Reading photo metadata help please./ private detective cosplay...

Just ask them to bring the tests in with them when they return to work. Then just check them against the serial no’s

Of course the red lines stay there for months on end - without having someone take an LFT in front of you neither a positive or a negative result is proof of anything as you don’t know who took the test or when

Amazed the old covid ruse is still being used. That was good for ages but running a bit thin now. As is evident by the suspicions of the OP. Only a short time ago the response would always be: "OMG, self isolate, STAY SAFE!".

Dunno how you can prove this otherwise though. And you're spending your precious Sunday evening playing the private dick.

My conclusion is that they are all images found on google and the staff member is not generating positive tests?

Not necessarily- you could ask a friend to send you images of their results if you've never had covid previously yourself. So they may not be images that have been posted online.

If the photos are all dated on the same day - the first day of the range of time theyre supposed to cover - then that would seem to tell you everything you need to know. Even if they physically have the tests in their possession they either took all the tests and photographed them on the first of Feb for some reason, or the tests were all taken on a previous date

However, if I look at the meta data of each picture by swiping up on my iPhone after I saved the images, all 5 say they are screenshots whereas if they were genuine photos they would have data about the phone camera?

Loads of people find screenshotting a photo the easiest way to send it via email/social media/chat!

private detective cosplay

Pics or it didn't happen

Yeah, I think your're barking up the wrong tree with the meta-data...
But the serial numbers on the PCR test - I thought they were all unique? It'd be a bit pointless if they weren't, unless thay are batch numbers rather than individual? I'm not sure.

If the employee has any smarts they would've binned those tests cos 'hygiene'

Loads of people find screenshotting a photo the easiest way to send it via email/social media/chat!

fair enough but that doesn’t explain the date in the meta data though? How could that all be dated Feb 1st if the tests weren’t taken until 2nd/3rd/4th?

And you’re spending your precious Sunday evening playing the private dick.

I am but it’s quite a new member of staff who I’m not keen to keep of this is their attitude. Just wanted some outside views on my reasoning as there are likely to be some “hr” consequences going forward…

There are other things that make me sceptical their honesty with this type of thing

Also it’s not much easier to send a screenshot than a photo you’ve just taken with your camera app?

I sometimes screenshot a photo once I've enlarged/cropped it (to show the info suspicious boss wants to see). Rather than editing it if you know what I mean.

Fair enough. I never do but that’s why I’m asking you lot!

But dates are still all 1st Feb

Should reiterate. It’s not so much I’m offended, it’s more about the pressure this behavior exerts on other members of staff who all are reliable and work very hard to cover sickness so the service users don’t have important appointments theyve been waiting for cancelled.

I’m amazed they have an LFT.

Apparently they did and “symptoms” developed enough to take one on a day off!

Each test strip has a different code, so the serial numbers shouldn't be the same...

Ive just binned 3 over the past few days or would’ve checked the SN, pretty sure they are all unique and not batch though.
From your description of the meta-data too, definitely some jiggery pokery going on. Can’t imagine there’s much you can do about it except calling them out as a liar. Just know they’ve used their “fake lft” ruse and won’t be able to do it again!

They’re still in their “probation” period at present.

Taking advice tomorrow about formal warnings….

fair enough but that doesn’t explain the date in the meta data though? How could that all be dated Feb 1st if the tests weren’t taken until 2nd/3rd/4th?

That is suspicious, would have accepted them all having the date they sent them to you! But otherwise they are time travelling!

Meh, we had a chap send in an old pic of an LFT a while back. It was spotted and he quit when found out.
The irony was, he was pretty competent at his job, so wasn't going to go any further than letting him know it's not acceptable.

You mentioned google lens, but have you tried a reverse image lookup?

Amateur hour, fire them, point them here for their next job…

- https://www.udemy.com/course/complete-tensorflow-2-and-keras-deep-learning-bootcamp/?
- Exif editor

Why are you doing this in your owntime on a Sunday?  If you have suspicions then get on to HR and let them deal with it.  Yo could actually blow a case by doing the wrong things ie not following policy

I am HR basically ( along with my business manager). Small business, under 20 employees, this individuals “line manager” (the business manager) is away for two weeks ( coincidental?)

