Asked to work while sick

Yawns

The employer didn't ring on the first sick day to ask for work done. Day 2 and the OP rang in sick again. Perhaps the manager is waiting on this report for other work to move along and thinks the OP may ring in sick again tomorrow.

If you have the flu, then you won't be out sick for only 2 days. A cold yes, the flu no.

OP just switch the phone off in future.

intheclouds

neonman wrote: »

I have always gone to work while having a cold but this year it came back to bite me.

I hate when people come in while sick and infect everyone else in the office.

Alf Veedersane

You don't have to work but (a) sometimes it's better to just do it and save yourself hassle/foster a decent relationship with the manager and (b) it's not a huge deal to do it.

It doesn't necessarily mean running to do it.

You helped your manager out when sick. You put in a lot of overtime so it's unlikely to create the perception you're a skiver.

I've done the same OP and it's never resulted in questions about how sick I was and it's never been taken advantage of. It's always just been well received because I helped someone out when I was sick.

There's no need for extremes like 'work to rule' or 'out the door'.

Kimbot

davo10 wrote: »

Yes.

That good you can diagnose without seeing the patient!!

Enigma IE

liljellytot wrote: »

Hi, I'm not sure if this is the right place to post this, but I'm looking for feedback on a situation.

I rang in sick to work yesterday - I have the flu and am quite exhausted. I'm not surprised I got sick and feel run down to be honest because I have been working long hours and work is pretty stressful. Last week for example, I worked my contracted 39 hours + about 10 hours extra (unpaid). More fool me I guess...

Anyway, I called in sick to work yesterday and my manager was fine with it. I still wasn't feeling better today so I contacted her again this morning, before 9pm, telling her I was still feeling ill and wasn't up to coming in. She said ok, but then sent me a messages asking for an update on a number of things.

In order to produce this update, I had to go through my work emails and collate information from a number of emails I have received over the past few days and then send her a report.

So I'm just wondering, is it OK for my manager to ask me for something like this when I have called in sick? After contacting her this morning I really wanted to just rest and focus on getting better.

Maybe I'm being unreasonable, but this doesn't feel right.

OP, I guess it depends on how critical (or not) the items you needed to provide a quick update on. It's possible your manager needed to provide an update or your colleagues were waiting on something specific.

If the items were not important, then I would have politely declined and they would have to wait.

If the items were important (to someone), then I would have simply logged in and forwarded any relevant emails and added a comment if necessary. Let's say it took 10 minutes, I think that's ok.

I would not have spent an hour going through emails and producing a report.

Hoboo

You're not too sick to be on boards ......regardless.

If you're too sick to get some updates say so. You weren't, you completed it, fair play. If anything that shouts professionalism and dedication, not 'well enough' to be in work. If that's even questioned tell said manager you did it out of professionalism, even though you were unwell, and in future don't request again.

If it was business critical today I would say there's nothing wrong with being asked, if you're that sick you would say no.

The fact you do 10 hours plus will probably mean they don't question your illness in the slightest.

Regarding overtime, depends on your contract. Salary, bonus's etc may cover this......the more senior you are the less likely you'll get overtime, it's simply expected. You don't like it, leave. Harsh but true.

If you want a day off in future, and aren't sick, ring and tell them you're taking a force majeur day. No reason required, just off with the phone immediately.

Enjoy your afternoon!

bucketybuck

jonny24ie wrote: »

That good you can diagnose without seeing the patient!!

If the OP had the flu he/she would damn well know it. He/she has a cold and is feeling rundown, it isn't close to the same thing and you don't need to be a doctor to know that.

Fact is, the world doesn't stop because somebody feels poorly. The company still needs to continue on, so it isn't really unreasonable for the manager to ask for certain information to let it do so. They didn't try and force the OP to come in, or try to deny him any sick leave they simply asked for a few updates.

A little bit of perspective on the part of the OP would do no harm at all.

KomradeBishop

Read your contract with your employer in full, and see what it says about unpaid overtime.

If you did not agree to work unpaid overtime, then calculate how much money you are short by, for those 10 hours of missed work - should help motivate you to do something about it (including motivating trying to change your contract, if they are taking the piss with overtime - which it sounds like they are).

