Is your employee really sick?
Is your employee really sick?

You’ll almost certainly have heard of COVID-19, more commonly known as Coronavirus. We’re faced with a pandemic, and nobody really knows how many people will be affected.

Of course, we’ve got to keep things in perspective. The risks, for many, are low. That’s not to say that you won’t become ill, but that most who do will make a fairly easy recovery,

Still, the spread of Coronavirus has changed how we treat being ill. Whilst workers usually feel obligated to show up, even when they’re under the weather, we’re now being encouraged to ‘self isolate’ and lock ourselves away if we’re ill.

There’s even a temporary change to the requirements for Sick Pay, until COVID-19 has been controlled. Instead of having to wait three days, employees that are ill can now claim Statutory Sick Pay from the first day of their illness.

If you’re an employer, the issue of employee sickness is one that you’ll have struggled with before.

– What happens when people fake illness?

Some people, quite simply, are a lot more sickly than others. But, perhaps you’ve noticed that one specific employee is taking a lot of time off.

Employee sickness could be genuine, though some people might push their luck. Unless they slip up with a post on social media, how can you prove that they’re not ill?

– Why hire a private investigator?

If you’re concerned that someone’s taking advantage, and taking lots of time off when they’re not sick, then you may want the evidence that’s needed to take formal action.

Accusing someone of faking illness is a dangerous action. Yet, if you have the appropriate evidence, it can help you to protect your business interests.

Perhaps you’re losing money because someone keeps calling in sick? Maybe your other employees are frustrated that they’re picking up the slack? You might even be concerned that a ‘sick’ employee is actually working somewhere else!

If you’re worried that a sick employee isn’t actually in bad health, and that their faked illness has a negative impact on your business, then why not phone a Preston private investigator to discreetly find out the truth? Call 01772 334 700.