Emplyee off sick but I think it is not true

purcel

Like the title says, one of my employees called today sick for the whole weekend. But I remembered that she told me a while ago that she had theatre tickets for a show in London tonight. So I called her on her landline to talk to her and I have been told by her son that she is ill in bed, I've asked for her to be woken up and her son hang up the phone saying he will ask her to ring us back if she wants to talk to me. I think she is not home.
Now, is it unreasonable for me to want to talk to her and demand for her to be woken up? Or this is not to be done? I am really annoyed as I have no staff to cover for her and I have to work a 12 h shift tomorrow to start at 7 when I only finish work at 11pm tonight.
Thanks

isthatreduced

Good on her son for hanging up on you.

You have no proof and certainly no right to ask someone to be woken up to apparently proove they are to iill to come into work.

If it where my manager I would report them.

ILW

I would be tempted to knock on her door and if she is not there post her P45.

ohreally

You're being intrusive - remember to apologise to both her and her son.

jamespir

if shes phoned in sick its not down to you to porve if she isnt you could get reported for harrasment what do you do cause id offer to work if its something i could grasp easily

mrcow

You are being absolutely out of order.

Is this your own business? If so, then sorry - but the 12 hour shift etc is what you have to do when it's your own company.

If it's not your own business, then I'd start panicing if were you as you'll probably have a formal complaint about you to deal with by Monday morning.

Viper_7

You have no proof, and throwing around accusations.
You are demanding that an ill person should be woken up? Are you real?
You have no staff to cover = poor management.

On return, follow the return to work procedures, I'm sure you have? If not you should have.
Interview to confirm they are fit to return, any adjustments required etc.

Yes people do pull sickies, yes if they continue to take the proverbial with excessive sick leave then you can go down the road of the employee not being able to perform her role as per contract.
Carry on going down the path you are taking and you yourself can be taken to the cleaners...

smileylondongal

ohreally wrote: »

You're being intrusive - remember to apologise to both her and her son.

Exactly, lol! I think you have no real evidence of this so all you can do is monitor the situation and keep dates of sickness. If it carried on after 5 working days then you could ask for a doctor's sick note. Either way, calling their house is possibly not the best approach if
they really are sick and you just don't know.

Viper_7

ILW wrote: »

I would be tempted to knock on her door and if she is not there post her P45.

and then look forward for wrongful dismissal.

Errata

purcel wrote: »

Like the title says, one of my employees called today sick for the whole weekend. But I remembered that she told me a while ago that she had theatre tickets for a show in London tonight. So I called her on her landline to talk to her and I have been told by her son that she is ill in bed, I've asked for her to be woken up and her son hang up the phone saying he will ask her to ring us back if she wants to talk to me. I think she is not home.
Now, is it unreasonable for me to want to talk to her and demand for her to be woken up? Or this is not to be done? I am really annoyed as I have no staff to cover for her and I have to work a 12 h shift tomorrow to start at 7 when I only finish work at 11pm tonight.
Thanks

No, not unreasonable, just plain evil.

ILW

Nobody is ever too sick to take a phone call. She is taking the mick.