I suspect a co-worker faking his sick days...

[eriseis]

If the common cold worries you so much, that you would pull your lazy coworkers dead weight to avoid it, then you should probably live in a bubble.

EDIT: I mean seriously, can you imagine, earlier on in the course of human evolution.

"Well.. I'm feeling a bit under the weather, I think I'm going to starve today, instead of hunt"
DARWIN.

"Oh man, I have the runs, I better not run from that mountain lion."
DARWIN.

"*Cough cough* I'm too sick to migrate away from that wild fire."
DARWIN.

Well, many billionaires, investors and people much more intelligent in business than anyone here have brought up the fact that a sick person missing work does not lower productivity as much as the same person getting everyone sick at work including, potentially, very key people in a company.

You can be a hero if you're a small business owner or a solo contractor, but it's silly to pretend to be a hero in a large organization and end up actually damaging the company.

[Tazila]

Your job is to do the stuff you do, they obviously hired two people per shift (assuming) for the job, so that means it shouldn't be out of hand for you to let your boss know you're starting to have a hard time doing two peoples jobs. If the guys able to move around in other departments though, chances are the boss already knows. You just need to let someone know.

[eriseis]

i lold at thursday fightclub.

but seriously, if it bothers you (which is perfectly acceptable) find a way to obtain proof he is dodgy and get him removed.

That is the point of HR. OP is not in charge of getting proof. Complain to HR and well, if something is done or not, it's no longer the OP's problem.

Libraries are, often, very inefficient institutions, anyway.

[Drungan]

Pretty sure he fakes it ( well from your story anyway )

a few things to note tho .... i asume you get payed extra when called in on your day off ? or do you *just* get another day off somtime in the future ? if you get payed in money its a matter of if you want to earn that cash i supose.

Also you say that his work is easy and that he hardly does anything ... well sounds to me like its a easy extra workday for you ( again that you get payed for ) on top of that you get to show whoever that is your boss that you are willing to put in some extra effort....... could hope that you get to keep our job next time somone has to get fired and the *sick* fella gets fired instread.

In sort as i see it .... if you dont mind working the extra day i see this only as a win / win thing for you. ofc if you got enough money and want the day off, i think you are better off telling your boss that *sorry i realy like not to work on my free days * and im sure most bosses will understand and look for another solution .... i dont see a reason to come up with a lie to get away.

[Lynarii]

It's none of your business really whether he is or isn't faking his sick days. That's between him and the people responsible for hiring and paying him.

What /is/ your business is making sure that you don't get abused yourself, and remember that being able to have some time off work is pretty important. You can say no, you can't come in on your day off if you want to, and if you're not always covering for the guy then it's his problem ultimately. Management just wants the job done generally, if it's getting done then there's no reason for them to change anything or yell at anyone. But if it is NOT getting done... then suddenly they'll care and start looking into what is going on.

[Grraarrgghh]

I want to work for you!

Simply put, I'm not going to punish people for being sick. However, if you miss more than one day I damn well better get a doctors note or you're going to be written up.

[Collegeguy]

Dear OP,

There is a simple way to find out, and it is perfectly legal for the time being.

There is an app you can get on your cell phone that will give you the location of any person. It locates his cell phone at any time by gps. It is possible to turn this off, but most people are too stupid to even know it exists. Just use the app and maybe show your boss if your really into it.

[digitalghost]

how many sick days do you guys get... 4 a month is a little extreme....i would tell them to cut back on my sick days and maybe increase pay or give other benefits..

[BrokenHearthstone]

Tell me if i'm wrong but, don't sick days count as vacation days? (im 12 btw. :P)

[Reeve]

Dear OP,

There is a simple way to find out, and it is perfectly legal for the time being.

There is an app you can get on your cell phone that will give you the location of any person. It locates his cell phone at any time by gps. It is possible to turn this off, but most people are too stupid to even know it exists. Just use the app and maybe show your boss if your really into it.

