Please Help - Have I been discriminated?

magenta22

I take it all the roles have been filled?

Sambucus_Nigra

Emmzi wrote: »

bendix has a history of not believing depression is a real illness. I find it best to ignore him/her. Many employers are not as thick.

saintjammyswine wrote: »

Dont get that from the post, sorry.

You wouldn't - from one post, that's why Em used the word 'history'. Innit.

Sambucus_Nigra

maccag wrote: »

Hi,

Thanks for all of your help. I have spoken to my boss and he said he did not think I could apply and I have now spoken to the Head of Department and he was shocked that I was not told and said i should have been told as the policy states everyone should be informed.

Yes I am off sick with depression but I am now on tablets and I am getting better and the job i would have applied for would have been a fresh start and I could have been interviewed when I go in for a Occupational Health meeting or even on my return.

Thanks for all of your help.

What are they doing about this now then?

bendix

Emmzi wrote: »

bendix has a history of not believing depression is a real illness. I find it best to ignore him/her. Many employers are not as thick.

That's not true at all. I know depression is a real illness.

It's more accurate to say that I think a lot of posters use the convenient tag of depression as an excuse, when really they're not depressed at all, but just 'out of sorts'

I repeat my main point on this particularly thread.

The OP could not have attended any interview because they were off sick for depression. If she (and let's face it, she's a she) is too sick with depression to work then she is too sick with depression to interview.

You can't have it both ways.

scheming_gypsy

there's a difference between an hours interview and working 40 hours a week

Uncertain

bendix wrote: »

The OP could not have attended any interview because they were off sick for depression. If she (and let's face it, she's a she) is too sick with depression to work then she is too sick with depression to interview.

That doesn't actually follow at all.

There are plenty of precedents to show that a person who is signed off sick is not regarded as too ill to attend a formal disciplinary meeting. To safely avoid the meeting they would need the doctor to specifically certify that they are too unwell to attend.

So they may well be fit enough to attend a hour long interview but not to be at work all day. If they have a physical injury that prevents them doing a manual job then this is obviously true. If their illness is brought on by their current job then moving to a different post could be in everybody's interests.

As you say, you can't have it both ways!

WhiteHorse

bendix wrote: »

That's not true at all. I know depression is a real illness.

It's more accurate to say that I think a lot of posters use the convenient tag of depression as an excuse, when really they're not depressed at all, but just 'out of sorts'

I repeat my main point on this particular thread.

The OP could not have attended any interview because they were off sick for depression. If she (and let's face it, she's a she) is too sick with depression to work then she is too sick with depression to interview.

You can't have it both ways.

Just so. This is someone wanting to have their cake and eat it.

scheming_gypsy

WhiteHorse wrote: »

This is someone wanting to have their cake and eat it.

compared to having your cake and not eating it?

As mentioned twice in the last half hour, complete difference between an interview and going to work. Maybe people off sick shouldn't leave the house?

bendix

Is there a difference between being too depressed to go to work, and not being too depressed to be able to articulate grievances about your employer's perceived unfairness of how they're treating you on a website?

I'm just curious. I want to know exactly what being off sick for depression means. Exactly how depressed do you need to be to be able to have the benefit of being 'off sick' but still able to function enough to want to go to interviews?

Please enlighten me. I'm genuinely curious.

bendix

Let's look at the figures, shall we? According to DWP figures released last year, 398700 people were on some form of incapacity benefits for 'depression'. And additional 93880 were on it for 'Anxiety'. Interestingly, 168330 received it for 'unknown causes', 61,400 for something called . . . ummm . .'pain' and 168330 for back pain.

Curiously, over 80,000 were either alcoholics, druggies or simply too obese to work. 56000 had some kind of neurotic disorder and 53000 had learning disorders.


Stunning figures. Truly stunning. Excuse me if I'm slightly sceptical when I hear people are too depressed or anxious to work. Take away their rights to a benefit, and they will suddenly cheer up no end, I'm sure.