Black eye

MacMickster

A chap that I used to drink with was a manager in a civil service department, but also played rugby at a fairly high level. Playing as a forward for many years his face bore some permanent scars and after a particularly "competitive" match these were added to by a black eye, stitches and a couple of other grazes.

He arrived at work on the Monday to be told that photographs were being taken of the senior management team for a montage to be displayed in the reception area. Despite his pleas he wasn't excused from the photographs, but when asked to smile it was soon agreed that he would be the only manager looking stern and unsmiling.

OP. There is absolutely no reason not to be perfectly upfront about your own sporting mishap.

System

It’s more so the fact of working for a care company that making another story comes to mind, but I’m gonna just be honest and upfront.

Honestly appreciate the responses thanks a lot

ACG

I would just be honest. There are not going to be many excuses you can get away with having a black eye without it reflecting badly to some extent, this is probably one of the few.

We once had a lad come in to work with a black eye as he had been toy fighting with his daughter and she gave him a bit of a belt.

But dont lie, if they delve deeper you are just going to look like a bit of a tool for lying.

Hauzen

Ryanh196 wrote: »

It’s more so the fact of working for a care company that making another story comes to mind, but I’m gonna just be honest and upfront.

Honestly appreciate the responses thanks a lot

The fact you work for a care company makes it all the more important you are open and honest. Social service workers should be fit to practice and that involves being honest, reliable, trustworthy and upholding public confidence as you are involved with vulnerable individuals. That you feel you should be making up stories when you're in a supervisory position is rather concerning.

ska_lover

Just be honest - it is a legit reason (Ie you didn't get drunk and have a fight outside a pub)

I wouldn't bat an eye (no pun intended) at the real explaination

Good luck

Manxman_in_exile

Ryanh196 wrote: »

It’s more so the fact of working for a care company that making another story comes to mind, but I’m gonna just be honest and upfront.

Honestly appreciate the responses thanks a lot

Being serious for a moment, your line of thinking there makes me a lot more worried than the fact you engage in some mixed martial arts. To me, that seems an odd way of looking at things. (And I worked in an NHS trust where many of the clients were elderly and vulnerable).

System

@manxman in exile

Care to explain your worries? I work with various different professionals on a daily basis, my worry about it being a care company is that if you were a parent and your son or daughters support worker turned up with a black eye, regardless of it being a controlled martial arts it would still show a negative.

Regardless of it being a sport some people see it as a negative (try telling my girlfriend it’s a sport ��)

Cutting out the care side, as a parent myself I would not like my child’s/family members support worker turning up black and blue, apologies for worrying I absolutely love my job and it’s my way of providing for my family so if anything was to ever risk that it’s an automatic response to worry and try to get out of the situation.

theoretica

I usually see this discussion from a slightly different angle - people make different assumptions about bruised women! But the answers seem similar - most people just want to know (even if they won't ask) that there is a reason they don't need to worry about. They mostly don't want to know the details. Just say sorry about the eye - sporting mishap.

jackomdj

MacMickster wrote: »

A chap that I used to drink with was a manager in a civil service department, but also played rugby at a fairly high level. Playing as a forward for many years his face bore some permanent scars and after a particularly "competitive" match these were added to by a black eye, stitches and a couple of other grazes.

He arrived at work on the Monday to be told that photographs were being taken of the senior management team for a montage to be displayed in the reception area. Despite his pleas he wasn't excused from the photographs, but when asked to smile it was soon agreed that he would be the only manager looking stern and unsmiling.

OP. There is absolutely no reason not to be perfectly upfront about your own sporting mishap.

Similar to this post, I used to work in an accountants with a guy who played semi professional rugby. He would often see clients and be covered in bruises, have stitches etc. Just a quick reference to the rugby match was needed.

Manxman_in_exile

Ryanh196 wrote: »

@manxman in exile

Care to explain your worries? I work with various different professionals on a daily basis, my worry about it being a care company is that if you were a parent and your son or daughters support worker turned up with a black eye, regardless of it being a controlled martial arts it would still show a negative.

Regardless of it being a sport some people see it as a negative (try telling my girlfriend it’s a sport ��)

Cutting out the care side, as a parent myself I would not like my child’s/family members support worker turning up black and blue, apologies for worrying I absolutely love my job and it’s my way of providing for my family so if anything was to ever risk that it’s an automatic response to worry and try to get out of the situation.

What worries me is your first thought is to make up a story and lie to your employer. And no, I wouldn't mind if a family member's support worker turned up to work with a black eye - so long as they have a reasonable explanation. If I discovered they'd lied about it, yes - I'd be worried.


Rather than over-thinking this you're under-thinking it. Just tell the truth - it's simpler.