This seems like such an over-reaction and putting your nose in someone else's business. If he's faking or not is none of your business. It's between him/her and his/her boss. You can and should tell your boss that the employee taking sick days every Thursday is causing issues for you and that you can't continue to cover those shifts indefinitely, but snooping on another employee or making accusations about their conduct is completely inappropriate.

[eriseis]

Simply put, I'm not going to punish people for being sick. However, if you miss more than one day I damn well better get a doctors note or you're going to be written up.

Ugh, I hate that whole "written-up" deal. I usually avoid working for companies that engage in that.

But I don't blame the businesses that do it, the sad thing is that some people's work ethic can be so low that companies have to resort to that.

I've been really disappointed with work ethic in America lately. But it's started to bite us in the ass and we'd better learn to fix it soon.

[Reeve]

Tell me if i'm wrong but, don't sick days count as vacation days? (im 12 btw. :P)

For most companies, those are counted separately, but in some companies they're considered together as "paid time off." In my company, for example, I get 10 vacation days per year and 5 sick days. The main difference between the two is that if I take more than a couple sick days in a row off from work, I have to be able to show a doctor's note.

[eriseis]

Tell me if i'm wrong but, don't sick days count as vacation days? (im 12 btw. :P)

Depends on the company. My current employer separates both. My former employer gave almost 4 weeks of paid-time off days, but your sick days counted as a paid-time off day, though you had the option of working from home if you were too sick to go to the office but not sick enough to be mentally exhausted and it wouldn't count against you unless you did it too often.

[Purlina]

For most companies, those are counted separately, but in some companies they're considered together as "paid time off." In my company, for example, I get 10 vacation days per year and 5 sick days. The main difference between the two is that if I take more than a couple sick days in a row off from work, I have to be able to show a doctor's note.

Also sick days expire at the end of the year, and you don't get paid for them. (If you quit durring the middle of the year or something)

[baldcore]

My suggestion is give him a real reason to call in sick. Give him some laxatives in his drink the next time he is at work. Then when the bastard starts to run for the john you can make sure its being used by someone else. When he wines you can ask him if its that sickness he has been using all the time. Im sure the bastard will get the message after that.

[Tziva]

If the common cold worries you so much, that you would pull your lazy coworkers dead weight to avoid it, then you should probably live in a bubble.

Some people have circumstances where even a minor illness can be dangerous. Maybe they have a weak immune system, maybe they have a baby at home, maybe they are caring for an elderly relative, maybe they are pregnant. Don't assume just because a cold is slightly uncomfortable to you that it carries only the same tiny risk to others.

If nothing else, it's inconsiderate. If you're sick, stay home, do not infect your coworkers.

[Solmyr13]

First off, does your company seriously NOT have a stipulation on sick days? Or is your boss to stupid to notice he's calling out ONLY on Thursdays and no other day.

Secondly, do you make over-time? If 1 week a month I got an extra 8 hours of overtime on my paycheck I'd be stoked and not complaining about it. As is the company I work for doesn't allow over-time, so even if I hit 40 hours I have to leave THEN or I get in a load of trouble.

[Tziva]

My suggestion is give him a real reason to call in sick. Give him some laxatives in his drink the next time he is at work. Then when the bastard starts to run for the john you can make sure its being used by someone else. When he wines you can ask him if its that sickness he has been using all the time. Im sure the bastard will get the message after that.

Maybe you think this is an amusing joke, but you could be charged with a crime for actually doing this.

[Hyve]

People pretend to be sick all the time to get off of work. It is common place, and really isn't worth worrying about.

However, if things start to impact yourself, or the company negatively then you should speak to management, or take action if you have the authority to do so. Be warned though, the person in question wont be happy, so be subtle about it.

[Purlina]

My suggestion is give him a real reason to call in sick. Give him some laxatives in his drink the next time he is at work. Then when the bastard starts to run for the john you can make sure its being used by someone else. When he wines you can ask him if its that sickness he has been using all the time. Im sure the bastard will get the message after that.

Sounds like a good idea...

If you want to get yourself fired or written up!