Sick but have job interview

Woodster76

Hi, not sure what to do.

I went to see the dr yesterday and I have been signed off work for two weeks stress at work. I've not informed employers yet.
Yesterday evening I received a phone call from another company inviting me for an interview on Monday.

I don't know what to do with the sick note now. I want to leave this company but feel I can't work there at the moment. I have previously had 6 weeks off back in June with work related stress.

Should I be successful and be offered the job should I mention my current sickness? Will it be mentioned in the references?

Thanks

duchy

Presumably you have to give notice in your current job anyway by which time the sick note would have expired.

hcb42

Don't mention the sickness at interview - unless directly asked, would not recommend you lie but equally, would not expect such a question at interview personally.

It might be mentioned on a reference if you are offered the job but then again it might not as many employers only give confirmation of dates worked etc

LittleVoice

Woodster76 wrote: »

Hi, not sure what to do.

I went to see the dr yesterday and I have been signed off work for two weeks stress at work. I've not informed employers yet. (So do so by sending in your doctor's note.)
Yesterday evening I received a phone call from another company inviting me for an interview on Monday. (If it's for a job you want, then attend. Your doctor's note will say you are not fit to work not that you are not fit to attend interviews.)

I don't know what to do with the sick note now. (Submit it so that you can take the two weeks' off (and attend the interview). You got it so you wouldn't have to go into work for two weeks.) I want to leave this company but feel I can't work there at the moment. (So continue with applying for something else. Though notice periods should be worked, having a sick note overrides the imperative to turn up for work.) I have previously had 6 weeks off back in June with work related stress.

Should I be successful and be offered the job should I mention my current sickness? (If asked about your attendance, answer truthfully.) Will it be mentioned in the references? (If asked directly by a potential new employer, a reference giver is likely to answer the question. Whether they would volunteer information is uncertain.)

Thanks

........................

Lone_Northern_Lass

I'm a social worker (I mention this at the start because there's a national shortage of us, which makes my position in applying for jobs a stronger one).

I'm currently on sick leave with work-related stress and am applying for other jobs (and getting some interviews). By "other jobs" I mean still social-work jobs, but slightly different roles to my current one. I have a sympathetic manager who has actually been saying to me over the past few months that she's not sure I'm in the right role for my character and skills, so I've been open with her about the fact I'm applying for other things whilst on sick leave. I'm mostly applying to councils and I believe the protocol is that they have to decide who gets the job based on applications, interviews, references, etc, then *once* you have been offered the job, most councils do an occupational health check - at which point I would be discussing with my new job's occ health department the fact that I have been off sick for a significant period of time in my current job, but that I strongly believe that the differences between old job and new job mean that this is not something which would re-occur in my new job. As yet, I haven't applied for any jobs I really, really, really like the look of - but if I were to do so, I might consider pre-emptive action i.e. mentioning on my application form that I have been on sick leave for x amount of time (for me it's longer than 8 weeks altogether), that I have been reflecting on the reasons for this and that changes I've made in my life plus the change of roles means I strongly believe the pattern of me taking significant sick leave would not continue in my new role. I'm pretty sure the sick-leave issue is likely to be mentioned in references and even if it isn't, for all jobs I apply for, there's always an occupational health check where it would come to light before I could start a new job anyway.

So - in summary - in your position, I would definitely take the sick leave your GP has signed you off for and would attend the interview. What you do about declaring the sick leave to the prospective new employer, I would say depends a bit on how strong you think your application is anyway. If I were you and thought I was a very strong candidate, then I'd probably not mention the sick leave; hope I was chosen for the job on basis of application and interview; after being offered the job, discuss sick-leave history and why I don't think it will be repeated in new job. If I were less sure, I might well declare on the application form 'I have taken a significant amount of sick leave in my current role. I have reflected on this and am seeking to make changes to how I handle stress. I also believe this role of [job I'm applying for] will be better suited to my personal talents and I therefore believe that I am much less likely to become unwell with work-related stress (necessitating periods of sick leave) if appointed to the position of [job I am applying for].'

Thinking about it, I think one of your difficulties is that the interview is on Monday, so presumably your application or CV + covering letter has already gone in. I learnt a long time ago that talking about mental-health difficulties in the main job interview can backfire massively (if one isn't 100% confident in one's presentation then one can come across badly trying to explain them on the spot in an interview) - so I prefer to either cover such issues as fully and confidently as possible in writing on the application, or leave them to the occupational health screening after a job offer's been made. If you do want to raise it in the main job interview, I would start practising now exactly what you are going to say and how (practise saying it out loud - to another person if possible) so that you are as confident as possible with your delivery in the interview.

Sorry this is all a bit rambling (my brain is a bit foggy currently). Hope some of it might help.

Lone_Northern_Lass

Reading the replies other posters have given while I was typing all that - I'd go with what they say - don't mention the sick leave in the interview unless directly asked. If you're offered the job and they want to do an occ health screening before you start, you can cover the issue of past sick leave then.

Savvy_Sue

Lone_Northern_Lass wrote: »

Reading the replies other posters have given while I was typing all that - I'd go with what they say - don't mention the sick leave in the interview unless directly asked.

but as already suggested, practice the answer to this out loud beforehand, think about what you want to say and how you want to say it!

Woodster76

Thanks all for taking the time out to reply. I get myself into such a state that sometimes I just can't think clearly.

I currently work in admin and the jobs I'm going for are in retail. I hate coming home each night thinking what haven't I done, and not being able to switch off. Manager dismisses everything I say and won't give me extra hours, so can only do the most important work in the time given, but it's just mounting up.

I think Occ Health will be involved once my sick note is submitted. But can't see how this will help me now as I have no respect for the manager, and I have never worked in a business that has very low staff morale. I'm very angry with the manager, and I hope my sick record doesn't spoil my chances of getting another job.

Lone_Northern_Lass

I have a lot of sympathy for your position Woodster.

One thing I would say based on your most recent post - try to focus as much as possible in your mind and attitude on the positives of why you want the new job, rather than the negatives of what's wrong with the old job.

A few years ago, I asked friends for advice about what to say when I was stuck in a job I was growing to hate and was going for an interview. The (good) advice I was given is not to slag off your current employer. Practise (again outloud) saying something diplomatic about how your current workplace / job is 'no longer the best fit for my character and skills' or 'no longer an environment where I feel able to perform at my best' - the interviewers will get the message and won't be worrying that if things happen at their workplace which you don't like, you'll go and slag them off to other employers. Possibly even more important than this, I think it helps get you in the right frame of mind and come across more positively at interview if you are thinking "It would be great to get this job and work here because ...", rather than "I desperately need this job because I might kill somebody if I have to stay in my current job much longer!"

Savvy_Sue

Oh yes, always practice the answer to "why do you want to work here" so that you don't hear yourself saying "I need a job with school hours, you're offering one." :rotfl: I then went on to say something equally dim about never having expected to work with the client group, but fortunately I redeemed myself by saying something about how I could see how unjust the way they were usually treated was and being passionate about changing that, and I'm still there ... more years later than I care to remember!

Takeaway_Addict

Is the interview when you are supposed to be working? If so attending without booking the correct time off (holiday) could be deemed a disciplinary offense and if your current employer finds out they would be well within their rights to mention this on your reference.

However, they might want to get rid of you if you are having so much time off and as such not kick up a fuss.

Toss of a coin.