For example - at minimum wage, you would be down €86.5 for giving 10 hours of work for free - that's a fair chunk of money, and if it's a regular occurrance, it could start adding up into the thousands/tens-of-thousands over the years.


If you are not contracted to do unpaid overtime, then this is wage theft (unfortunately, not well supported in law) - and it might be worth talking to someone for legal advice (or even just querying Citizens Information or ICTU) if it's going to be a regular thing.

Don't let yourself be exploited by a crappy employer.

Mrs OBumble

Hoboo wrote: »

If it was business critical today I would say there's nothing wrong with being asked, if you're that sick you would say no.

If it was really business critical, then the OP would have had to have it documented in a central place, from where someone else could have picked it up, and done the necessary extra work, before they last left the office.

_Brian

Only OP can really answer if it was the right thing to do...

If the request was business critical and real heavy **** that affected the business long term then I think unless I was unconscious I'd hash something out. If the business suffers big time over this it will never be forgotten and OP's position is on limited time..

If it wasn't absolutely critical then I think I'd decline, offering to do it immediately on return to work... I'd probably immediately after declining go get a doctors cert to re-enforce things a bit though..

In more than one business I've been in, saying NO for near any reason is assigned to company memory to be hashed out during some management meeting, be that redundancies, promotions or performance reviews

Mr.Carter

I never knew the 'work problems' forum had so many medical experts that can diagnose illness through the internet!!!!

drunkmonkey

Mr.Carter wrote: »

I never knew the 'work problems' forum had so many medical experts that can diagnose illness through the internet!!!!

We're around long enough to know the difference between a cold and the flu, op has never had the flu by the sounds of it.

Youngblood.III

No one here can or can't diagnose the OP unless they are a doctor and visit her.
Would you like your co-worker snotting all over you in work? No i don't think you would...so stop been so judgmental!!!

Stheno

Mod: Alright enough nonsense. No more discussion of flu versus cold.

imitation

Mrs OBumble wrote: »

If it was really business critical, then the OP would have had to have it documented in a central place, from where someone else could have picked it up, and done the necessary extra work, before they last left the office.

You would think that, but very few businesses are that organised, and often times there is vital current info sitting in peoples email inboxes. It can be a case that business grinds to a halt because one person who was a vital link is unexpectedly out sick.

byhookorbycrook

intheclouds wrote: »

I hate when people come in while sick and infect everyone else in the office.

Welcome to the world of primary teaching. Seriously, folks, teach your child how to use a hanky, cover a cough and wash their hands after being to the loo so they can grow up to NOT infecting people in their work place.

Wanderer78

you're not overreacting op. your unwell and require time to heal. if i was you, id be ignoring all work related communications until you return to the office. if work persists with this behaviour, you could always pay a visit to your doc and request some 'stress leave'. it sounds like you may require and deserve it. best of luck with it and i wish you a speedy recovery.

intheclouds

byhookorbycrook wrote: »

Welcome to the world of primary teaching. Seriously, folks, teach your child how to use a hanky, cover a cough and wash their hands after being to the loo so they can grow up to NOT infecting people in their work place.

Ugh!

They're kind of strict about it where I work because people travel a lot so if someone comes in coughing and spraying about they get sent home.

CaoimheSquee

A few years back I had an operation, an emergency procedure under general anesthetic. I was really struggling after it, mentally and physically. I was signed out with a sick cert from work from the surgeon for a week at the least and to check in if more was needed. I called work to explain to be told my manager to keep a eye on my emails. I didn't the day after the op but looked the following day and realized a meeting previously arranged for both of us to meet a client had not been rearranged and he had sent me an email to say he couldn't go and I had to. I hurled myself in, did the meeting with two lovely clients. I had done myself up as much as I could and smiled through it but they knew I was quite obviously not ok.
After they had gone I went into the HR manager and reminded him of the sick cert and I physically just could work at the moment. The really annoying thing was also was that my manager could have easily rearranged the meeting but chose to tell me by email that I had to go instead of him.

