Work now allowing time off for hospital appointment

The_Magnificent_Spoon

Evening,

Edit: Just spotted the typo in my title, DOH I meant NOT allowing...!

Just a quick one. About three weeks ago I was diagnosed with something like Centra Serous Retinosis, which is an eye condition that has quite severely affected my vision. Two important points about this, are that it is widely accepted as being caused by stress, and thatit is very time critical. If it doesn't heal itself within a short amount of time (which mine doesn't seem to be healing, it seems to be getting worse!) then it urgently needs an operation or my vision can be permanently damaged.

Mine has affected me to the point where I cannot read anything with my right eye. Close or far, print or screen, I just cannot see.

Now, to explain my situation, I've never had a day off ill at my company in the three years I've been there. And I also don't even take all my holiday allowance. I've never been ill before, ever! I originally requested an afternoon off next Wednesday for an urgent hospital appointment for them to poke about with my eye and it was verbally granted.

But then today, I've found out that they've booked me in to do a project (as our senior engineer, there is nobody else at our company who can do this project) over my appointment time. I cannot do both. Supposedly it cannot be moved, it has to be on that date.

Worse still, it is for a company that I've previously requested that they don't ever send me back to, as they are horrendous, horrible stressful people to deal with. I'm also having to work all this weekend, again, at a horrendously stressful company.

I've told the guys that sort the jobs out about the problems ive been having with my sight, how important it is that I get it looked at properly, and that my problems have probably been caused by stress, and basically got a brick wall. They've refused to allow me the afternoon off that I'd need, refused my request to not deal with the customer that the very thought of is causing me to not sleep. I nearly quit the last time I had to deal with them.

I'm not bothered about the pay, I tried to book it off as holiday. I'm just seriously worried that the stress, and not keeping on top of things, is going to lead to permanent damage to my eyesight. Which is stressing me out even more.

Am I being unreasonable to expect the afternoon off? I know companies have no legal requirement to allow time off for hospital appointments

Sorry for length!

The_Magnificent_Spoon

Just realised, my first sentence was a lie. It wasn't a quick one after all!

timbo58

If you feel they aren't being reasonable book another appointment and go off sick.

t0rt0ise

If it counts as a disability they have to let you go although it can be unpaid time off. But better to go off sick and be done with it.

ValHaller

Your problem was conflating your appointment with your issues over a company you do not want to work for. They now think your appointment is a fake to get out of the job.

Whatever, get another appointment. And put your eyesight first. Don't put it at risk by appearing to use it as an excuse to get out of things you don't want to do.

Takeaway_Addict

timbo58 wrote: »

If you feel they aren't being reasonable book another appointment and go off sick.

Be very careful if you do this because if you are found out to be sick when you are not then it can cause all sorts of issues.

The_Magnificent_Spoon

ValHaller wrote: »

Your problem was conflating your appointment with your issues over a company you do not want to work for. They now think your appointment is a fake to get out of the job.

Whatever, get another appointment. And put your eyesight first. Don't put it at risk by appearing to use it as an excuse to get out of things you don't want to do.

People on this forum will genuinely find anything to troll...

Please go back and read the bit where I said I booked my appointment and time off BEFORE this job even came in, and stop trolling. They've even seen my appointment letter.

I wouldn't like to call in sick when I am not. They know very well that nuclear war wouldn't take me down, it would come across as way too convenient if I were suddenly ill and it would be found out...!

Annisele

The_Magnificent_Spoon wrote: »

But then today, I've found out that they've booked me in to do a project (as our senior engineer, there is nobody else at our company who can do this project) over my appointment time.

Depending on how big your company is, that might in general be pretty dozy. Eyesight aside, you're not immune from falling under a bus.

I assume you've explained to your employer the urgency of your hospital appointment, and pointed out that your job would be rather more difficult with less eyesight than you've got? And that that would put the company in a bit of a bind?

Can you book another appointment in the near future for your eye?

If not, then in your position I think I might tell my employer I was going to the appointment anyway - on the grounds that I'd rather risk my job to sort out my eyesight than risk my eyesight to keep a job. But I say that knowing that my employer would never act the way yours has (if it did, I'd be completely confident that there was a massive misunderstanding somewhere that could be sorted out).

Calling in sick is difficult, as it'll be pretty obvious where you are. I'd be more inclined to fire an employee for lying to me than for not turning up to work.

ValHaller

The_Magnificent_Spoon wrote: »

People on this forum will genuinely find anything to troll...

Please go back and read the bit where I said I booked my appointment and time off BEFORE this job even came in, and stop trolling. They've even seen my appointment letter.

I wouldn't like to call in sick when I am not. They know very well that nuclear war wouldn't take me down, it would come across as way too convenient if I were suddenly ill and it would be found out...!

You really are being a total idiot to yourself. The core of what I said is

Your problem was conflating your appointment with your issues over a company you do not want to work for. They now think your appointment is a fake to get out of the job.

Never mind the 'he said she said' over when your appointment was arranged, you really need to be careful that you bosses (who are paying less attention to the detail than I am) do not thinkl you are using this as a skiving excuse.

I made the point to be helpful, not to insult you - but if you are going to call troll, carry on. Because you obviously don't want to understand how people might be seeing your issue. There are more forms of blindness than the obvious.

The_Magnificent_Spoon

ValHaller wrote: »

You really are being a total idiot to yourself. The core of what I said is

Never mind the 'he said she said' over when your appointment was arranged, you really need to be careful that you bosses (who are paying less attention to the detail than I am) do not thinkl you are using this as a skiving excuse.

I made the point to be helpful, not to insult you - but if you are going to call troll, carry on. Because you obviously don't want to understand how people might be seeing your issue. There are more forms of blindness than the obvious.

He removed the entry I had out in my diary, clearly labelled 'Hospital appointment', and replaced it with a job. Quite how he could think what you're suggesting, is impossible.

The rest of your post is again, garbage trolling. You should be careful over who you go calling a 'total idiot'. There is only one of those in this thread, and its not me.

Nicki

Would your GP sign you off with stress for the whole of the week in question? Under the circumstances probably yes and you could then seek medical help for the stress related condition while off anyway.

Your sight is more important than the job. Don't feel guilty. Do what it takes to make the appointment on Wednesday. As time is of the essence don't cancel and rearrange the appointment.