need help on my work

rubytob

Hi,
I wondered if any one can help me, I am so so upset and dont know what to do. Suffice to say my manager and I had very frank supervision the week berfore I got ill. I simply asked if I would ever be promoted for the extra work I had done. The firm is IIP silver and really into reward and recognition. My manager was really frosty with me from that point onwards (after telling me that she had never built my hopes for promotion and the firm doesnt work like that) and when I called in to say hi to my collegues and hand in my sickline she ignored me. She has never once asked how I am in 5 weeks and quite frankly I could have died.
Anyway I now find myself in an utterly scary situation and dont know what to do, but here goes;

I have been off work sick since November 9th 2011. I started to have seizures and as yet they are not regulated and it is most likely that I have stress related epilepsy /adult onset epilepsy.

I was intially given a 2 week sickline from my GP, which was followed on Nov 23rd by another 2 weeks sickline, culminating in a sickline posted on Wednesday 7th December for a 4 week phased return. My nuerologist has started me on epilepsy drugs which will be rapidly increaded over the next few weeks hence the phased return.

Today (saturday 3.15) I had a letter from my work which I was to sign for, the letter (dated 7th Dec) invited me to a diciplinary meeting on Thursday due to inconsistencies in my sickline. The only thing that I can think of that is inconsistant would either be my doctors description which I think said seizure on the first and seizures on the second or the fact that my mother ticked a phased return box, which was an option that would allow my return and increase my medication at once.

Needless to say I felt very sick at the receiving the letter and am really upset. I will speak to my GP first thing on monday morning about the disciplenery.

When I got my new sickline on wednesday 23rd I called my work as I was due to start back on Thursday 24th, I told them that I had been given a new line and that the doctor had ticked 4 weeks phased return and altered hours. I asked them should I come in the following day anyway? They asked me to read what the doctor had wrote. I read it out and I was told not to come in until my manager contacted. I heard nothing from my manager and instead received this very formal letter from HR today.

When I posted my line on Wednesday evening I also posted my drug regeime and thought maybe that is why I had not heard from work. In reality it seems they had sent this letter even before receiving my doctors letter.

I am unsure what to do on Thursday, it is unlikely right now that I could face a disciplinery, as I truely am not well, and do not want to embarrass myself by having a seizure in front of them, if I get my doctor, nuerologist or epilepsy nurse to explain / write to my work would this suffice? Or by not attending will I be sacked?

nearlyrich

Sorry to hear you are not well and I hope you feel better soon.

Is your mother your GP? If not why did she "tick the phased return box" ? Has your doctor indicated when you will be fit for work? How long have you worked there?

rubytob

no she isnt my GP but thinks she is lol. As I cant drive I asked her to collect me from GPs and leave me to work to deliver line. My epilepsy nurse told me to speak to gp re a phased return. To be honest I'm not used to all these docs or even docs appts as I have never been so ill before. When I went to GP on 23rd I didnt even discuss it, but he seemed more intent on me staying off. He told me to take 2 weeks then to come back. As I had been working on an important project I just wanted to go back and when I said that my mum ticked the line, claiming that on my drugs that that would be the only way to go back. I didnt think much of it I just wanted to get back to work. I have been there 18 months and no my doctor hasnt told me when I can go back, he told me this week that he would like me to strat back phased and see how I go. He wrote on the line that work could contact him if they had any queries as to how to phase me in. They didnt contact until today.
When I went back to the doc this week a phased return and new duties was the first thing he suggested - he wrote a whole speil on my new line. I feel so bad I loved my job and it was all I was holding on to in this horrible mess.
Now I have to go to a big disciplinery thing this week I am so very afraid, I worked so hard there and now Ive lost it.

TrickyWicky

I wouldn't worry too much yet. If you have epilepsy then the Disability Discrimination Act comes into force and you should be aware of your rights and make it clear that you're aware of them. Don't however rub your employers nose in it about the DDA though..

I've been into meetings with past employers while off sick etc, not much comes of it really. I sat in one meeting with my managers manager and two witnesses from personnel. The big boss had a look of anger on his face and questioned things such as my med certs having different issues on to which I simply said "I can't tell the GP what to write there. Whatever he writes is his choice and if he decides only to put one thing there instead of the full three then you'll have to take up disciplinary action against him as I've done nothing wrong". That pretty much ended the meeting when they realised my point was valid and I was escorted back off site again. I ended up off sick to the point where my sick pay ran out a few months later and despite having asked them a month or two earlier to get the OH stuff done so I could return they stretched it out as much as possible.

