Cheating the system, do I do anything about it?

I need some feedback:

Dilemma: I and several other co-workers have seen a co-worker on disability out and about during working hours (when we are going home, on lunch hour, on vacation etc) She's shopping. Running across the street in different areas of the city. Out with a friend at the 7-11, that kind of thing. :( She apparently gets so sick that she cannot get out of bed and sleeps for hours or days :eyes: at a time. She's always crying when she calls in sick. (she's on partial disability and has been in only a few times in the last six months)

Is this fraud? It's wrong but what can I and the others DO about it? Do we blab? Will that make us low-down snitches? We all know that if we did this kind of crap our asses and jobs would be on the line. Turn the tables and this "disabled" individual wouldn't think twice about turning us in and a few more other things. :(

What to do? This is ridiculous behaviour and quite frankly, I'm in a mood where I would like to see some kind of "justice" done. There are people who are legimately sick out there and disability benefits are for those who truly qualify.

I'd love to hear your thoughts on this. :)

this is one of my pet peeves. People like her suck the system dry and people who really need help have a hard time getting it.


People like her need to caught and pay the system back if not worse.

on edit.. you can do this anonymously.... getting a video of her and sending it in would be good :evilgrin:

Do you know exactly what her disability supposedly is? If it's something like Chronic Fatigue, it may be that it comes and goes. If it's something like Chronic Depression, the same can apply. Even if someone is suffering, they still may have to get out and do things to take care of their lives - go to the store, pay their bills, go to the bank.

You're not her doctor nor her boss, from what I can gather. I'm on disability right now - it doesn't look like there's anything wrong with me but I am recuperating from neck surgery and haven't yet regained the strength I need to properly do my job.

To get disability, she has to see a doctor and be certified. I would say it's between her, the company and the doctor. You are not really qualified to decide on it. Too many factors involved.

she's not able to get out of bed, so she says. I am leaning towards letting the people who give her benefits know so they can do their own investigation. People can and do cheat the system unfortunately.


I know that sometimes people don't have to "look" disabled to be so, but this case seems very fishy. And I'm not the only person who thinks so.
I think that benefits should be for the truly needy.

I have a coworker who has Crohn's disease that is now much more under control than when she was first diagnosed. Still she misses more work than most people and has had to go home early because of it.
She could have an anxiety disorder or a disorder that is more severe during anxiety. She might get ready for work everyday, think about going, and immediately feel at her illest because of the associated anxiety. There could also be other triggers. Her illness might tend to be most severe in the morning, just after waking up. She might have a couple of good hours every day and feels the need to take advantage of them while she can.
You don't know. Is she getting treatment? I have had problems with illness in the past few months and the human resources person regularly asks for updates on my treatment and if I see or talk to the doctor. I think that this isn't completely legal, but she should have to have a doctor sign off on her missing a lot of work for a medical reason.

Of course, I don't know all the details, but she is not someone who deserves the benefit of the doubt. She's pulled games for years, I won't go into much detail, just that she has in the past bragged about taking time off to spite management, or spite other co-workers, and then done so. It got to be that we knew she would be off "sick" because we hear her talking to a friend about doing something for the weekend, and voila, she's sick the next few days.

I'm not without compassion for people who are truly ill, but people who play around with the system get my guard up. :)

Is this about someone playing the system or is it about getting even? I don't mean to offend but you sound kind of bitter about this person. Why does it matter so much to you? It would be one thing if you knew for sure that she is malingering but you don't seem to from what you've said. It seems to be suspicion more than anything.

Ronald Reagan got people all steamed up about "Welfare Queens" who supposedly kept pumping out kids so they could collect welfare - well, as someone who has collected welfare in the past, I know damn well that you don't get rich on it. Nor do you on disability. As a matter of fact, disability comes from what you pay into it, doesn't it?

I'm not defending this person - I don't know her. I'm just saying, maybe you need to look closely at your motives here. There's just not enough information in your post to say this person is genuinely playing the system. If her doctor is satisfied that she's eligible for disability, why aren't you?

He who is without sin.... you know?

Morale is very low where I work. This person has been extremely hostile and hurtful towards me and others. I thought I would ask what I should do about this. Again, it's hard NOT to feel cynical about people who brag about the things they do and get away with it time and time again. If she didn't want people to raise suspicions about herself she shouldn't have bragged to so many individuals about being able to do anything she wanted to. What goes around should come around.

I'm not the only one suspicious that she is getting away with cheating the system.
Cheating affects me, as well as anybody else I work with. We pay into the system, and it should work for the truly needy, not some scam artist. Why should my tax dollars go to pay off a leech, not a truly disabled individual? :shrug:

Please don't think I believe most individuals are like her, I don't. My heart goes out to those who are chronically ill or disabled. :(

I think you should contact people and ask that it be investigated. All you are doing is asking that it be checked out and there is nothing wrong with that at all. You aren't making the decision to cut her benefits, just asking them to see if it's valid. Ultimately, the decision will be made based on her and what she is doing.

Every time you have an insurance cost increase, you can count on a portion of it going to cover people who defraud the system.

It is likely you don't know all of the details. If you go and file an accusation of fraud when there is nothing to base it on, it could look very bad for you. Unless this person has actually come up to you and said "I'm scamming the system. Isn't this great?", or your employer has hired you specifically to find out if she is perpetrating fraud, it really is none of your business.

I hate to sound so harsh, but I've worked in many an office and I know how the gossip mill works. I've known innocent people to suffer from rumors and speculation from people who just didn't know the whole story. I hate office gossip and politics, and always wished that everyone would just mind their own business. I took some time off while pregnant with my first because of bleeding and threatened miscarriage, on doctor's orders. When I came back, the whole office was ripe with rumor that I was just sitting at home and milking my pregnancy for all it was worth, all I had was a little morning sickness. It was painful, and one of the reasons I left.

because of that damn gossip mill. :) Have seen it all, arghhh!!! :(

Maybe I'll hold back for now, but maybe somebody else will say something and it could be investigated. They can make their own call, and I'm not into witch hunts. :(

If I thought I knew all the answers I wouldn't have asked for feedback. Thanks all!! :)

And I don't think that people should get away with scamming the system. It hurts all of us. I understand the frustration.

but I'd let someone know. I am on disability too-I don't look it, but I don't have the stamina to go a full day, nor do I know when I'll feel peppy. I would be vague about it too. I don't tell people exactly WHY I may not work-other than "I can't ask someone to hire me, then expect me to be there 40 hours a week. Or even on which day to plan for me to be there, the time, the duration."

That said, when my ID was stolen, I met a guy from the Social Security Inspector general's office, and that is one of their main jobs-filming people mowing the lawn and doing manual labour while collecting disability for a bad back.

Would I be IRKED if someone snitched me off-yeah, probably-if I knew. But they don't tell you they're investigating you. I would understand it though. It's not like I'm missing something you can see or that I need crutches or a chair.

Here's another thing-if you do turn her in-you'll only be able to draw conclusions from the actions of management-maybe. They won't tell you anything-or at least shouldn't. If she has some sort of nebulous medical condition that causes the exact behaviour you describe, they'll already know.

But if you do-do it extremely quietly-do not confide in anyone at work you did this. It's best not to gossip about her, her condition or what you do about it.