Are 'Off days' considered sick days?

nicolevins

In a bit of confusion here at the minute.

I called in sick Friday because I got a bad cold coming on. I was due to be off work Saturday and Sunday anyway. Manager was texting me asking when I would be in, I told her I had a doctors appointment for Tuesday (tomorrow) so I could get a doctors cert, as I thought I needed one for two days absence. I pulled out the staff handbook tonight and I am only required one if I am absent for more than three days.

I texted my supervisor askingng if I returned Wednesday then would I need a doctors cert, because I don't want to throw away €55 if it isn't needed. My supervisor said my off days over the weekend would also be considered sick days, even though they were given to me as days off/rest days a week prior - therefore I would be out for 5, and would require a cert

I haven't got onto the manager about it yet because that honestly sounds very strange to me. It doesn't say 'continuous' sick days in the handbook and it says nothing about my rest days being sick days.

I'm just wondering if anyone here has any insight/experience/information on this.

davo10

Your manager is correct. You are paid for a full week, Saturday and Sunday are rest/off days.

If you work Friday but are absent Monday, you are on self certified leave for one day only but if you are off Friday, Monday and Tuesday, you are off on leave for 5 days so you would need a Dr's cert if that is what your contract requires after 3 days.

I lifted this from the HSE employment handbook:


e.g. Employee who works Monday to Friday
if an employee is absent due to illness on Friday, off on Saturday and Sunday (rest daysL and returns to work on Monday, this counts as one day of absence and Friday is classified as a self-certified sick leave day. If the employee remains absent due to illness on Monday, this counts as four days of sickness absence and a medical certificate is required for the period. In the case of an employee who is at work on Friday and absent due to illness on Monday, this counts as one day of absence and is classified a

Lux23

I don't know how you can say her manager is right if you don't know what the employee handbook says. Why is the HSE handbook relevant here?

OP, generally employers will count Saturday/Sunday as sick leave if you take the Friday and Monday off even if you're not rostered for those days, but do read through your handbook to be absolutely sure. My personal opinion is that unless it is a once off sick day it is always better to get a sick note anyway.

MeatTwoVeg

You finished work Thursday and aren't coming back until Wednesday due to a "bad cold"?

Generation Snowflake.

Good help us if there's ever a war.

CalamariFritti

I wonder what the generation will be called that's wise cracking on the internet with next to no information the wise cracking can be based on.

Also yes god help us in the next war. But I don't think our resilience to colds will be a major issue then.

AlanG

davo10 wrote: »

Your manager is correct. You are paid for a full week, Saturday and Sunday are rest/off days.

If you work Friday but are absent Monday, you are on self certified leave for one day only but if you are off Friday, Monday and Tuesday, you are off on leave for 5 days so you would need a Dr's cert if that is what your contract requires after 3 days.

Anywhere I have worked this has been the policy also.

davo10

Lux23 wrote: »

I don't know how you can say her manager is right if you don't know what the employee handbook says. Why is the HSE handbook relevant here?

OP, generally employers will count Saturday/Sunday as sick leave if you take the Friday and Monday off even if you're not rostered for those days, but do read through your handbook to be absolutely sure. My personal opinion is that unless it is a once off sick day it is always better to get a sick note anyway.

It's simple really, op asked if anyone has any info/experience of this and if the manager can do this. By posting an excerpt from the HSE handbook I showed it can be done and my experience of it. I pasted the paragraph because it is simple to follow.

LynnGrace

Same, any company I have worked in, absence both sides of a weekend i.e Friday and Monday, would require a doctor's cert.

The J Stands for Jay

MeatTwoVeg wrote: »

You finished work Thursday and aren't coming back until Wednesday due to a "bad cold"?

Generation Snowflake.

Good help us if there's ever a war.

Ah yes, the older Irish generation that won WW2. The generation that claims to have the flu when it's just a bad cold...

In every job I've had taking Monday and Friday of sick has needed a cert.

