'My colleague is taking too much time off for her sick baby - it's unfair'

06 October 2023 , 18:56

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A woman is unimpressed with her colleague for taking time off (stock image) (Image: Getty Images/Tetra images RF)

A woman has been slammed for complaining about her colleague taking time off work to look after her sick child. She explained that the pair of them have a shared workload and they both work full-time. Her co-worker has recently come back from maternity leave but has taken time off four times now because her newborn is sick and can't go to nursery.

She said the new mother isn't breaking any rules, as it's paid time off, and her husband is self-employed so he 'can't take any time off as he won't get paid'. However, the woman said as it’s a flexible trade, she thinks he should work weekends when need be to make up lost earnings.

She believes the reason that he won't do so is because the new parents want to keep the weekends free. "I have two young kids, so understand it's difficult, but when mine were at nursery my husband and I would share the absences, emergency pickups etc, and juggle work to cover each other," she wrote in a post on Mumsnet.

"I'd also work over the weekend to make up time if had time off during the week. My colleague doesn't do that. Am I being unreasonable to think her husband should be covering some of these sicknesses, at the moment it's having a real impact on my workload as I'm having to cover!"

People were unimpressed in the comments, with people saying she should be more understanding of her colleague's situation. People suggested that instead of being concerned about what her colleague is or isn't doing, she should instead speak to management. "You're not being unreasonable to complain to higher up about your workload. You're being unreasonable to complain about your colleague. Those first few months starting nursery are hellish. I remember weeks and weeks of sickness that I thought would never end," one person commented.

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"Who are you to say how other people should be managing their workloads? Just because you can or feel you should work extra doesn't mean everyone can or should either. This is a management problem at your workplace," said another. A third added: "Jesus mind your own business. If you are struggling with additional workload then fair enough but speak to your boss. However, it has got nothing to do with you what her family does and whether you think she deserves time off. Literally nothing."

Billie Schwab Dunn