've had this before where a teacher rings in the first day uncertified (no problem with that), rings in the next day uncertified (again no problem) and the same the following day (still no problem), then arrives back on the 4th day with a cert to cover the missing 3 days! That has wasted three days of S&S cover.

Powerhouse

Delphi91 wrote: »

Speaking as a DP, not alone is it important to ring and let the school know whether it is certified or not, but can I also make a request to all teachers who ring in and say it is uncertified - please don't turn up the following day with a cert! I'll already have used the S&S scheme to cover your classes and those teachers are now unavailable for the rest of the week to me. I've had this before where a teacher rings in the first day uncertified (no problem with that), rings in the next day uncertified (again no problem) and the same the following day (still no problem), then arrives back on the 4th day with a cert to cover the missing 3 days! That has wasted three days of S&S cover.

Only problem with this is that sometimes someone might not go to the Doctor the first day or maybe until the afternoon of the second when they get a cert. People will not always know on the first morning that they'll be out for a few days or that a cert will be required.

TheDriver

why not backdate it and have people owing you a few hours, I find that works a treat if you are submitting monthly part time hours

I have explained to staff about the cert/uncdert yet some still feel insulted when you ask. Also trying to get certs off some people is such a pain or the worst thing is when a teacher says they have a cert and then appear in the next day saying they never bothered going to the doctor in the end

highly1111

Completely understand everyone's point of view. To be honest being pregnant I know I just have to fight it off myself and I wasn't insulted when she asked as I had a conversation with her before about my ante natal appointments. However I just wanted to make sure that my pay isn't affected - not that there's much I could do about it if there was. But does anyone know how the whole process works? I'm trying to look up the information but it's a minefield. I assume I'll still get paid considering its my first uncertified sick day? Anyway, thanks for the info.

Edited to say found piece on INTO saying that 7 uncertified sick leave days are permitted in the school year so pay obviously shouldn't be affected. Thanks

Delphi91

Powerhouse wrote: »

Only problem with this is that sometimes someone might not go to the Doctor the first day or maybe until the afternoon of the second when they get a cert. People will not always know on the first morning that they'll be out for a few days or that a cert will be required.

Fair point....... I guess it's just one of the faults of the system.

TheDriver

and your maternity appointments are not included in your sick leave provisions, they are a seperate entitlement.
The real issue with uncertified sick leave is teachers who take 1 day a month always, its way too obvious!

Delphi91

TheDriver wrote: »

and your maternity appointments are not included in your sick leave provisions, they are a seperate entitlement.
The real issue with uncertified sick leave is teachers who take 1 day a month always, its way too obvious!

Ah but after all, as public servants, we're entitled to 7 uncertified days a year! and it would be a terrible waste not to take them, now wouldn't it!!:pac::pac:

The one that gets on my nerves is the one where people a few years off retirement go to one of those pre-retirement seminars and they're invariably asked "I presume that you've taken all your time-off entitlements before you retire?". Its an alternative way of saying "You do realise that you're entitled to one year off on certified leave in a five year period with pay, don't you?" Hint...hint...hint....:rolleyes:

rainbowtrout

Delphi91 wrote: »

Ah but after all, as public servants, we're entitled to 7 uncertified days a year! and it would be a terrible waste not to take them, now wouldn't it!!:pac::pac:

The one that gets on my nerves is the one where people a few years off retirement go to one of those pre-retirement seminars and they're invariably asked "I presume that you've taken all your time-off entitlements before you retire?". Its an alternative way of saying "You do realise that you're entitled to one year off on certified leave in a five year period with pay, don't you?" Hint...hint...hint....:rolleyes:

The amount of people I've worked with that get sick the last week of August/first week of September and are sick for the year and retire at the end of that year is unreal.

Delphi91

rainbowtrout wrote: »

The amount of people I've worked with that get sick the last week of August/first week of September and are sick for the year and retire at the end of that year is unreal.

Yep, I've seen that too. One guy went off on "stress" leave because he'd been asked to team teach a first year maths class with a maths teacher. He argued that he wasn't qualified to team teach and got signed off "sick" for the remainder of the year before retiring.