I hate that in Tesco you don't get paid for the first 3 days off sick!

*Kat*

I thought if you're vomiting it's a case that you have to be NOT sick for 48 hours after that before going back to work/school etc? I'm no doctor. I didn't mean to start any argument!!

judywoody

What happened to this world?? First of all, it's quite interesting how many posters "diagnose" the degree of the OP's illness by simply saying "if you can type you can work" - how daft is that?? Secondly, the OP is quite happy to work on a different day to catch up with his hours but is unable to do so because they can't offer him more hours - that shows to me that he is not too lazy to work but simply unwell.
Working with a heavy cold in a supermarket is not only unhealthy for the employee but for everyone around. Therefor, I can understand the OP's concern. Whether the degree of his illness is really that bad is not for us to decide. Yes, there are slackers out there and Tesco probably tries to reduce the amount of people who just can't be bothered to go to work and just won't pay for the first 3 days. But it would only be fair to offer the person to work on a different day instead. I have worked with a heavy cold in the past and "only" had an office job. It was unbearable - I felt dizzy all day and it only made things worse for me and I had to call in sick in the end anyway. Although my employer paid me for the first three days I could have just called in sick the first day and would have probably been able to work the other three days too. I am really concerned how supermarkets treat people with serious illnesses, too. You are practically about to lose your job if you have a long-term illness and you get warnings. I really think this is against human rights. Okay, the OP "just" has a cold - but for the reasons I mentioned above I think it's not always ok to work under these circumstances.
Over the years big companies have gained more and more authority in the job market to a degree that people think the way some companies treat their employees is ok. You have to bend over backwards, even if your limbs fall off just not to loose your job. And it's become perfectly acceptable. Don't get me wrong, I generally think there is a lack of enthusiasm amongst a lot of employees. But it completely undermines the effort that honest employees put into their work and if they call in sick it's the most horrendous and irresponsible thing they could possibly do. The statutory sick pay was introduced to protect the employees NOT only the employer. But it seems this is what companies like Tesco, ASDA etc are thinking: "You should be grateful for what you get - now shut up and do as you're told"... Lack of appreciation.... I wouldn't want to work in this kind of environment but it's easy to say "just look for a different job" in this current climate. I am the last person to call in sick - I am just quite tough. But I now realize that it has taken a toll on my health and I don't know if I can keep up this attitude for much longer. The relationship between an employer and an employee should be balanced and if both sides had the right attitude I think people would be happier in their jobs. I wish companies would use more discernment with individuals rather than just pigeonhole everybody and presume they are all just slackers. With this kind of attitude I am not surprised that more and more people are less and less enthusiastic about their jobs...

momoyama

Outpost wrote: »

I very much doubt that Kat's Tesco manager could gain access to her IP address, cross-reference that somehow with her internet provider and identify her. Again assuming of course that the particular manager of the store where she works, one of thousands of stores, happened upon her post and took issue

Finding someone's IP address and therefore rough geographical location is easy. How many Tesco stores in that area? How many of those stores have 3 staff off sick this morning?

Easy. And it happens.
At the end of the day, take my advice or ignore it; it's not my job or rent.

Outpost

momoyama wrote: »

At the end of the day, take my advice or ignore it; it's not my job or rent.

I didn't say it was your 'job or rent'. Strange thing to say.

I have the feeling that any disciplinary procedure is going to need something a little more concrete than knowing what city a poster is situated in.

Of course we both know that it would never get to that stage since Tesco management are not trawling internet message boards with a view to catching staff who are off sick via their IP addresses.

MrsManda

Putting aside how ill you are/what's wrong with you as it's not really relevant, if you are only entitled to Statutory Sick Pay then you won't receive it until you've been ill for four days in a row (inc days you don't normally work).
http://www.direct.gov.uk/en/MoneyTaxAndBenefits/BenefitsTaxCreditsAndOtherSupport/Illorinjured/DG_10018786

Some occupational sick pay policies continue to pay you from the first day of illness but this is not compulsory unless it's written into your T&Cs of employment.

GothicStirling

I could also say what is happening to this world, my parents brought me up to work. My Dad for instance went to work ill one day, turned out he had contracted Ecoli and ended up hospitalised.

Back in the days when we had a work ethic.

GothicStirling

Tiddlywinks wrote: »

Sneezing propels bodily fluids at a hell of a speed into the air and if you are near enough to breathe those in or touch the surface where they land then you may become infected.

If you contract a cold virus it requires cross contamination. Highly unlikely to 'breathe in' the bacteria. Now if someone blew their nose and then touched used a telephone, which was then transfered to the hand of the next person who then licked their fingertips, then you have a high risk of contamination.

Snot is actually dead white blood cells.

Wash your hands.

*Kat*

GothicStirling wrote: »

If you contract a cold virus it requires cross contamination. Highly unlikely to 'breathe in' the bacteria. Now if someone blew their nose and then touched used a telephone, which was then transfered to the hand of the next person who then licked their fingertips, then you have a high risk of contamination.

Snot is actually dead white blood cells.

Wash your hands.

I don't have a cold? And cool story about your Dad. Sounds AWESOME!!

Slinky

Never mind IP addresses, a simple trawl of the OP's previous postings reveals the city they live in and where they are going on holiday in September. Wouldn't take a lot of effort on Tesco's part to narrow it down. If they could be bothered.

Googlewhacker

*Kat* wrote: »

I thought if you're vomiting it's a case that you have to be NOT sick for 48 hours after that before going back to work/school etc? I'm no doctor. I didn't mean to start any argument!!

This only applies to where you are dealing with food as far as I understood it.