I guess what I'm saying is at this stage don't worry too much. If you're being denied promotional opportunities and you have epilepsy then they may be discriminating against you. Have you previously shown interest in being promoted? - Have you asked them if opportunities exist and for more responsibility?

Annisele

I'm not sure the DDA necessarily helps the OP a great deal.

I know that the Equality Act has replaced huge swathes of the DDA, but I think that some parts of the DDA do remain in force - not sure whether or not they're to do with employment matters though.

More to the point, it sounds as though the employer wasn't keen on promoting the OP before the OP was ill - so it seems very unlikely that the OP's illness is the reason the employer hasn't promoted them.

OP - how long have you worked for your employer? It sounds like you've been there a while, but is that more or less than a year?

rubytob

The seizures just started, some sort of adult onset thing. I hadnt had a seizure prior to that in 10 yrs at least.
I have worked there for 18 months and yes I asked for promotion and my manager said we dont work that way. She had no idea nor did I that I would get ill.
I just wonder if about the descrepancies in sickline, the phased return box was ticked. It is recommended with my level of drug increase anyway. The whole thing is so upsetting, I have always worked so hard - I'll learn. If I'm being honest when I told my manager that epilepsy was the cause of my seizures she looked horrified. Lol not much I can do about it
Thanks so much for taking the time to answer me its nice to know someone else has been to one of these meetings I am dreading it,

thegirlintheattic

I'm slightly confused. Your mother ticked the phased return box on your sicknote? then the doctor recommended phased return on the next sicknote? Is this the possible problem - the company has found out that your mum tampered with the form?

rubytob

Yes thats the only thing I can imagine is wrong!
As I was unwell she has been such a help, driving me here there and everywhere and helping with these horrid attacks. However she had no need to meddle.

rubytob

PPs girlinattic,
I don't know what they think as the letter is really formal and vague. I just assume they think I did tampered with the form (guess it does nt matter who did to them), they should have got the docs letter recommending phased return either yesterday or monday. I just think they were so hasty. Usually when drugs are new and increased so fast (in an effort to control these blumming attacks) a phased return is necessary. I honestly wasnt too cross my mother had ticked the box as I felt it was a logical step to allow me to return. I was more worried about my health its all happened so fast.
Bit cross now mind.
That is the only thing I can think is wrong, oh yes there was a date overlap, the sickline in question started on 23rd yet the line before finished on 24th. The doc put dates in not me. I really cant think of any other inconsistencies

TrickyWicky

rubytob wrote: »

and yes I asked for promotion and my manager said we dont work that way.

Thats not quite the same as I asked. I asked if you had asked about promotion 'opportunities'. I didn't ask if you had asked "for promotion". You can't just go to your boss and say "Boss can I have a promotion?" but you can ask "Are there any opportunities for promotion?" - There is a difference and that seems to be something that your two posts don't seem to have acknowledged.

No company works 'that' way if you just ask them outright for promotion! It's something you must express interest in, take extra responsibility and then point out to them how useful you are to the company and thats why you deserve to be promoted. It's not just something you ask for.

Maybe you've just skimped on your reply and have been doing as I've said but if you reply like that here without being clear then perhaps thats something you also need to address with your work place communication.

As for your mother, work isn't school and she has absolutely no right to even try to get involved. She only has those rights at school not the work place. Now she's opened a can of worms for you and she'll try to convince you it will be alright but it may not be. Do not let her interfere with your work again.

rubytob

Oh my Goodness. I apologise for not replying to your question. I was not skimping on your reply, I was reading all the replies and trying to answer everyone at once.
Yes I had expressed an interest in promotion, I had taken on a lot of extra work since August. I was working of a company wide project, represented the company in presentations and audited every single premises. Not to mention reporting constantly to the CEO on my progress. This was way above my job description and at a much higher level than I had ever worked. It was a lot to take on so I asked on the possibility of promotion based on this. I was effectively working two jobs from August and was under a lot of pressure, my new roles were set to continue which is why I asked about the issue