Off work sick? how does your boss make you feel?

[rowdy]

Sorry to get on my soapbox, but just wondered how many people are made to feel bad/uncomfortable about taking time off work sick.

I drive for a job, and on monday I went into one of my pickups and noticed that my right hand was a lot redder than my left (it looked like I'd dipped it into a hot bath), thought it odd for about a second, then carried on my way.
Later that evening I started to get pain in my right forearm, went to bed then woke the following (yesterday) morning with quite a severe pain in said forearm. So I phoned in work and told my boss that my arm was f***ed and that I was going to hospital to get it checked.
He sounded grumpy about this (as always when I've phoned in sick).
My wife takes me off to hospital. The nurse takes a look at my arm and I am diagnosed with tendonitis, given a splint to wear to keep my wrist from moving for a week. I phone the office at 5pm that evening and am confronted with an equally grumpy office manageress. I tell her what the problem is and that I don't know if I'll be coming in tomorrow (today) and she says "when will you know" to which I reply "well, tomorrow". So she tells me to phone my boss in the morning, which I did to tell him that I wouldn't be in because I have tendonitis in my right arm and that I have to wear a splint, I was just in the middle of saying to him that I have to wear it for a week and keep my wrist straight when he buts in with "what about tomorrow". "Sorry" I said as I didn't quite catch what he was saying as I was still mid conversation, " what about tomorrow, [the wife] and I are going to a funeral tomorrow so we'll be short staffed." "oh, alright." I say and the conversation is ended.

So now I am left with the dillema of having to go to work tomorrow, driving job with an arm in a splint that I have been told to rest for a week to let the tendon repair itself, or I'll be made to feel bad about it.

Don't get me wrong, I do understand that it's difficult for small companys when staff are off sick, my wife runs her own company so I am well aware of this but I know if there is a legit reason for someone to be off work she would not make them feel bad about it and wouldn't expect them back until they had recovered.

Sorry about the length of my post, my left hand is about to drop off now!

[fizzwheel]

I broke the radius bone at the wrist joint in my left wrist on 7th Jan.

I've had time off for appointments at the fracture clinic with no problem or having to take hoilday. I was told by the specialist looking after me on 20th Jan I need to have an operation for a plate as it wasnt setting in a good position. My operation was scheduled for the next day. I then had nearly a month of sick at home as I was told by the Dr to rest and not go into work. I also got a b*ll*cking of the Dr for going into work a few days after I broke it.

I wasnt entitled to full pay as per the tems of my contract, but I was still put on full pay as my line manager used his discression to do thsi for me.

I'm still having physio now and again time off for the appointments is not even an issue. My team leader and line manger were both like "well it cant be helped, you need to get well so take off the time that you need and we'll see you when you get back, just let us know how your recovery goes"

Health comes before work, if your boss cant see that then quite frankly he is a muppet, I know times are hard, but if you go back before you are recovered properly, you'll delay the healing process and mgiht end up being off for longer. Also what about being covered by insurance etc when your driving one handed ?

Dont feel guilted into going back to work. Listen to what the Dr's tell you rest up your arm and get well. Go and see your Dr and get him or her to sign you off sick, then theres nothing your boss can do about it, and then he can blame the Dr and not you.

[Dave20046]

My boss was suprisingly all right about it when I broke my pelvies but I felt guilty and stressed all the same. Not sure how he's be these days now we're short staffed.

[pookie]

yep as above..also consider what happens if there was an accident and they ask if you were fit for work? Your health is important, getting better long term is better than your boss's short term view.

[rowdy]

Yes fizzwheel, that is the sensible thing to do but you are right he can be a muppet.
Arrogant he can be at times, for instance a little while ago I was going through a marriage break up, I was a complete mess. Things are all sorted now but at the time I was a depressed, f****d up mess. I took one day off work throughout the whole situation because of a migraine and was made to feel even worse about it all by my boss because he "had a round of golf planned" for that day.
I've also been bo**ocked for phoning in one morning because my wife was ill with the flu, or at best flu like symptoms, and I wanted her to rest and I'd be at home to take care of our 3 year old son. My wife came down and layed on the sofa and told me to go to work, she could keep an eye on our boy. So I went to work and received a bo**ocking for phoning in to say I was taking the day off to look after my wife and child (which I am legally entitled to do, albeit without pay). He told me if it happened again that I was to get either my or my wife's mother to look after my son. They both had full time jobs of their own at the time.
I also had to have time off a long time ago because I had my license revoked while it was investigated that I might have had epilepsy and fair play to him he kept me on with full pay while this was investigated but our second son was born a few months after my return to work and he made it pretty clear that he wouldn't be impressed if I took time off for maternity leave, this being part of the reason for the marriage breakdown as my wife found this hard to forgive me for.

When I crashed in 2005 I fractured my kneecap and was in a splint for 6 weeks. Told my boss that I had been signed off work for that time and he said that he'll send 'one of the lads' down with the transit to give me a lift in every day. I asked him how I was meant to fit in with my leg stuck straight out? No answer.
I then got grief for not being at the park and it going tits up whilst I wasn't there.

Just had two weeks off with stress because my subby went to hit me - was still made to feel as though it's all my fault!
You're not alone - there are decent managers out there but ther is a lot of petty minded little gets out there too.

If I'm off sick, my boss is the biggest tw@ ever. Tells me really that he needs me in because no-one can answer phones. I'm not allowed a day off sick basically. Holidays are a fuss, I have to book over 2 months in advance and I can't be off the same time as anyone else.

[rowdy]

Don't get me started on holidays, Ive had to miss a couple of family holidays cos I couldn't get the time off and my sister inlaw has taken my place.
Boss has no kids, it's his 60th birthday this August and because of this no one is allowed any time off in August cos he's got family visiting, so all us at work with kids are pretty much f****d this summer.

[SoulKiss]

Originally Posted by rowdy

Don't get me started on holidays, Ive had to miss a couple of family holidays cos I couldn't get the time off and my sister inlaw has taken my place.
Boss has no kids, it's his 60th birthday this August and because of this no one is allowed any time off in August cos he's got family visiting, so all us at work with kids are pretty much f****d this summer.

Sounds like a case for constructive dismissal

[Mr Speirs]

I have only had two days off sick since I started working ~8years. The first was because my dad went into shock after he saw some blood/puss coming out of the finger he trapped in a door a few days earlier (he's a proper wooly woofter) so had to pick him up from Hospital.
The second was half way through my shift on tills at Tesco (yes I was a Checkout Chick) when my lost 99% of my eyesight then was completely battered by the most excruciating headache I have ever had and was sent home.

Saying that fortunately my boss's currently are very nice to me and treat me as one of the family. I think they would be more interested in me getting better than getting back to work.

I think your boss needs reminding that he is a human being and human beings do actually have the ability to show compassion.