Signed off with stress - sick note end date clarification & formal meeting?

Daisychains

Hi my sick note runs out next week on the 15th April, my doctor gave me one today from today's date 10th April to 28th April. This confused me as I thought that it would be dated 15th April - 28th April?

Also, I have received a letter telling me I have a formal meeting about my absence as it will soon hit a trigger point. This is scary and making my stress worse.. But of course I know I need to attend. Has anyone experienced anything similar to this?

GlasweJen

Our GP surgery wont change the days on a sick note even if it causes an overlap - it wont affect you or your work in any way.

In terms of a formal meeting and trigger points, if this is a long term condition it could be argued that as a reasonable adjustment your work either don't count your time off sick when calculating your sickness or they move your trigger point back.

You're off sick, at the moment you don't have to dance to their tune so if you want to have the meeting at home, in a neutral place like a coffee shop, or anywhere reasonable then this can be negotiated.

I refuse point blank to speak to my manager over the phone but I am happy to go in and see him face to face with my partner in the room.

Daisychains

Thank you I am very intimidated by work really scsred in questioning anything with them, at the same time though they are making me feel worse and hindering my recovery. The meeting is scheduled in a managers office but I may ask for it to be moved. I'll have been off for 4 weeks soon which is classed as long term were I work x

GlasweJen

It doesn't matter what they class it as, in terms of mental illness 4 weeks is very much acute. My GP wont even diagnose me at 4 weeks mentally ill.

Of course you're scared, you're sick and people are asking for meetings and stuff, they can have their meeting but if you want someone there then take that person and if your boss wants to argue tell him fine, he can do it when you return from sickness but you'll still want a colleague in with you.

I'd start screening your calls, ignore work until you're ready to communicate and if you're more comfortable with one person at work then ask to speak only to that person. Also if it's easier you can communicate by email or letter as well as by phone.

Daisychains

Thanks for the support, I've got to ring up when my sick note expires to let them know I've got a new one but apart from that I'll keep the conversation to a minimum as in the past I've gone in to a lot of detail to try and be seen as honest but that seems to have made things worse! X

lonestarfan

You shouldn't ignore work until you're ready to communicate. Even though you are unwell you do need to engage with the employer. If you don't engage then they will have no alternative but to make a decison about your continued employment with them based on what info they have available to them and this may not be in your interests as they will be missing a piece of info which is your side of the story. They will get an opinion from OHU as to whether you are fit to attend a meeting. It is not often that I see OHU saying you are unfit to attend. In the cases I have seen - You have to be very ill and possibly hospitalised for ohu to say you are not fit to attend a meeting as the usual advice is that not addressing the situation and leaving you alone actually prolongs the absence and causes more stress by you not really knowing what is going to happen. Uncertainty causes more anxiety not less. They're not going to go away so it has to take place at some point.

tomtontom

lonestarfan is right, given your short length of service and the fact that you are unlikely to be covered by the Equality Act, you're not helping yourself by avoiding reasonable contact with work.

Your employer has been supportive, they have offered accommodations far above what they needed to. Being realistic, you need to either prepare yourself to return to work or seek alternative employment. I'm sorry to be negative, but I would also keep in mind that a private sector is unlikely to be nearly so accommodating.

Takeaway_Addict

GlasweJen wrote: »

It doesn't matter what they class it as, in terms of mental illness 4 weeks is very much acute. My GP wont even diagnose me at 4 weeks mentally ill.
Well it does matter what they class it as as they could have set procedures (which it sounds like they do)
Of course you're scared, you're sick and people are asking for meetings and stuff, they can have their meeting but if you want someone there then take that person and if your boss wants to argue tell him fine, he can do it when you return from sickness but you'll still want a colleague in with you. There is no legal right in the majority of occasions (it maybe seen as a reasonable adjustment for someone covered by the equality act) to accompaniment but an employer would be silly not to agree. Though definately get it moved to a non work location

I'd start screening your calls, ignore work until you're ready to communicate and if you're more comfortable with one person at work then ask to speak only to that person. Also if it's easier you can communicate by email or letter as well as by phone.

Ignoring work totally is a really bad idea.

TELLIT01

Ignoring calls from work could result in somebody from work turning up on your doorstep. Your employer has a duty of care and if they are unable to contact you they may feel the need to take a more direct approach.

Daisychains

Just to clarify a few things, I actually work in the public sector and I have already attended 3 meetings at work and I'm not trying to avoid contact xx

tomtontom

Daisychains wrote: »

Just to clarify a few things, I actually work in the public sector and I have already attended 3 meetings at work and I'm not trying to avoid contact xx

Hence the comment about the private sector - you need to appreciate just how accommodating your employer is being, because another employer would not be nearly so.

If you want the next meeting to be moved then make a reasonable suggestion as to where you would like it to be. Do you really want it to be in a public place, where others can overhear? Do you want them coming to your home? Work may not be neutral, but in the circumstances it is probably better than the alternatives.