I have a third party company I use for hr advice who i’ll Speak to tomorrow. Just wanted some anonymous checking of my conclusions. I’d rather find out I’m wrong as it’s the least hassle option but it’s not worth the ongoing cost to my valued and longer serving staff members to let it go. It’s not a big enough place of work for taking advantage of our trust / slacking. Off to have no impact

If these are officially UK issued Covid tests the number below the QR code is (should be!) unique to the test.  Given we haven't been issuing them freely like we used to I'd be surprised if many people still had stock at home, and also amazed if those tests had not expired by now?  Of course its possible that manufacturers are supplying the tests commercially - but then the QR codes are not required (it was an NHS-Digital invention, which ignored all industry conventions!).  Perhaps you work in a sector that still has access to official tests - in which case I would assume you(r employee) still has a route for reporting the result to NHS, and therefore requires a unique number on the test.

HOWEVER, I'm confused why the employee would feel the need to fabricate the covid result.  I assume that if you protect your service users from Covid, you also protect them from flu-like illness and that in line with standard practice, they can self-certify illness for the first week anyway.  So why risk fake covid tests if he could just call in sick?  Have you done something stupid like set up policies so you pay sick pay for covid but not for flu?

There's enough whataboutery to give the employee the benefit of the doubt in all but the date evidence I would say. That date being the same for all of them though, that must say they are pulling a fast one surely?

Daft really as if he had enough tests sat at home he could just have faked a positive result using the methods discovered ages back. What was it, lemonade or such that caused a red line to appear? Kids were faking the test right from the start to get off school weren't they?

If they are still in thier probation period you could just fire them, or if you're feeling a bit more even handed then you could extend thier probation.
You'd have to choose your words carefully in any event.

I have three boxes of tests sitting in the kitchen and test if feeling ropey. Aged parents, better safe etc.... So there are lots of reasons to still have tests.
Date and same number is a red flag. Sounds like he advice and a friendly chat/warning are in order.

Tricky one. Is there another employee you can trust to discretely speak to? It's possible they might know something you don't, to either confirm your suspicions or vice versa.

Either way I would request a face to face chat on their first day back to check on their 'recovery' and just be up front that your suspicions were raised.

I think you're on a hiding to nothing if you're trying to prove anything retroactively.

The photos could be screenshots of photos if they're too thick to work out how to email directly from the camera roll. The EXIF data could be showing the date of the screenshots rather than the photos (without looking myself it's speculation). The duplicated test result could be a simple mistake. And, even if you were to say "bring in the results on Monday" there's no guarantee that the tests are either recent or even theirs. I have a +ve test on my desk right here, it's from months ago.

The way I'd deal with this - if I suspected they were swinging the lead - is to have a conversation along the lines of "I know you can't help being ill but just bear in mind that you're still on probation and repeated absences don't look too great, especially given [whatever your 'other things' are]." But honestly I'd probably let it go unless it was becoming habitual.

Now, the bits you won't want to hear:

I have a member of staff that I think is not Covid positive but has used this rule to get a sneaky long weekend away.

You have a member of staff who has followed company policy. What you may or may not think is by the by. If you think it's a pisstake then it's the policy which needs reviewing, not the employee.

As their employer I feel this is taking the p*** out of me and has put a lot of extra unnecessary pressure on other team members.

You've said this and similar sentiments multiple times now. You're clearly understaffed and that's not the employee's fault either. The employee isn't 'exerting pressure on other members of staff,' you are. If you can't take the hit of one member of staff being ill for a couple of days then you need to start recruiting.

If they're in their probation period and you already had suspicions about them it doesn't sound like it's ever going to work out. You need to be able to have some trust in your employees...

Can’t comment on the photo meta data other than to add that I am aware of people taking a photo and then screenshot because they don’t know who to share (yeah I know).

In terms of lft tests. We still supply these but isolation is managed on an individual basis. Each test has a unique ID. So if you’re seeing a claim that there are two tests with the same number that’s nonsense.

They’re still in their “probation” period at present.

Taking advice tomorrow about formal warnings….

Formal warnings in probation? Sounds like a waste of time to me. Especially with no hard evidence (meaning they could easily 'fight' the warning).

Probations are to determine if an employee and an employer are a good match. It sounds like that is not the case here regardless of the current issue (which you will never prove without over-reaching massively). You have an employee that, for whatever reasons, you do not trust. Time to end the relationship before the end of probation.

Sounds like you are processing sensitive personal data so I'd make sure you have all your GDPR ducks in a row before kicking off...

