Work related rant... the "mysteriously ill" coworker.

[okiron]

Heh well I just wanna add my 2 cents. I get sick a lot. Nausea, upset stomach, the works. Sure, I should go see a doctor for it but no insurance and no money.

Anyways, I was calling out sick of work at least once a week. It was about 2 months time my manager told me I was calling out every Saturday. It didn't even occur to me what days I was calling out. I don't keep track of dates, just the schedule I work the next day.

Sucks for you that you couldn't leave early for a date though.

 

[catkiki]

Maybe she has a severe case of "weekenditus" This illness manifests itself on Fridays and Mondays. This is very simular to "hangoveritis" but that normally hits on Monday.

 

[marianjela]

Ugh I feel for you! We had a guy at work that was always there... but never did his work. And people knew it. Engineers wouldnt even come to this guy cuz they knew it would take him forever to do the job, so they would go to someone else. How fair is that??? The people that actually work, have to do more, cuz they are doing their job right... but they guy that doesnt work gets rewarded by not doing his???

Ummm.... hello.

No advice... just sympathize with you!

 

[cococat]

My question is also how long can she really get away with this?

You say she works 20 hours a week, part time, but is full time, and has every Friday off? My next question is how do I get that job?

Please details.

If you care and you think she is approachable, talk to her, tell her how much trouble it causing everyone else. Judge her reaction and go from there. If you don't care and just wanted to vent you have to let it go and just understand that is how things are in your particular job

 

[lunasmom]

Originally Posted by laureen227

i got fired once for illness. i had documentation that proved i was ill... they said that i had a pattern [i didn't] but they could still fire me for excessive absenteeism, regardless of the fact i could prove illness. [i think they only said that about the pattern thing to make themselves feel better.] regardless, i was given severance & collected unemployment until i found another job.
the employers may feel they're spending less by simply not addressing the issue.

I think that's where I was trying to head with my post.

At will state or not, some states also bring to light that if you call into work sick they are required to give you that day off by law. If this girl is legitimately sick, but has not notified her boss, then while yes, she can get fired, she can also sue the company for whatever condition she has.

With the amount of lawyers fees and such sometimes its cheaper to keep the person onboard rather than firing her.

However if they do want her gone, they'll find a way. One girl I worked with a while back took an entire year of sick leave, claiming "headaches". OK I do know that some headaches are BAD...I have experienced some that made me think I should seek a priest. However if you're off for one year and then come back bragging about all the cruises you were on and the boss happens to overhear you say it...yep they'll find whatever they can to fire you...

 

[catlover19]

Theres a girl I work with that calls in for almost every shift, and she calls in 10 minutes before her shift and leaves us short staffed. We have a guy who calls in whenever it snows because he doesn't want to walk in the snow. He will say he is sick, but its obvious its because of the snow. Then theres another girl who calls in about once a week, but will complain that I have more hours than her. She will take my shifts because I get more than her most weeks and then call in sick.

People like that need to be fired.

 

[white cat lover]

I've had this stupid flu thingy going on for a few weeks now. I think of 4 seperate occaisons I've thrown up & then gone into work a few hours later. No one to cover for me & I hate to leave them hanging. Then there's people like her.....

 

[ooomisseooo]

Have you asked your employer about her missing Friday work schedules?

 

[laureen227]

Originally Posted by white cat lover

I've had this stupid flu thingy going on for a few weeks now. I think of 4 seperate occaisons I've thrown up & then gone into work a few hours later. No one to cover for me & I hate to leave them hanging. Then there's people like her.....

& i go to work often w/a migraine... seems like those are the days i get pulled off of my regular assignment to sub, too

 

[gailc]

That girl needs a talking too and in front of others so hopefully more people will speak up.

My corporate job when we downsized we could only have limited amt of people off. Vacations were pretty much ok with short staffing but when we found out the office was going to close permanetly (15 months notice) the mommies suddenly seemed to have to leave lots of times early on Fridays because there kids were "sick". It was pretty pathetic.