Pull a sickie to go to interview?

sortofwinning

Hello, I just added a post about being paid less than the minimum wage and I have another question about interviews (the two subjects are very definitely related).


I got an letter asking me to attend an NHS interview on Friday 15th July but I couldn't go. In my job, there are six people on my team and none of us is allowed to take holidays if any other team member is off. We have around 20-25 holidays each so basically there are 100+ days out of a 260-odd day working year that I can't book off.


On Friday 15th, another member of staff had already booked the day off and so I had to cancel my interview. I was very unhappy about this but was too scared to pull a sickie because I was worried that if I ended up getting the job, my current employer would somehow find out that I lied to take the day off for an interview.


Does anybody know what my chances of being caught out are? I thought about other things such as saying I had to go to a funeral, but again, if my current employer somehow found out that I lied, I would be in just as much trouble.


I just need to know what is the likelihood that a current employer could find out from a future employer what date the interview was held?


Thanks.

piglet25

I would go, pull a sickie and go for the job. Maybe it isn't right but they won't find out the date of interview and you obviously don't want to stay with them - I hear that there are a lot of tummy bugs about too

Alice_Walker

Or go, have someone spot you and it get back to your employer. They dismiss you and you don't get the new job. The chances of getting spotted at an NHS site are pretty high.

Only you can decide if it's worth the risk.

Tigsteroonie

Sneaky time.

Say you couldn't get Friday 15th off for interview, but you could get Thursday 14th or Monday 18th. Book that day off, and make it known that it's for an interview (i.e. don't hide the fact). Pull sickie on 15th.

Then if anybody did spot you, you can claim that they must be muddled on days and that, yes, you did have an interview on the Thursday (or Monday) which you didn't hide from your colleagues.

Detroit

Ethical and risk factors aside, unless you have a great sickness record, I wouldn't consider a sick day, as many employers ask for sickness records as part of their reference request.
Odd days here and there look bad.

Could you ask for another interview date? We often accommodate these requests when we're recruiting, especially from people who tell us they can't let their current employer down!

Alternatively any chance your colleague could swap their day off with you? Or could you ask your employer for a couple of hours off rather than the whole day?

xapprenticex

Yeah they will ask for a sickness record so dont bother, and someone was here not long ago saying their job offer from the NHS was withdrawn due to sickness records.

Tough situation, I wouldnt recommend lying about it though. Try and make up the hours, or get time off just for the interview then return to work after the interview, thats what I once did, got interview first thing and told my job that ill be in half day used some A/L.

paisted

Strikes me as unreasonable that you end up stuck in a job that doesn't give you much but whose working practices prevent you moving on to better things.

As someone said earlier, only you can judge the risk. But if you don't have a bad sickness record, and you've exhausted other options, and the interview is a reasonable prospect for you, then I might on balance say that pulling a sickie is ok.

But do try exhausting your other options first. Including talking to the prospective employer about other ways the interview could be conducted (e.g. by phone over lunch or outside working hours), or by asking for the interview to be held on a day that you know you can take off. I think these kinds of discussions can demonstrate a mature approach to a prospective employer.

PasturesNew

It's a tricky one. They wouldn't know the date... but the real problem comes if you don't get that job ... do you do it again the following month for another interview? And what about the month after?

This is the problem when people can't book holidays on demand, or have any/much choice... most employers will tell you when the interview is and if you can't make it that's tough luck as others will.

Go for the sickie .... it's your only option really. No matter what happens, you've no other route to getting an interview for a job you want.

D4mned if you do; d4mned if you don't.

Starlet

This is just a thought, but perhaps you could try this approach after they email you, inviting you to an interview (This is what I done for my most recent job)

Phone them to say that you are delighted to be offered an interview. However, it is a busy time in the office, and you are not able to take time off work. Then suggest whether it would be possible to meet them at 6pm for an interview. Then, on the day of your interview, go to work as normal but dress smart! When it comes to home time, leave your office on time (e.g. at 5pm sharp) and instead of going home, go to your interview. If anybody in the office strikes up a conversation with you while you're leaving, politely say that you have an appointment and that you will catch up with them when you see them tomorrow.

GothicStirling

Problem with this is that when the NHS schedule interviews its incredibly tight (due to the fact that they also have a hospital to run, and sick people to care for). Chances are also that the staff that are conducting the interview are working a day-shift, and they don't like you working past your end time unless its an utmost necessity.

19lottie82

I'd do it without a second thought.