All serial numbers are unique- I've got 500+ tests next to my wardrobe but I don't fancy opening them and checking. All unusable for anything useful as you can't enter the SN into the NHS computer as they were issued for staff use at my old site and when we closed it down the portal was shut so now the data can't be uploaded.
I do use them to test myself if I feel a bit icky and then get a normal kit kit to report the result if my test comes up positive.
Self employed so no benefit to fiddling anything.

ok so lets just think.

why do they want a long weekend off? are they going somewhere? clearly not if they have covid. They are effectively housebound (as am i at the moment) so no real cause.

the duplicate test is an easy mistake.

as cougar points out this isnt the first time youve raised the issue of employees not pulling their weight. maybe give them more credit?

Not going into specifics but they have a reason to want extra time off & it’s likely they won’t have actually been isolating at home. ( I can probably find this out )

This is the third thing that’s raised suspicion they aren’t being honest, the other two were let go but noted.

We aren’t understaffed. It’s just the nature of the business / industry that it’s difficult to cover multiple people being ill or on holiday at the same time.

your going to make yourself ill if you keep worrying about them like this. you need to be able to trust them. A lot of people take the micky a lot more these days. factor that in and give people the benefit of the doubt.

Grr!

I’m genuinely off work at moment due to covid, less than 1 month into a new job and having taken last week off as holiday (tested positive whilst away). ‘Luckily’ I started being ill before went away so work saw me struggling a bit. However I’m still bricking it as know they can get rid of me at any time during probation. I’m keeping all my tests and regularly messaging my manager to keep her updated.

It sounds like either trust has broken down, and/or you don't want to work with this person.

ETA:

Ah, it's been said...

Probations are to determine if an employee and an employer are a good match. It sounds like that is not the case here regardless of the current issue (which you will never prove without over-reaching massively). You have an employee that, for whatever reasons, you do not trust. Time to end the relationship before the end of probation.

First time I caught covid I was wrecked could hardly get upstairs, the second time I was fine just felt a bit off so walked loads to keep myself busy. So if they are genuinely positive then that doesn’t mean they’re too ill for their coincidental break.

if their still in probation, just get rid..

"If you’ve decided to dismiss an employee, perhaps for poor work performance or bad conduct, you can do so at any time – either during, or at the end of, their probationary period. You don’t have to follow a procedure, give them a warning or even provide notice. However, it is considered good practice to do so"

if you cannot cover sickness and holidays you are understaffed.

You appear to have gone beyond what policy states from what I read by asking for photos.  As an ex union rep I would love that as it makes for a great defense.  Have you asked for photos from others?  If not why single out this person?

Either sack him during probationary for poor performance and stop mucking about or support the person to do their job.

I’m genuinely off work at moment due to covid, less than 1 month into a new job and having taken last week off as holiday (tested positive whilst away). ‘Luckily’ I started being ill before went away so work saw me struggling a bit.

What you should do in this situation is cancel your holiday and take it as sick instead. It's what we've been instructed to do. a) you shouldn't have to burn holiday when you're ill and b) it swerves the whole "oh, that's convenient" argument.

Of course, being on probation may complicate things slightly.

Yup, I know I should, but…. Tbf they’re decent to work for and I contacted my manager as soon as I tested positive when I was away, so I feel that I could discuss this with them.

if you cannot cover sickness and holidays you are understaffed

That's a massive over-simplification, if they have enough staff to cover contractual holiday allowances + typical sickness levels in their industry then they are not understaffed. Most businesses can't afford to have additional staff to cover worst-case scenarios...

We aren’t understaffed. It’s just the nature of the business / industry that it’s difficult to cover multiple people being ill or on holiday at the same time.

Whatever, it's still no reason to appropriate the blame to those who are off. Which is exactly what you've done, several times now.

Could you take on a temp to ease the workload?

You appear to have gone beyond what policy states from what I read by asking for photos. As an ex union rep I would love that as it makes for a great defense. Have you asked for photos from others? If not why single out this person?

That's a really good point.

Any sensible HR policy would have an employee self-certify for a short absence and require a doctor's note for longer. Demanding personal evidence of illness could readily be problematic; would you demand photographs if I were off work because I couldn't sit at a desk due to debilitating piles?

The exact nature of an absence due to sickness is, frankly, none of your ****ing business as an employer. What is relevant is questions like "is this likely to reoccur?" or "is there something we can help with?"