CruelCoin

Presumably you don't magically get "unsick" for the saturday and the Sunday.

Even if you did have days off booked, you were incapable for work and thus "off sick".

I agree with all the above, sick note needed.

Lux23

MeatTwoVeg wrote: »

You finished work Thursday and aren't coming back until Wednesday due to a "bad cold"?

Generation Snowflake.

Good help us if there's ever a war.

What a ridiculous comment, you have no idea how old the poster is.

Aka Ishur

Lux23 wrote: »

I don't know how you can say her manager is right if you don't know what the employee handbook says. Why is the HSE handbook relevant here?

OP, generally employers will count Saturday/Sunday as sick leave if you take the Friday and Monday off even if you're not rostered for those days, but do read through your handbook to be absolutely sure. My personal opinion is that unless it is a once off sick day it is always better to get a sick note anyway.

Doesn't really matter what the handbook says actually, from a HR standpoint those 2 days off are rest days. If you are sick you are not getting that rest. For the same reason, if you fall sick during paid holidays, you should be marked as sick time rather than holiday time. (And get the holiday time back obviously)

LegacyUser

Hi guys
I hole someone would be able to help. Im expecting surgery and would he off from work for about 1 to 6 weeks . My manager made roster and i can see that im not getting day lff on the week I'm getti g surgery (Thursday) but on the roster says im off saturday and sunday.
Basicy im in eork on Monday Tuesday and Wednesday than i have op and will be on sick leave but instead my manager put me on sick on thursday and friday and off on Saturday and sunday and same each week sick from monday-friday and off weekends. And as soon as I'm back ex. 20th i bave no day off that week anymore even if my sick cert says absence from work from 5th to 20th. Would anyone know if that's the way my manager should do? Im full time employee. I guess I'm still entitled to my 2 days off ler week.
Any help would be appreciated

Andrewwww

Hi guys
I hole someone would be able to help. Im expecting surgery and would he off from work for about 1 to 6 weeks . My manager made roster and i can see that im not getting day lff on the week I'm getti g surgery (Thursday) but on the roster says im off saturday and sunday.
Basicy im in eork on Monday Tuesday and Wednesday than i have op and will be on sick leave but instead my manager put me on sick on thursday and friday and off on Saturday and sunday and same each week sick from monday-friday and off weekends. And as soon as I'm back ex. 20th i bave no day off that week anymore even if my sick cert says absence from work from 5th to 20th. Would anyone know if that's the way my manager should do? Im full time employee. I guess I'm still entitled to my 2 days off ler week.
Any help would be appreciated

bee06

Andrewww, I'm sorry but your post makes no sense despite me reading it three times. What are your contracted days of work? And what are you being rostered for when you are back at work?

LegacyUser

bee06 wrote: »

Andrewww, I'm sorry but your post makes no sense despite me reading it three times. What are your contracted days of work? And what are you being rostered for when you are back at work?

Hi bee006 and thanks for your reply.
I'm on full time, t days a week, I'm back to work on 19th and no day off that week.

Andrewwww

bee06 wrote: »

Andrewww, I'm sorry but your post makes no sense despite me reading it three times. What are your contracted days of work? And what are you being rostered for when you are back at work?

quote="bee06;104834413"]Andrewww, I'm sorry but your post makes no sense despite me reading it three times. What are your contracted days of work? And what are you being rostered for when you are back at work?[/quote]
Hi bee006 and thanks for your reply.
I'm on full time, t days a week, I'm back to work on 19th and no day off that week.

Stheno

Andrewwww wrote: »

quote="bee06;104834413"]Andrewww, I'm sorry but your post makes no sense despite me reading it three times. What are your contracted days of work? And what are you being rostered for when you are back at work?

Hi bee006 and thanks for your reply.
I'm on full time, t days a week, I'm back to work on 19th and no day off that week.[/quote]
You are marked sick for five days out of seven

Do you normally work five days out of seven?