Probationary Period and Sickness

Badger_Lady

Hia,

I've tried to read my new employer's policy on this but there's no information.

I've been in the role for 6 weeks out of an initial 6 months probationary period. I can do the job standing on my head (though I choose not to) and my boss seems to be very impressed already.

However I'm feeling very unwell... I've never been diagnosed with depression before and am not seeing a Doctor at the moment, but everything is an enormous struggle and I spend about 30% of my days crying or thinking about crying. I disappear into the staff toilets to cry, I sit in my car in the staff carpark for hours at a time... yesterday I only managed to sit at my desk for 45 minutes before I sloped off back to the car with my Blackberry. Then I drove home and sat there for hours doing nothing at all, feeling too tired to make myself food or even look at my phone.

It's important to point out that my boss hasn't noticed any of this - apart from a one-to-one meeting where I cried, he doesn't care what hours I work and I've been very professional in the open. As far as he's concerned, I've turned up to every meeting and done everything expected.

So my question is, what happens if I do see a Doctor and am advised of an illness? Does being on probation mean that you can be sacked for any/no reason, and if I do have to take time off sick will I lose my job over it?

I want help but I don't want anyone to know

soupdragon10

Get yourself off to your doctor - he may be able to prescribe something that will help you without the need to be signed off sick at all (I've regularly worked while taking medication for depression).

At the moment you don't know why you feel the way you feel, so I would suggest it's important to get an accurate diagnosis. If your doctor signs you off sick I don't see how this would be different to, for example, you being signed off sick for breaking your arm etc.. but I'm not an expert on employment law.

Badger_Lady

soupdragon10 wrote: »

If your doctor signs you off sick I don't see how this would be different to, for example, you being signed off sick for breaking your arm etc..

Thank you

My fear, though, is that you could lose your job for breaking your arm if you were still in probation when you did it.

Googlewhacker

if it is covered under the DDA then no they could not sack you for this but unfortunately for yourself you have very little protection within the first year and they could make a reason up thats not related to your illness to dismiss you and there would be very little you could do about it.

You need 12 months to be protected from unfair dismissal

Oldernotwiser

For many people, anti depressants work really quickly. You need to see a doctor asap and be optimistic that this will be the case for you.

Badger_Lady

Thanks everyone... appointment booked for 11th April. So that's just 10 days to carry on pretending to be normal.

Oldernotwiser

Badger_Lady wrote: »

Thanks everyone... appointment booked for 11th April. So that's just 10 days to carry on pretending to be normal.

I hope it all goes well.

Often pretending to be normal is the best you can do.

NB. Alcohol is a depressant so worth cutting this back in the meantime.

Badger_Lady

Oldernotwiser wrote: »

NB. Alcohol is a depressant so worth cutting this back in the meantime.

Heheh, I would but I only have a glass of wine on a Friday night - might keep that up!

emmell

You may be referred for counselling first, which for me just delayed the inevitable anti-depressants.
I couldn't understand at first how a tablet could make me feel any different, but after I researched what happens inside the brain and the effect the tablets had on this, I understood it better.
I think once you have been to the Dr's and talked to them you will feel a lot more comfortable.
ML.