How many 'safe' sick days in a year?

makeyourdaddyproud

Are there days when he could make the time up? Weekends perhaps?

aileth

Denning. wrote: »

Quick google appears that it is up to the company how they count sick days (within reason), but if it ever came to it the law deems once someone has started work for the day then if they are sent home at 9:05 then it won't be deemed a sick day.

Really? Very interesting, thanks for that!

aileth

makeyourdaddyproud wrote: »

Are there days when he could make the time up? Weekends perhaps?

They're closed Sundays and he works every second Saturday, so yes he could well do. Very good suggestion, thank you.

LutonGirl

Where I work, if you come to work then go home sick it's not counted as a sick day. As others have said, lots of individual days vs longer periods would be viewed differently. Especially if the single days fall on a Friday or a Monday.

Cycrow

Denning. wrote: »

AFAIK being sent home from work can't be deemed as a sick day as the employer has deemed you unfit for work despite you turning up, might be wrong, not my area.

i guess it could depend on the company. But at a previous job i was sent home from work then had to a sickness interview afteralls.
They had a small percentage of sick days, and if like me, you only worked part time, just 1 day off can put you over this percentage.

it was also the only day i ever had off in 3 years of being there

Prothet_of_Doom

When I was selected on a points system for redundancy, my 2 single days counted as 2 events, where as someone elses 2 weeks counted as 1.

I'm not in HR, but If he worked for me, I would perhaps ask HR to enact the access to medical records legislation, if I thought there was mikey taking, so that it was clear that he was taking professional medical advice about his issue, and then I would attempt to be as 'forgiving' as I could. I'd rather have a good worker, who had 10 days off for a genuine issue, and put in place a back up plan for his absences, perhaps working on more long term stuff where the odd day off didn't matter, than have someone, who is never really ill, but only does 60% of the work.

aileth

Prothet_of_Doom wrote: »

When I was selected on a points system for redundancy, my 2 single days counted as 2 events, where as someone elses 2 weeks counted as 1.

I'm not in HR, but If he worked for me, I would perhaps ask HR to enact the access to medical records legislation, if I thought there was mikey taking, so that it was clear that he was taking professional medical advice about his issue, and then I would attempt to be as 'forgiving' as I could. I'd rather have a good worker, who had 10 days off for a genuine issue, and put in place a back up plan for his absences, perhaps working on more long term stuff where the odd day off didn't matter, than have someone, who is never really ill, but only does 60% of the work.

He has been to the Doctors a lot for depression, but once years ago for the migraines. To him they're just 'headaches', regardless of the fact they completely incapacitate him and he has to lay in a dark room vomiting for 6-7 hours, and won't listen regardless of my coercion, so if they wanetd to check the medical records they'd see the depression for sure.

He is one of the top of his team and has hit his target maybe 11 out of 12 months. He is also the one they come to for various other things and is seen as one of the better staff, so I'd like to think he's got this on his side.

marybelle01

Denning. wrote: »

Quick google appears that it is up to the company how they count sick days (within reason), but if it ever came to it the law deems once someone has started work for the day then if they are sent home at 9:05 then it won't be deemed a sick day.

No the law doesn't say that. For the purposes of counting for SSP someone who has started work for the day and is sent home is not counted as being sick on that day. For any other purposes, like sickness absence procedures, it is entirely up to the employer whether it counts or not. So it can count for sickness absence procedures. http://www.xperthr.co.uk/faqs/topics/3,102/sick-pay-and-sickness-absence.aspx?articleid=110480#110480

makeyourdaddyproud

Furthermore, I don't feel anyone should be under threat of losing their job for anything up to 2 weeks sick in any year: whilst I do sympathise with the employer, I can't help thinking that the pervading of this fear is only possible by virtue of the current employment climate.

Everyone gets sick. Sadly though there are conflicting standards for shop floor and management. It's a real sad state of affairs if someone has to come into work unwell, with the possibility of making more workers sick, just to avoid a credit on their HR file!

aileth

I'm not sure whether he gets paid or not, sorry I'm really naive about all this! He'd quite happily take the day unpaid to avoid being reprimanded for something he couldn't avoid.