Employer home visit whilst off sick?

Unimaginativeusername · 19 March 2017 at 2:12PM

Valli wrote: »

Have you sought advice from your union?

If you aren't in one then maybe you should consider joining.

The company does not recognise any union. A while ago i was talking to a few of my colleagues about it and that we should have a union, management overheard and threatened me with dismissal.

Unimaginativeusername · 19 March 2017 at 2:16PM

TELLIT01 wrote: »

It reasonable for an employer to keep in touch when somebody has long term absence. At my previous employer they would start doing that after 2 to 4 weeks. If you're off with depression / stress I'm guessing you wouldn't want to go into the office to discuss. If you're OK going out I would agree with the suggestion of meeting in a coffee shop or similar. That way, if things get difficult, you can walk away. You wouldn't be able to do that in your home.

Thank you, I wouldn't actually mind going to the office for the meeting.

theoretica · 19 March 2017 at 2:40PM

Unimaginativeusername wrote: »

The company does not recognise any union. A while ago i was talking to a few of my colleagues about it and that we should have a union, management overheard and threatened me with dismissal.

I bet the unions would love to hear about that!

kingfisherblue · 19 March 2017 at 5:34PM

Unimaginativeusername wrote: »

The company does not recognise any union. A while ago i was talking to a few of my colleagues about it and that we should have a union, management overheard and threatened me with dismissal.

Your employer does not have to know that you are in a union. My daughter pays her union fees via direct debit and her previous employer did not know that she was a member until she needed some support after witnessing an attack from a client. I don't think being in a union can go against you. However, you can't usually join one once you hit a problem and expect immediate support, you usually needd to be an existing member, otherwise people would join just for the duration of any concerns and then leave again.

custardy · 19 March 2017 at 5:39PM

kingfisherblue wrote: »

Your employer does not have to know that you are in a union. My daughter pays her union fees via direct debit and her previous employer did not know that she was a member until she needed some support after witnessing an attack from a client. I don't think being in a union can go against you. However, you can't usually join one once you hit a problem and expect immediate support, you usually needd to be an existing member, otherwise people would join just for the duration of any concerns and then leave again.

Joining an unrecognised union simply gives some support with regards to legal rights IMO.
From what the OP has posted,there is nothing illegal or even questionable in their treatment under their sick policy at this point.

Valli · 19 March 2017 at 5:57PM

and a union would be there to advise you on your next steps and suggest what requests you might reasonably make in order to support a return to work.

While it may be true that your company does not 'recognise' a union, the employment rights you (and every other employee) are now enjoying (sick pay and the freedom of not being at risk of summary dismissal) were fought hard for by trade union members in the past.

-taff · 19 March 2017 at 6:01PM

Do you have a copy of your company sick policy? If you haven't, can you get one?
Do you know if you are complying with the policy?

In my old place, they had an extensive policy, which covered times when they could contact you, when they felt it appropriate, such as 2 weeks is termed long term sick, and resulted in a meeting, either at work, or at home if you couldn't manage to get in, phone updates, and Oh meetings, and regular communication from the person who was sick regarding doctors notes etc.

One of the managers did take it way too far though, and start texting all the time, which was definitely not in the policy.

TBagpuss · 19 March 2017 at 8:59PM

It's quite common for an employer to visit you at home, if you can't come to the office - they should be trying to work with you to support you to return to work, but can also visit you as part of starting the process to seeing whether you are capable of doing the job.

It may be that the letter the went to the wrong address explained things more clearly.

It would be reasonable for you to contact them to arrange for the meeting to take the place either at the office or at a alternative location (so you could propose a local cafe or coffee shop, if you would be more comfortable there than at your home)

Bath_cube · 20 March 2017 at 12:51AM

It's your home. If you feel uncomfor table and I would too why don't you suggest a local supermarket cafe?.

Undervalued · 20 March 2017 at 1:26PM

jobbingmusician wrote: »

Please can I reframe this. I do appreciate that you probably feel crap, and that your anxiety levels are likely to be raised.

Your employer is actually behaving immaculately by keeping in touch. It is reasonable (and in fact may be helpful to you*) for them to see you. Please do reply, explaining that it would not be helpful for them to see you at home for personal reasons, but that you are happy to see them in a neutral venue such as a coffee shop. You can suggest somewhere (you are likely to know better than they do whether your local coffee shop is quiet or busy at various times of day) or leave them to suggest somewhere.

*If you are anything like me, you would find it quite stressful returning to work after an absence. Keeping in touch really does help to reassure you about what's going on - it is helpful to you as well as them, even though it feels scary before it happens.

PS - if your contract states that you will be paid x amount of sick pay whilst employed, then they have no reason not to pay you. BUT if you don't respond to their reasonable requests to keep in touch, they are more likely to speed up any attempts to dismiss you on capacity grounds (not being well enough to do your job). The fact that they have asked to see you means that they are following their own procedures, not that they are determined to get rid of you, by the way.

Do think about whether something like an hour in the office each day might help your recovery. This is what phased returns are all about.

Virtually all company sick pay schemes (even the rare ones that are not "discretionary") will require the employee to comply with the company's policies. That may well include attending meetings, staying in regular touch and agreeing to occupational health referrals.

The company very much has the whip hand, if they are not happy they can just stop paying anything beyond SSP. Even if they are wrong to do that, the employee is then in the very difficult position of having to make a claim against their employer at the very time they need their support and understanding.

Employer home visit whilst off sick?

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