Hubby been called in for an interview regarding his sick leave??

wendywhite

Hi need some advice please. Hubby works for an oil company and he has had a letter from HR dept asking him to attend a meeting with three company reps because he has had 3 episodes of sick leave of approx 3-4 days each time, in the last year. Each instance was a bad back, flu and can't remember the other one.....do you think they are targeting him? He is not a 'company man', speaks his mind etc... Apparently this meeting is in line with company policy and yet the policy quoted is not available only an older version. Any help /advice would be greatly appreciated! Thanks

Sagz_2

I don't think it's that unusual - just sounds like the HR dept. are on the ball.

Is he aware of collegues who have had the same level of sick leave but have not been called in?

ppolly

Don't worry this sounds pretty standard - it happens in lots of places of work. He will probably get a pep talk and maybe have to go and see occupational health. Places of work trying to get their sick figures down have a trigger point after which they see anyone who has been of sick over a certain amount of times. (in my place of work it was three times in six months) If he is off again it might become more of an issue.

tinkerbell84

My employer used to do something similar.

Didn't matter if the 3 absences were only 1 day each, or 3 x 2month periods. If you were off for 6 months it was only 1 absence so you didn't get called in.

They saw sense about a year ago, and now use discretion!

belfastgirl23

Sounds like it is a standard policy to me...I know they do something similar where I work so if I've had to come in for meetings eg when off with the cold I've just put it all down as one period of sick leave rather than day-on day-off. Seems ridiculous though.

ailuro2

He gets to be off 3 times before he's called in??

We automatically get taken in after 2 absences.

If he not a company man maybe he ought to have a think about whether he's happy where he is and think about improving his job satisfaction levels.

cazziebo

Interview after three absences in a rolling 12 month period is the standard (based on average absence figures across the UK).

It's not necessarily a disciplinary type situation. At this early stage it's more like a welfare interview - are there any underlying problems, could the company be doing anything sort of thing. Indeed, it's thought that companies who ignore sick leave are actually being rather negligent. Frequent absence is a burden on other employees, as well as impacting on the productivity of the company.

Hope he gets on okay.

elainew

He shoulnt go in alone--get him to take in a friend with him.

viktory

If I am off work - even for a day - I have to attend a back to work interview.

If he has done nothing wrong and was genuinely ill, then there is no reason why he should not attend this meeting alone. They are carrying out normal checks - I doubt very much they'll get the thumbscrews out!

Horace

As cazziebo says - it is pretty standard. It sounds like a welfare type of interview to me so there shouldn't be anything to worry out. They will look at why he was off (they will have the records in front of them) and will ask if there is anything they can do to help especially if he, for instance, was off on more than one occasion with a bad back.

There is no need to take someone with him at this time - the letter will advise on whether he can take a union rep or other person (usually a work colleague and not a family member or someone outside the company).

If the company considers that his absences are excessive then they could implement a monitoring period of say 3 months and during that time he is expected not to go sick. Employers also look at patterns of sickness e.g. is the person always sick on a Friday or a Monday or following a Bank Holiday or annual leave?

I don't think your husband has anything to worry out its just routine.

LittleVoice

elainew wrote: »

He shoulnt go in alone--get him to take in a friend with him.

That would be trying to treat it like a disciplinary meeting, which it isn't (as far as I can see).

Having a meeting with three people does seem a bit OTT though.