Work colleague told me is going to go off sick

scd3scd4

TBagpuss wrote: »

I think the issue with this is that it wouldn't be the case that you would have 'lost a person their job'. They would have lost the job for themselves, by lying about being sick when they weren't, or by working for a competitor.

Terms like 'grassing' or 'snitching' or 'telling tales' are all very loaded terms.

If an employer learns that you knew a colleague was behaving dishonestly and chose to cover it up then that isn't going to go down well.

I also think that most people can distinguish between major and minor things, and act accordingly. Someone coming in a few minutes late is different to someone lying about sickness to take paid time off they are not entitled to.

Someone taking long breaks / standing around chatting are things which a manager can see for themselves.

Whether or not the OP chooses to say anything in this specific case is up to them, unless they have any management or supervisory role they are not under any obligation to report it,but it would be entirely reasonable for them to do so.

I would also say that in my experience, other employees are often well aware of who the people are who do take advantage and swing the lead, and are more than happy to see them gone, since one person who is not pulling their weight creates more work for the rest of their team.

No its not. Losing your job yourself is not the same as a person who pretends to be a friend, grassing you to a manager. That may sit alright with you but it wont me. I know the people I work with. I know some of their wives, family, their children. Be careful. No one is perfect. You may encourage a whole culture of people telling the boss tales. I hope I retire before I work at a place like that.

You seem to miss all the parts where I would give advise and have an open chat. If they lost their job and did not listen. I would tell them they brought it on themselves and I tried.

It's not reasonable for me. I respect myself more.

You clearly work and a different place than me. Thank god. My boss would not think any less of us. They understand grassing on close workmates undermines a team. We have HR for that.

redpete

scd3scd4 wrote: »

Don't be ridiculous, less of the drama. I am talking about someone having a pint at lunchtime in an office environment. You are everything wrong with the modern working person don't flatter yourself. It's not done in plain site many people work flexible hours/flexitime, part time, lates, earlies. Welcome to the modern workplace!

You are just another sheep to the system. I would not live with myself knowing I may have lost a person their job.

You did say you would never 'grass on' a colleague (ridiculous phrase). If I saw someone behaving unsafely or unethivally in a way that could be a risk to them, others or the company I would certainly report them.

scd3scd4

redpete wrote: »

You did say you would never 'grass on' a colleague (ridiculous phrase). If I saw someone behaving unsafely or unethivally in a way that could be a risk to them, others or the company I would certainly report them.

I already explained this, do keep up.


Having a pint at lunchtime is not the same as drinking and driving, is it. Where a person could hurt or kill themselves, their children or others. I would take the car keys, book an Uber or drop them home. Do drop the Straw man arguments, its ridiculous.


What's all that got to do with grassing and brown nosing about a so called "friend" going sick. At least use examples that can carry a debate. lol

scd3scd4

redpete wrote: »

You did say you would never 'grass on' a colleague (ridiculous phrase). If I saw someone behaving unsafely or unethivally in a way that could be a risk to them, others or the company I would certainly report them.

I have worked for the same company for 20 years and earned a decent living. I would rather give advise and direction than gossip about a so called friend over a few days sickness while betraying their confidence.


Most of theses people don't do it from a good place but from a belief they have ingratiated themselves with the manager in the hope of some future reward. Don't kid yourself with all the other nonsense.

andygb

john22 wrote: »

Way to take a small work place issue and link it to something very deep.:rotfl:

Lots of things go on in front of our eyes that are illegal or break rules and why people do not act or intervene is due to various reasons which can be complicated.

There is indeed a relevance here, because it highlights human nature at its worst.
Many comparitively recent and current scandals have happened because people knew and said nothing - Saville, Weinstein etc.
I have stuck my head above the parapet several times in the past, and my reward was to get sacked.
This is a very minor case indeed, with someone blabbing that they are going to take a sicky. The person who did that, is probably not trustworthy in more important matters - covering up mistakes, financial fraud etc.

TARDIS

It's not right, but it'll do you no good and potentially a load of unnecessary hassle if you do say anything without proof.
Best to ask them not to tell you things like this in the future as it puts you in a difficult position.
I'd probably try to find other colleagues to chat to and distance myself from this individual if possible too.

System

andygb wrote: »

There is indeed a relevance here, because it highlights human nature at its worst.
Many comparitively recent and current scandals have happened because people knew and said nothing - Saville, Weinstein etc.
I have stuck my head above the parapet several times in the past, and my reward was to get sacked.
This is a very minor case indeed, with someone blabbing that they are going to take a sicky. The person who did that, is probably not trustworthy in more important matters - covering up mistakes, financial fraud etc.

There is different degrees of wrong doing and I would gladly have a person in my life who didn’t go to their boss if they heard someone thinking of taking a sickie. However knowing someone who just killed a person not so much and I would report them. To try and make them the same thing or to somehow form a link between both is lazy and silly at best and dangerous and authoritarian at worst.