That job culminated in me having to go to A&E with severe stomach pains.After a full day there and many tests they let me go with painkillers. Again I rang my boss after I left and told him I should probably take the next day off that I was exhausted, still in pain and had been prodded and poked for hours. His reply was that he was pissed off!
Turned out the pain was all stress related.

I still have nightmares about that place. It was a big lesson in learning to say no!!

Youngblood.III

I think the main thing is to go with your gut instinct when sick, people are not robots and you cannot be fired for been sick.
By taking a sick day there is a better chance of recovering faster and been able to return to work at a 100% rather than spending 3-4days in work at 10% productivity.

Mrs OBumble

Youngblood.III wrote: »

you cannot be fired for been sick.

Just for the record, yes you can.

It's extremely unlikely to happen if you're out for a day or a week (unless there are other issues involved). But it is possible if you have health problem (not a disability) which means you cannot do the job you are contracted to do.

CruelCoin

liljellytot wrote: »

Maybe I'm being unreasonable, but this doesn't feel right.

You're well enough to operate boards but not your email?

Youngblood.III

Mrs OBumble wrote: »

Just for the record, yes you can.

It's extremely unlikely to happen if you're out for a day or a week (unless there are other issues involved). But it is possible if you have health problem (not a disability) which means you cannot do the job you are contracted to do.

Maybe so...but i bet no employer had ever fired someone for been out for one day..if their record is good.

Youngblood.III

CruelCoin wrote: »

You're well enough to operate boards but not your email?

Thats a bollox question, so if the op is on their phone lying in bed, their good enough to work (work email is work full stop)

Arbiter of Good Taste

So the OP wants the title of "Executive" but not the responsibility.

I really don't see the problem with a little give and take. Staying home with a cold does not preclude logging in for an hour or so, clearing the important stuff and then relaxing for the rest of the day.

It makes for a more pleasant working environment for everyone, and it will likely be remembered the next time you need a bit of leeway to leave early, go to an appointment, etc.

runawaybishop

Arbiter of Good Taste wrote: »

So the OP wants the title of "Executive" but not the responsibility.

I really don't see the problem with a little give and take. Staying home with a cold does not preclude logging in for an hour or so, clearing the important stuff and then relaxing for the rest of the day.

It makes for a more pleasant working environment for everyone, and it will likely be remembered the next time you need a bit of leeway to leave early, go to an appointment, etc.

So an hours work when off sick is fine. Maybe push it to 1.5 hours. But its an important role so maybe you should do 2 hours? Actually cos its friday you should do a half day!

Screw that, off sick is off sick. 5-10 mins of a transition call then they can sort it out themselves. If they don't have proper transitioning done thats their issue.

bucketybuck

runawaybishop wrote: »

If they don't have proper transitioning done thats their issue.

Actually, its the OP's issue. Min wage service staff can disappear, higher level staff have responsibilities, a word that many people seem to think has no meaning.

bucketybuck

runawaybishop wrote: »

So an hours work when off sick is fine. Maybe push it to 1.5 hours. But its an important role so maybe you should do 2 hours? Actually cos its friday you should do a half day!

And your slippery slope fallacy is just that, a logical fallacy.

It wasn't 2 hours, it wasn't a half days work, it was some emails so that the people trying to cover for the OP could do their jobs.

runawaybishop

bucketybuck wrote: »

And your slippery slope fallacy is just that, a logical fallacy.

It wasn't 2 hours, it wasn't a half days work, it was some emails so that the people trying to cover for the OP could do their jobs.

Eh, it was an eighth of a working day - already far too much. If someone is critical on a role that's a management issue to ensure proper transitioning is in place.

bucketybuck

runawaybishop wrote: »

Eh, it was an eighth of a working day - already far too much. If someone is critical on a role that's a management issue to ensure proper transitioning is in place.

And whats the transitioning on a person that without advance notice doesn't show up for work? How do you handover the responsibility to somebody else?

Would you, just maybe, ask for the most pertinent info so that a transition could be done? Is that so unreasonable?

The OP is an executive not a shelf stacker, management cannot just get some other shelf stacker to do the job without any questions needed.