Boss constantly ringing and emailing when I'm out sick

apache

I've been out sick from work the past year on illness benefit. I see the work Dr every few months. The problem is my boss who won't stop emailing and ringing me. I don't think much of them and don't want to discuss anything personal to them but they are relentless and starting to make things difficult for me.

I send my medical certs in and see the company Dr as requested. Do I have to engage with my boss? I don't want to deal with them.

Wanderer2010

Block his number and email immediately. Then tell your own doctor and the company doctor as soon as you can that your stress levels have increased due to all the unwanted phone calls and emails and you need to be reassessed.

Minier81

Managers are encouraged (usually in their hr policies) to do welfare checks when someone is out on sick leave long term. Of course you don't have to answer, that is your choice to make.

apache

This person is the HR manager as well. That kinda makes it a bit more tricky.

Minier81

That is tricky.

If its public service the typical policy would be something like: call the staff member every 2 weeks to stay in touch, remind them they are valued and needed but we understand they will not be back until they are well enough too. This is encouraged because (apparently) people who are in regular communication with their manager are more likely to return from long term sick leave.

You can reasonably request that another person make these calls if you'd prefer. Unfortunately refusing to take the call could appear negative, ie not willing to engage with manager.

Deeec

Why don't you just talk to your boss and explain you are still not well enough to return to work. You have been off work for a year, they deserve to know the situation. I'm sure they have employed someone temporarily or have one of your colleagues doing your work - they deserve to know when you are or if you are likely to return.

I honestly cannot understand why won't speak to them if you are genuinely unwell. Not keeping in contact with your employer is poor form. You have to look at it from their point of view aswell. If you want to keep a good relationship with them speak to them.

caviardreams

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122264334#Comment_122264334

Agree, it is in your interest to communicte the situation with them if you want them to keep your job open.

Also depends on how you define "constant" emails and calls, if they are going unanswered, your manager maybe following up till they get an answer.This would be solved by honest transparent communication on what the situation is - e.g. I won't be back anytime soon / might be back in a month or so after dr review etc

If you are answering them and they are contacting you twice a week every week that's excessive

if constant is once a fortnight that's not constant or excessive from a company keeping your job open for you

blackbox

"Constantly" is very vague…

once an hour?

once a day?

once a week?

once a fortnight?

once a month?

apache

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122264334#Comment_122264334

Anxiety is part of the reason I am out. I just can't bring myself to talk to them. It's difficult to explain.

But you are right. I'll have to do something.

fullstop

you’ve been out sick for a year? And your boss is the issue because he/she is trying to contact you? Ok 👌🏼

Flinty997

Out of curiosity how long can you be off sick before you can be let go for being unable to do your job. I assume most places have a policy on this. I'd assume part of that policy would be checking in with the company. How often you check in is probably part of a policy also no?

Avatar in the Post

Would you prefer if they let you go, which is possible at this stage (and it wouldn’t be a redundancy)?

If you are stressed by working for them why are you staying with them. Illness benefit lasts a max two years, but that’s not dependant on you staying with this employer.

Big Bag of Chips

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122264937#Comment_122264937

An email reply can be easier than a phone conversation. A brief reply outlining you are not up to returning yet but are in regular contact with both your own doctor and the company doctor who are monitoring the situation closely.

jackboy

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122265007#Comment_122265007

Some employers give significant illness benefit for the long term. It wouldn't be full pay but would still be far more than state benefits.

Flinty997

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122265049#Comment_122265049

It will end though.

There didn't seem to be any improvement from the OP.

jackboy

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122265128#Comment_122265128

Depends on the company. Could go on for years or permanently.

Big Bag of Chips

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122265135#Comment_122265135

No company will pay permanent sick pay to an employee!!

Usual practice is full pay for a period, half pay for a period, and then no pay.

jackboy

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122265259#Comment_122265259

Some of the multinationals do by choice on a case by case basis.

Big Bag of Chips

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122265370#Comment_122265370

Tell me who so I can apply for a job 😉

Flinty997

I'm curious what's the OPs plan here. How does the OP move forward. Where do they want to be in 6 months.

jackboy

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122265372#Comment_122265372

😀getting the job is not enough, you then have to become one of the chosen ones or have a boss/bosses who will push for you to receive such benefits.

Chances are the OP is not in one of these categories but when someone is out sick any potential decrease in income often results in people returning to work when they are not ready.

HildaOgdenx

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122265048#Comment_122265048

I agree with this, OP.

From their point of view, they are probably following procedures by keeping in touch regularly with you, and maybe out of genuine concern for you also.

If you're having counselling, maybe discuss it with your counsellor, and then send an email, giving them an update, along the lines suggested above.

