What can I do about a bad sickness record?

2

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  • polgara
    polgara Posts: 500
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    Don't bet on it - I'm in the NHS and we're currently dismissing a lot of people on capability grounds. Every organisation has to meet their CRES (cash releasing efficiency savings) - approximately 3% taken off budgets every year. Poor sickness levels = agency, bank or overtime spend so levels are scrutinised closely. Sickness records are part of the recruitment process and lots of NHS organisations are also instigating probationary periods to stop a 'sicknote' culture.

    If you really want to join the NHS it might be best to try the staff banks - it is temporary work but would show that you are able, can commit and are reliable - therefore more appointable too.

    <As an aside once was running the HR session at induction when a new employee asked how many days off sick they could have a year :mad::mad::mad: . Made sure I got their name...just in case>
  • Horace
    Horace Posts: 14,426 Forumite
    Arne wrote: »
    I didnt submit a complaint at the time because I didnt follow proper proceedures as I was so distressed I couldnt talk to a stranger. My bosses line manager had left and hadnt been replaced at that time, his previous boss (when we were part of another section) had been made redundant so I couldnt go and talk to him either. The person who was trying to act as his line manager was already dealing with 3 divisions apart from her own plus I had never met her and she left within a month of me being signed off. The HR Director was informed within a week what had happened but it took HR until September to get me an appointment with the Occupational Health Doctor who agreed that it was work related stress.
    After that I have been attending regualar meetings with my bosses new line manager, an HR person, and my unison rep where we agreed that this was a one off incident and that independant mediation would be organised for us both.

    After the mediation they will then put in a phased return to work for me to return to my old job.

    I have been asking if I could come back and work in another work area for a time to build up my confidence again but I keep getting told that they want me back at my own desk doing my own job. Other people in other sections have told me that they have asked for help for some basic projects and mentioned my name but that they also get told no.

    Horace, your comments do sound harsh, they may be fair but until then I had had a good sickness record and I was reasonably well regarded at my work. I never thought to be in this position but thank you all for your comments.

    Sorry if my comments sounded harsh - they come from experience from both sides of the fence both as a person with a previously good sickness record to having work-related stress and then being made redundant and from a unison branch secretary point of view.

    At least you now have a unsion rep who is willing to attend meetings with you and has agreed that mediation is the best approach, however, remember that although mediatiion has been recommended by HR and you have agreed to it the instigator of the bullying also has to agree. The delay may be caused by this person not agreeing. I have a friend who works for an agency which is also part of the civil service and he has told me that it takes ages for the service to find an independent mediator at a reasonable cost. Ask your union rep to find out if there is someone senior within your Agency that could mediate instead because waiting isnt helping you.

    I can see why your employer is saying that you cannot return to work in a different section, your section needs you and it is more difficult for them to create a job for you to do in another section because this is what they would have to do.

    To help you gain more confidence, ask for help from the union - you can even go and spend some time at one of their holiday places or even a place of recuperation, you get this as part of your membership - so ask for it. The more you can do to help yourself, then the more likely your employer is likely to help you. If you still insist on changing jobs there is nothing stopping you from logging onto the Civil Service Gateway and applying for any of the jobs there, they are more likely to look favourably on you as you are already a civil servant regardless of the agency for whom you work.

    Say, in the future you decided to take a case to the employment tribunal, the fact that you have failed to follow procedure by not raising a formal grievance will most likely stand against you.

    I know its difficult when you are in a stressful situation but you need to find some coping mechanisms to help you because you will get stress whatever job you do. I found that cleaning my rugs helped - I used to hang them over the washing line and beat the hell out of them, it was easy to imagine my boss' face in the centre of every single one - it might sound funny but it worked. As for my life now, yes it has been a struggle since redundancy but I am now on the up, as for my old boss well he has been demoted:j

    The private sector is immensely difficult and many places don't have occupational health departments so it may be better to stay in the public sector but maybe a change of scene will do you good - so try for a university or college (https://www.jobs.ac.uk is the site to use to look for suitable jobs). Bear in mind though that the pay won't be so good and the pensions are often closed to new members.

    I wish you luck for the future and hope that you learn some coping strategies and continue to get help from the union (you pay enough subs so use them as much as you can - even for training courses).
  • Presumably you have admin skills? Why not sign up to a couple of local temp agencies and repair your job record? Be honest about the situation and stress that it was as a result of the actual role and that you hadn't had any attendance issues prior to this situation.
    :D Thanks to MSE, I am mortgage free!:D
  • Arne_2
    Arne_2 Posts: 37 Forumite
    Thank you everyone for your advice. I am pleased to report that I will be starting a new job in my home area in April. It is with a local small business.
  • p00hsticks
    p00hsticks Posts: 12,645
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    That's great news - hope all goes well for you
  • Arne wrote: »
    Thank you everyone for your advice. I am pleased to report that I will be starting a new job in my home area in April. It is with a local small business.

    Brilliant! :T
    How did you explain your sickness? If you are comfortable about sharing it might help others in a similar position.
  • mannews
    mannews Posts: 93 Forumite
    Arne, congratulations about getting a new job. Hope all goes well and this is the beginning of a new start for you. I have also had depression in the past and am worried when I have to talk about it at interviews and put it on my application forms. I would like to say though that I may be starting a new job soon and I told them honestly about my depression and why and that I am now ready to commit again to a job.:)
  • Arne_2
    Arne_2 Posts: 37 Forumite
    I am really pleased and happy to be moving, my Mum has admitted she has had yet another fall when she was out walking so this will be a bit of a worry off my mind. There seems so much to get done for moving.

    Because I am moving back to where I grew up people know me which helped. The business owners knew I had been off work and why and also that that was not normal for me. We have agreed on 2 trial periods. The first is to make sure I fit in and we all dont hate each other and if that works out I am on trial until October with regards to sickness.
    They have a good induction proceedure to make sure all new staff learn what is expected of them.

    I did do the mediation process with my boss and was due to start my phased return. I have had dreadful bosses in the past and coped fine but none like this one. The others struggle with him as well, but their jobs enable them to leave the office for short times. The temp has been upset by him on a few occasions when they were doing what they had been told to do but he had "forgotten" that he had said they were to do the task.

    Anyway thanks again everyone.
  • bambieyes
    bambieyes Posts: 200 Forumite
    well done and good luck in your new job :T
  • Uncertain
    Uncertain Posts: 3,901 Forumite
    cazziebo wrote: »
    We don't "do" occupational health, phased return to work, allowances to build up confidence etc. If I had someone off for three months (never mind nine) then I would be looking to terminate them on grounds of incapacity. If someone can't manage working relationships, and the result is 9 months sick leave, then that is a concern.

    So, a rough translation of your company's HR policy is "Do as we think fit, ignore as many employment regulations as possible and (I suppose) pay up if forced when the odd "difficult" employee pushes it all the way".

    Any you think this is right?
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