Days off sick

DCFC79

Ive just filled in a form i was sent after being asked to an interview, it asked about days off sick in the last 5 years, problem is i cant remember how many days off i had in 2005. Is it a problem if there is a difference between the figure i gave and the true figure ?

Gertie_Walker

Your potential employer may well think you have been telling porkies. Safest thing is to ask your employer.

scooby088

Or failing that estimate, i am sure even prospective employers would expect you to remember time off sick. Thats if you are already employed or unemployed.

MrsManda

Give an estimate. Unless there's a huge discrepancy between the estimated figure and the true figure I doubt any prospective employer will have a problem with you not remembering the precise details from 5 years ago.

saker75

Employers are now (as from a few weeks ago) not permitted to take this into consideration. Leave it blank.

Uncertain

saker75 wrote: »

Employers are now (as from a few weeks ago) not permitted to take this into consideration. Leave it blank.

I think they can AFTER interview providing the answers are assessed by a qualified person. A bit like offering the job subject to satisfactory references.

SandC

Is this another of these myths? Can someone provide evidence that this is the case?

Frankly, if you leave something blank they are likely to think the worst and not even invite you for interview.

Uncertain

SandC wrote: »

Is this another of these myths? Can someone provide evidence that this is the case?

Here is Oxford University's guidance on the subject.....


Who should complete a pre-employment medical health questionnaire?

In order to fulfil all the requirements above, no-one should be allowed to commence a new employment until they have completed a pre-employment medical health questionnaire and an Occupational Health adviser has confirmed that they are fit for the proposed employment. This includes both:

(i) employees who are new to the University, and

(ii) existing employees who are appointment to new posts within the University.

At what stage in the recruitment process should the pre-employment medical health questionnaire be completed?

Pre-employment health questionnaires should only be sent to candidates once a conditional job offer has been made (the questionnaire can be included with the job offer). Since the launch of the Equality Act 2010, employers may no longer use any information about a candidate's health, whether gained from pre-employment health questionnaires, or questioning at interview, to inform their selection decisions, unless there is a Genuine Occupational Reason (GOR) for this.

GOR's must be very clearly objectively justifiable. For example a Goods Inwards role which involved heavy lifting and transporting of heavy or awkward packages around a large building where this was a major component of the job (and it was not possible to adapt the duties), might be said to have a GOR of being sufficiently fit and active to undertake these duties. However, wherever possible you should avoid subjective words such as "fit" which may be interpreted differently by different individuals, and instead define the requirements of the post, for example "able to lift heavy boxes, and push a trolley around a building on three floors", so that candidates can assess whether they would be able to meet this criterion.

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How does the process work?

(i) When a preferred candidate has been identified they should be offered the post, subject to the condition of a satisfactory medical health assessment (and any other relevant conditions such as entitlement to work in the UK and/or CRB disclosures).

(ii) The department should download the questionnaire and complete section 2 which asks for details of the post.

(iii) The form, together with a job description, should then be sent to the candidate, together with an A5 envelope, addressed to the department's recruitment co-ordinator, and with the post reference (recruitment exercise reference) clearly marked on the outside of the envelope.

(iv) Candidates should complete section 4 with information about their health and the declaration on section 5, and return the form to the department who can then log that the form has been returned

(v) The form should be forwarded without delay to UOHS who will complete the assessment, normally within two days of receipt

(vi) The UOHS adviser will return a copy of sections 2 and 3 of the form to the department, confirming whether or not the individual is medically fit for the proposed employment. The complete form will be kept, confidentially, by UOHS who will include the form in the individual's UOHS record.

(vii) Where further information is required by UOHS in order that the assessment can be completed there may be a delay in responding to departments

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Can we allow an employee to commence a new appointment without UOHS confirmation of medical fitness?

A candidate should not be allowed to commence employment until UOHS have confirmed whether s/he is medically fit for the proposed employment, or identified the reasonable adjustments that should be put in place before employment commences. The reason for this is that:

(i) there may be statutory/health and safety reasons why the individual may not be allowed take up the employment; and

(ii) once the individual has declared a disability to the University, through the Occupational Health form, the University has a duty to make reasonable adjustments to allow them to take up the post. The adjustments should normally be agreed and in place BEFORE the employment commences.

SueC_2

But does this one question count as a 'Medical Questionnaire'? Surely asking about someone's absence record is acceptable. Or not? (Although it does seem a bit excessive to go 5 years back).

Vader123

SueC wrote: »

But does this one question count as a 'Medical Questionnaire'? Surely asking about someone's absence record is acceptable. Or not? (Although it does seem a bit excessive to go 5 years back).

I agree, I think saker75 has read it wrong.

The guidance states (if you read it) that you can't use answers given on a pre-screen medical to choose for the rule, but you can look at and use sickness levels.

Vader

Uncertain

SueC wrote: »

But does this one question count as a 'Medical Questionnaire'? Surely asking about someone's absence record is acceptable. Or not? (Although it does seem a bit excessive to go 5 years back).

I would read the following to mean that this one question DOES count and was therefore unwise!

Why should asking about somebody's absence record be acceptable?

"Since the launch of the Equality Act 2010, employers may no longer use any information about a candidate's health, whether gained from pre-employment health questionnaires, or questioning at interview, to inform their selection decisions, unless there is a Genuine Occupational Reason (GOR) for this."