Off sick with grief..

[DGP1]

Your boss is not intentionally nor repetitively causing you upset, both they and their boss are interested in supporting your speedy return to work.

Are you for real?

He's being sarcastic

[Himaggen]

Not necessarily sarcastic, simply providing the Managers answer which will be fully accepted by any appeal process.

As I said in the same response, if you wish to highlight any over zealous coaxing to premature RTW, simply agree the type and frequency of contact at the start of your absence, sit back and wait!

[Mrmassive]

Well once my Mrs was pretty ill in hospital, and it was a hospital about a hr drive away and had to take kids to school etc. so I had about a week off and I just thought I would get paid as it was a pretty serious situation plus all the extra money I was spending fuel and food at hospital etc but no I didnt get paid, so as soon as I got back to work I asked why I didn't get paid and they said they didn't have too, so then I said well I'm going to class myself as being off sick last week with stress as was worried about wife and couldn't possibly work as my mind wudnt be on job, so the next week they payed me the money back :-) u just have to use your head a bit :-)

[postypie]

Don't take it the wrong way mate,but we are talking about a pet here.....if it was (God Forbid),a relative/parents etc,i could go with it...but a dog is a pet...and if RM starts giving time off for all staff who lose their pets...then everyone will be having time off as what you are doing is setting a precedent for others who have pets!
Can you imagine the phone calls to line managers throughout the UK....

Sorry boss..can't come in today cos i am stressed out...I need some time off cos my Goldfish has passed away and it's just floating around in his bowl now...i am traumatized

Sorry boss..i need some time off...me hamster kicked the bucket last night...need time off to bury it in the back garden!

[feduppostie]

sorry you have lost a beloved pet OP

I can't help with the work thing but although what I type next will be incredibly painful right now in time it will bring comfort

Just this side of heaven is a place called Rainbow Bridge.

When an animal dies that has been especially close to someone here, that pet goes to Rainbow Bridge.
There are meadows and hills for all of our special friends so they can run and play together.
There is plenty of food, water and sunshine, and our friends are warm and comfortable.

All the animals who had been ill and old are restored to health and vigor; those who were hurt or maimed are made whole and strong again, just as we remember them in our dreams of days and times gone by.
The animals are happy and content, except for one small thing; they each miss someone very special to them, who had to be left behind.

They all run and play together, but the day comes when one suddenly stops and looks into the distance. His bright eyes are intent; His eager body quivers. Suddenly he begins to run from the group, flying over the green grass, his legs carrying him faster and faster.

You have been spotted, and when you and your special friend finally meet, you cling together in joyous reunion, never to be parted again. The happy kisses rain upon your face; your hands again caress the beloved head, and you look once more into the trusting eyes of your pet, so long gone from your life but never absent from your heart.

Then you cross Rainbow Bridge together....

Author unknown...

[Mrmassive]

Postiepie shut up.
Some people love their animals like they are relatives, yeah a goldfish would be different if you didn't go to work because it died, but this is somebody who has lost their dog.
All I can suggest mate is ring up and say you are too upset/stress to work and it would be dangerous if you did so your signing yourself off for a few days, they will pay you then :-) I know it's horrible losing pets but try to keep our chin up mate.

[penlanpostie]

while i agree the loss of a pet can be devastating i dont think any buisness would accept it as a reason not to work , when i lost my dog i worked through it i couldnt speak to anyone in work i was so gutted but i wouldn't have dreamed of taking time off for that reason , unfortunatley some people use every opportunity to get time off so it spoils it for genuine workers like you because the managers (who prob used to pull the same stunts) always think your swinging the lead . sorry for the loss of your dog.

[ElvisGaddafi]

I would like to take this opportunity to publicly congratulate myself on my restraint regarding this thread, especially Rainbow Bridge, for which I can understand the author's wish to remain anonymous.

[AJ1987]

Don't take it the wrong way mate,but we are talking about a pet here.....if it was (God Forbid),a relative/parents etc,i could go with it...but a dog is a pet...and if RM starts giving time off for all staff who lose their pets...then everyone will be having time off as what you are doing is setting a precedent for others who have pets!
Can you imagine the phone calls to line managers throughout the UK....

Sorry boss..can't come in today cos i am stressed out...I need some time off cos my Goldfish has passed away and it's just floating around in his bowl now...i am traumatized

Sorry boss..i need some time off...me hamster kicked the bucket last night...need time off to bury it in the back garden!

I totally agree. Glad someone has wrote some sense. While it is sad and unfortunate if they started giving time off for things like this it'd open a whole can of worms.

And mate, "rainbow bridge"....what a load of ####

[Tman]

I was disappointed in Rainbow Bridge too. Thought it was going to be a video of Jimi giving it some beans in that live concert from Hawaii rather than some mawkish cat food packet doggerel.

It's amazing what some employees think that they could be entitled too though. No wonder some private sector workers think we don't know we're born in RM...

[Pete c]

Wish i didn't say anything now, but thanks to the good guys who understand. Yeah she was a pet but was a good and loyal friend, as i said before my sick record is excellent and surely a few days off to try and get over it won't hurt anyone. My union rep got in touch with me last night and was very supportive. If over the years my sick record was appalling (which some are) i could understand but it ain't.
i'm sure over the years many postie's (maybe one or two on here) have been off sick with hangovers/going away for a few days etc but that's okay ain't it..

[Tman]

I feel for your loss and it's something we've all been through, but is time off for it realistically going to happen in the Real World?

[skull]

Postiepie shut up.
Some people love their animals like they are relatives, yeah a goldfish would be different if you didn't go to work because it died, but this is somebody who has lost their dog.

You've obviously never had a goldfish and are heartless. How can some people be so insensitive. :

[dvbuk55]

Postiepie shut up.
Some people love their animals like they are relatives, yeah a goldfish would be different if you didn't go to work because it died, but this is somebody who has lost their dog.

You've obviously never had a goldfish and are heartless. How can some people be so insensitive. :

I have a pond full and I'm beginning to get ideas - if it started out 1 every other week - or is that too frequent do you think? I also have a border collie who as I type is laying on the couch with his head on my knee: I'm not entirely sure if it is undying devotion or the hope that he's going to get a share of my lunch, which he did and has now decided the garden is a nicer place to be.

[Budfrog]

This is probably one area where honesty is not the best policy. It is undenyable that when a pet, who has been a companion for many years, dies it is something that is very upsetting and will take some time to come to terms with. That said I cannot think of many companies that would offer anything but a short ammount of time off without pay for such an event and certainly not sick leave as to put it bluntly, you aren't sick !! Bereavement Leave only covers the death of humans and you need to be reasonably closely related.

In fairness to you, you have a good sick record and have been honest and the RM management should take this into account but this will depend on the type of manager you have. One of the problems would be custom and practise where before long the lead swingers you mentioned would be having a week off per dead goldfish. If it were me ? ... see the 1st sentence.