CalamariFritti

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122265370#Comment_122265370

They dont really. What happens is they enter you into a sick pay insurance scheme as part of your contract. So you will continue to get paid, typically not full rate, but after a certain period like 3 or 6 months depending on the policy it comes off the insurance not off the company's books.

jackboy

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122265633#Comment_122265633

That is interesting. I have seen different individuals at the same company getting different benefits around sick pay duration. Maybe that was actually down to different individual contracts.

CalamariFritti

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122265651#Comment_122265651

Ye I cant speak for all multinationals obviously but thats how it works in my company. Could well be that different contracts have different parameters/perks but I'm on one of those and it's a very reassuring thing to have. I mean its something you dont ever really think about when you're 30 and sign a contract you just go 'ah yes nice, cool, whatever' but when/if it comes to it its an actual blessing.

bucketybuck

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/2058356057/boss-constantly-ringing-and-emailing-when-im-out-sick

Are you still getting money from them?

Its been a year, so would you take issue at them getting somebody else to do the job? If the role didn't need doing then it would be redundant, so I'm sure you can appreciate that somebody needs to be doing it.

Just curious what your plan is, because it reads like you just want them to leave you alone on sick leave indefinitely.

coolbeans

Delete

coolbeans

. Delete

bucketybuck

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122265684#Comment_122265684

Yeah, "block your employer" is one of the more bizarre things I've heard recently.

scwazrh

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122264944#Comment_122264944

Ireland has to be one of the worst countries to be an employer or a landlord .Staff don’t come to work and you can’t sack them , A tenant doesn’t pay the rent and you can’t evict them.God forbid you play hard with either cause then you’re at fault

AndrewJRenko

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122265662#Comment_122265662

Many multinationals would have a disability insurance scheme for staff, whereby if you are unable to work permanently, you go on an insurance based payment, maybe half or 2/3rds salary until you read retirement age. Remember David Norris's little arrangement, where he was unfit to be a Trinity professor, and got a disability payment from Trinity, while working as a Trinity senator?

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122265740#Comment_122265740

You can do both, once you go through the proper procedures. It is fairly unusual for an employer to continue to pay salary to someone who is unable to work for the long term. It would usually be in the situation where someone is going through cancer treatment or similar, with a reasonable prospect of recovery in the longer term.

Tork

Perhaps the person/people out for extended sick had taken out some sort of serious illness protection or income continuance cover. None of this is going to help our OP if they won't even engage with their employers.

tohaltuwi

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122265807#Comment_122265807

in the public service illness management has likely changed again since my day working there, but changes were apace in my sector. Management wanted engagement from anyone out sick long term, and there was/is a serious illness protocol, but it was quite specific to certain situations and focussed on the likelihood of returning to work.

I had a major colectomy/ileostomy, and before the surgery had a broken foot. Recovering from surgery was difficult because I had e try known complication of it, plus was getting attacks of multiple sclerosis, which at that point was undiagnosed. Therefore I was out sick over about 6 months. In that time period I voluntarily sent in emails to the local HR manager giving updates, and she was always very appreciative of that.

The local section manager where I worked was a narcissistic type, many complaints sent in about her over issues. I was dreading she would appear at the hospital where I was weeks recovering. She didn’t fortunately, I told her I was infectious and couldn’t have visitors, and there was an element of truth in that. There had been a lady out sick, and she was known to park outside the house, and would knock on the door, husband on guard to answer all door knocks. Pretence of caring about her welfare etc. My unwell colleague made a complaint to management after the second drop-by visit, and that manager desisted, but kept asking us all questions, did we know how she was doing, had anyone seen her out and about etc.

Needless to say that behaviour is unacceptable, but regular emails to the relevant manager is reasonable to expect.

AnnieinDundrum

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122265633#Comment_122265633

exactly this

our pension scheme includes such a scheme and a few people have had a decade or more on the scheme, zero cost to the company, the insurance company covers the cost and the medical certs etc go to the insurer. I think maybe for a first year it’s the company policy to maintain contact, after that it’s outside their remit.

And the managers concerned are not in contact with the employee.

The payment is not full pay and it also takes into account disability benefits where applicable.

Since signing up for the pension scheme which included this benefit was optional there have occasionally been people NOT covered which weren’t happy that their long term illness wasn’t covered. But that’s insurance for you! No one wants to pay it but if you need it it’s fantasti.

Avatar in the Post

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122265049#Comment_122265049

I meant SW illness benefit.

You may be referencing Income Continuance Protection. Or Public sector which is full pay for six months and half pay for second six months and quarter pay for a time after 1st year. But I don’t think the OP is in the public sector.

I don’t know any private company paying out themselves after a year. You might know one?

Homer

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122265379#Comment_122265379

at home in bed getting paid I would imagine

Ezeoul

If the OP is a public servant, (which I believe they are going by their previous threads) there is also TRR pay (Temporary Rehabilitation Remuneration) after half pay is exhausted. IIRC its calculated at 37.% of salary.