Staff absence caused by 'sick pets'

[retailworld]

More and more British workers are using their pets as an excuse to pull a sickie. Around 400,000 workers a year claim they can't go into work because their pet is ill, according to a survey. The figure is set to rise during the summer as workers plan to make the most of the warm months. However, bosses are wise to their employees' schemes, with at least a quarter well aware that Tiddles isn't quite as sick as a parrot.

Insurance firm MORE TH>N, which commissioned the survey, dubbed the phenomenon ‘Slowcombe Syndrome', after Mrs Slocombe from the 1970s comedy 'Are You Being Served?'.

Mel Everest, Head of Pet Insurance for MORE TH>N, said: "People really should think twice before making the sick pet call. For those people who actually own a pet, there will come a time when they really do need to take time off to care for them."

One in two workers admit to being aware of the poorly pet scam, according to the survey. The statistics also reveal that two thirds of bosses (59%) say they are extremely suspicious of pet-related excuses. Two thirds (63 per cent) of UK bosses also report that their staff are more likely to pull unauthorised sickies over the summer.

The researhc revealed that Londoners are the most likely to skive with the help of a fictitiously infirm feline, while workers up here in the North East are the least likely to lie about the health of their pets for a free day off.

Do you have a policy in place to deal with this kind of absenteeism?

[emmab]

I think the problem with things like this is , that by just suspecting that someone is lying about their reason for absence ( usually if they are entitled to full sick pay ) , that you can't act on it , unless you have solid proof!!!

[m8internet]

Do what our company does...
We require that a Manager visits the sick person within 4 hours of the report
The employee then signs a declaration that they will phone in each day and visit their Doctor within 5 days

Ever since we brought that policy in, only three people have been ill this year!

I remember visiting one person, sat outside their house and then saw them walking along the street with their shopping...

[retailworld]

Do what our company does...
We require that a Manager visits the sick person within 4 hours of the report


Are you technically allowed to do this? Never heard of it done before.

[emmab]

Wow, slightly stalking, but sounds effective. Our company would't have the resources to send anyone out to do this though.

[m8internet]

Are you technically allowed to do this? Never heard of it done before
There is nothing saying that the employer cannot send round another employee to that employees house
Home visits are quite common with some employers now, and some large companies even have employees in their HR department who specifically do this kind of thing

In most cases it would normally be the Area / Regional Manager with a local branch Manager that visit the house of the employee
However, it is normally in cases where sickness seems to be common and frequent