employer wants me to complete modules when off sick

fruitedeli

How long have you been employed? This bit is important because most employers will be thinking of sacking you if you continue being off sick. That's the harsh reality.

lor6126

Poppie68 wrote: »

I had a diagnosis of fibro 3 years ago, the medication i am on makes concentration and normal function difficult. Without knowing what medication you have been prescribed maybe it would not be a good idea completing the modules until you feel competent to do so. Maybe worth pointing that out to your employer.

Thats my main problem apart from the pain,im confused and struggling to remember things/words. I am on Gabapentin 600ml a day, 400ml of tramadol and 1000ml paracetamol 4 times a day. i have emailed them with the details now i know its likely to be longterm and waiting for a responce. I have been a manager with the company for seven years.

1DayAAT

I would say this is *not* OK. I know a fair bit about employment rights and contacting a member of staff when signed off sick, apart from within reason to ask how they are from time to time, is considered 'harassment'. Write politely to your employer and explain that you are not well enough to complete this at this time due to the nature of your illlness and leave it at that. If they continue to ask you, then you have a right to lodge a grievance for harassment. Rest and get well soon.

fruitedeli

1DayAAT wrote: »

I would say this is *not* OK. I know a fair bit about employment rights and contacting a member of staff when signed off sick, apart from within reason to ask how they are from time to time, is considered 'harassment'. Write politely to your employer and explain that you are not well enough to complete this at this time due to the nature of your illlness and leave it at that. If they continue to ask you, then you have a right to lodge a grievance for harassment. Rest and get well soon.

Try understanding it from the employer's side. They're paying OP and OP's been off sick for some time and it may turn to a long-term thing. Eventually OP either has to come back or employer will dismiss OP on capability grounds. In the meantime they have to put everything related to OP aside, and either hire someone else or make others take on OP's workload. All done while still paying OP. No employer is happy to say it's okay to be off for 5+ weeks, we'll just make do without you and keep paying you.

Knowing your employment rights and trying to exercise them is different. If you push things too much the employer will start taking steps to sack OP. A comprimise might be better, to say you'll complete those forms within a week. Being ill doesn't mean you can remain off work forever without a foreseeable return to work date.

Yorkie1

fruitedeli wrote: »

Try understanding it from the employer's side. They're paying OP and OP's been off sick for some time and it may turn to a long-term thing. Eventually OP either has to come back or employer will dismiss OP on capability grounds. In the meantime they have to put everything related to OP aside, and either hire someone else or make others take on OP's workload. All done while still paying OP. No employer is happy to say it's okay to be off for 5+ weeks, we'll just make do without you and keep paying you.

Knowing your employment rights and trying to exercise them is different. If you push things too much the employer will start taking steps to sack OP. A comprimise might be better, to say you'll complete those forms within a week. Being ill doesn't mean you can remain off work forever without a foreseeable return to work date.

And if the OP is not well enough within the week to complete this assessed course, then s/he has provided the employer with further reason to pressure her/him.

Your statement that no employer will tolerate 5 weeks' illness and keep paying sick pay is hugely over-simplistic and over-generalised. You don't know the OP or their company.

It sounds as though the OP does not have the mental or physical ability to concentrate or operate the PC for the duration required for the learning, and their doctor agrees.

Dimey

The OP sounds really sick and incapable of concentrating properly with all that medication. Poor thing.

That's why the Doctor has signed her off work.

I think its unfair of the employer to expect her to complete the modules on the same day. If I were her I'd offer to complete the modules as soon as I could but warn them that the dizziness, disorientation, sickness and sleepiness means that you will need a few days to pick them up when you have lucid periods to be able to complete them reasonably well.

I'd also ask for your condition to be taken into account when the modules are marked.

Maybe look up fibromyalgia on the NHS Direct website and send the employer the description of symptoms so he can see that you are suffering and not just laying there watching TV.