Going to the races while on sick leave.

What I said in my original post was ‘’I appreciate it would not look great but I am not concerned about how things look anymore’’, that is very different to ‘’doesn't care anymore’’

The reason I am not concerned is I have a proven track record of exemplary service to the company over many years, and have not had a sick day in over 3 years.

There are many jobs in every field that require you to be fully on the ball, mine is one of them. The well enough to go racing / well enough to work argument does not always hold. You cannot compare 8 fully on the ball hours at work to a few leisurely hours outdoors on a summer evening watching the racing.

If I could go to work today I would. The first question the doctor would ask is, how are you, I would honestly say, a lot better but not fully there yet, he would say, then stay out until Monday like your cert says.
 
twofor1 said:
The reason I am not concerned is I have a proven track record of exemplary service to the company over many years, and have not had a sick day in over 3 years.
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And exactly which bit do you think your boss will remember if they see you at the races? Your unblemished record or you jumping up and down at Imelda May?
 
Why doesn't the OP go to his doc today and tell him that there is no way that he would feel ready to go to work tomorrow - so he is wondering is the doctor absolutely sure that he will definitely be 100% fit to perform his challenging role on Monday - otherwise, wouldn't it be better for all concerned if he was signed off for a few more days? So doing would thereby avoid the terrible situation of the OP not feeling 100% up to work when Monday morning comes around because at that stage, his inevitable non-attendance would not give the employer any forewarning of his continued need to recuperate. By letting the employer know today, the really great thing is that the employer has then more time to make whatever contingencies are required and, surely, no right thinking person would want to run the risk of an employee, who is not in the whole of his health, being tempted to show up for work because of the best guess of a doc 2 weeks previously?
 
noproblem said:
I think Brendan might cut the legs from under this particular one any minute at all now. But, let it be a warning to any potential employer out there, in other words, who's working for who?
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I must say this thread should be an eyeopener to any young people joining the workplace. It has the opposite viewpoint of both employee and employer with all opinions being very close to the bone of the real world. It is also a good example of a proper debate. Please leave it open.
 
It's fairly straight forward. Can you go? Yes. Would your employer be able to do anything should you be seen there? No, not legally anyway. Would your employer look unfavourably on such behaviour? Maybe, maybe not (I would say probably, though). So should you go? Common sense would suggest not. Perception matters, and being perceived as being on a session at the races when out on the sicker is never good. But you seem to have your mind made up. Chances are you won't be seen anyway but sure let us know how you get on.
 
OP....Here's a question. If you have a cert to be off for 10 working days and are fine by day 7, do you go back in to work?
Seems to me the type of people that are good with going to the races would be taking their full "entitlement", and staying out even when fit to return. Those entitlement type people are not the type I look to employ.
 
A lot of sectors are finding it difficult to get any new workers.
Some employers are very thankful to retain their existing staff.
I think small little character defects like going to the races while on sick leave or going on the beer for days or weeks at a time could be overlooked.
 
Paul O Mahoney said:
But yet you did it, and I haven't seen you say anything to the others.
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With all due respect Paul, you were correctly called out for offering poor advice on something you "dont give a jot about" and presumably no little about. in that scenario its best to not weigh in.

Think its been said by many already. Legally, your employer couldnt/shouldnt reprimand you and thats pretty obvious I think.

However, it would look very bad if you were seen and so if you care about how you are perceived then you should not attend.
 
David_Dublin said:
OP....Here's a question. If you have a cert to be off for 10 working days and are fine by day 7, do you go back in to work?
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An employer would no doubt look very favourably on someone doing that, but they should immediately send them packing unless they have an up to date cert now stating they are fit to work. Most employer insurance will be very clear on that, you are completely exposed if you allow someone work while certified unfit to do so.
 
I'm just dying to hear how the original poster got on, and also, how they get on in work, next week

If I were the original poster, there's no way in hell that I'd have gone to the races, but I take Brendan's point about the poster not caring about potential career implications etc.
 
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twofor1 said:
My GP put me on a 7 day course of antibiotics and said I should be fine in 10 days but to take two weeks off and gave me a 2 week sick cert, I am due back in work next Monday. My employer is paying me while out sick.

I am a lot better now, so I will be going to the evening meeting in Leopardstown on Thursday.

I appreciate it would not look great but I am not concerned about how things look any more, but could there be any basis for disciplinary proceedings if my employer knew I was at the races while on certified and paid sick leave ?
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Well! Tell us! How’d it go? Bump into anyone?
 
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