DCFC79

Just dont get involved, if you say anything even anonymous your colleague will know or may know it was you or dobbed him in.

TBagpuss

scd3scd4 wrote: »

No its not. Losing your job yourself is not the same as a person who pretends to be a friend, grassing you to a manager. That may sit alright with you but it wont me. I know the people I work with. I know some of their wives, family, their children. Be careful. No one is perfect. You may encourage a whole culture of people telling the boss tales. I hope I retire before I work at a place like that.

You seem to miss all the parts where I would give advise and have an open chat. If they lost their job and did not listen. I would tell them they brought it on themselves and I tried.

It's not reasonable for me. I respect myself more.

You clearly work and a different place than me. Thank god. My boss would not think any less of us. They understand grassing on close workmates undermines a team. We have HR for that.

If someone acts dishonestly and are found out, and sacked or disciplined as a result, they have lost their job for themselves, regardless of how their employer learned of their dishonesty. They aren't sacked because a coworker reported them, they are sacked because they were dishonest.

You seem to be saying that you consider someone who reports dishonesty to have less self respect than someone who knowingly condones or covers it up.

Out of interest, do you take the same view of other kinds of dishonesty? If you found out a co-worker was stealing from your employer would you see it as 'grassing' to report that?

Knowing someone's wife or children doesn't means that you should not be able to raise legitimate concerns over dishonest behaviour on their part.

Lots of people, myself included, have said that OP is not obliged to report their coworker if they don't wish to, and several people have suggested way OP can make clear to the coworker that they don't want to hear about it and be put in the position of having to make that call.

After all, treating your team-mates with respect works both ways. Someone who screws over their team mates by lying to get extra time off and laves their team to pick up their slack is demonstrating a lack of respect and consideration for their team, why would they, or you, expect the team to be loyal to them and cover up for them? Their actions, if they come to light, would do far more damage to the team spirit than if they are found out and sacked. At least if they are sacked or otherwise disciplined the rest of the team can move on.

Suggesting that people who wouldn't be willing to condone dishonesty in a colleague are 'grasses' or somehow lacking in self-respect is bizarre and quite offensive.

Out if interest, if you had a friend who admitted to you that they had stolen money from your employer, could you consider that you had 'too much respect' for yourself to report that? Because someone lying to get paid sick time is stealing from their employer.

scd3scd4

TBagpuss wrote: »

If someone acts dishonestly and are found out, and sacked or disciplined as a result, they have lost their job for themselves, regardless of how their employer learned of their dishonesty. They aren't sacked because a coworker reported them, they are sacked because they were dishonest.

You seem to be saying that you consider someone who reports dishonesty to have less self respect than someone who knowingly condones or covers it up.

Out of interest, do you take the same view of other kinds of dishonesty? If you found out a co-worker was stealing from your employer would you see it as 'grassing' to report that?

Knowing someone's wife or children doesn't means that you should not be able to raise legitimate concerns over dishonest behaviour on their part.

Lots of people, myself included, have said that OP is not obliged to report their coworker if they don't wish to, and several people have suggested way OP can make clear to the coworker that they don't want to hear about it and be put in the position of having to make that call.

After all, treating your team-mates with respect works both ways. Someone who screws over their team mates by lying to get extra time off and laves their team to pick up their slack is demonstrating a lack of respect and consideration for their team, why would they, or you, expect the team to be loyal to them and cover up for them? Their actions, if they come to light, would do far more damage to the team spirit than if they are found out and sacked. At least if they are sacked or otherwise disciplined the rest of the team can move on.

Suggesting that people who wouldn't be willing to condone dishonesty in a colleague are 'grasses' or somehow lacking in self-respect is bizarre and quite offensive.

Out if interest, if you had a friend who admitted to you that they had stolen money from your employer, could you consider that you had 'too much respect' for yourself to report that? Because someone lying to get paid sick time is stealing from their employer.

Listen. You continue to tell yourself you are saving the world on some moral crusade. Maybe I just work for a decent company and the whole concept is lost on you.

Modern companies have a professional HR team. Sickness is monitored. We have return to work interviews and sickness reviews. They don't need some Jonny do right running to the boss.

No really bothered what you think is offensive to be honest. Are you someone I should know or care about?

Man at least have the balls to accept you could get a workmate the sack and don't hide behind measly words.

I wonder if you would be so quick to report you family for anything I can only believe you are one of them special perfect people. I hope you remind your workmates you would report them for anything they tell you in private otherwise it would be rather quite "offensive and bizzare."


My judgment has served me well for over 35 years of employment. And as I said 20 years with a multinational and 30 years happy marriage and family life. I won't be changing anytime soon I have to much respect for myself.