Off sick - am I entitled to go back to my own role?

GlasweJen

I went back to work yesterday after 6 weeks off with work related stress. I would have been back sooner but a colleague in my department commited suicide and that really knocked my progress a bit.

The situation came about as a result of understaffing, I was being forced to work on the shop floor while admin work accumulated through the back and then taken aside and "spoken to" when the admin wasn't being done - despite being rota for shop floor for the full week. A lot of the admin is medical record and can't be left in sight of customers but I was in a role where I would have to screen people every 10 mins or so so couldn't work around it and when I spoke to management I was basically told there was no way to support me.

Anyway, I returned to work yesterday and put on the shop floor basically floating around. My next shift is more of the same. I'm not on the rota for the next 4 weeks even though they've had my return to work date for a fortnight.

One of my colleagues mentioned that she'd been given reports from the manager and told to order things from them (that's not how the system works) and then something kicked off from that and now someone else is doing that part of my role (incorrectly i imagine).

The big boss is doing the main admin that gets us money - no one said if this was an indefinite arrangement.

The manager is ordering other stuff and God know what's happening with the invoices and accounts - they were a total riot yesterday but apparently I'm not to worry!

They did mention parts of the admin that no one could work out how to process but didn't tell me when I would be back in admin to do them.

I don't want to work in the shop, I negotiated the move to admin and that's where I want to work, not on the shop floor hoovering up the difficult stuff!

I've been offered another job and basically just need a reference. I want to tell me boss to sack it and just give me a reference as they're just messing me about but I've not had a return to work meeting and people seem to be actively avoiding telling me anything so I'm just a spare part.

So after that, am I entitled to ask to be put back in admin or can they just leave me jobless wandering about?

jobbingmusician

(I don't know the answer, so am trying to ask a question which might help in unpicking this.)

Did you get a new contract for your new job in admin?

duchy

Why do you want to be sacked ?

Your employer let you down badly by not supporting you in a way to enable you to do your job properly which led to you having to take sick time. You now are back and have been offered a better job ( sounds like anything would be better). You don't need them to sack you - you need to tender your resignation surely ?

Give notice and get the hell out of there. Always better to quit than to be sacked surely especially as you have another job to go to.

tea_lover

I would use the phrase 'sack it' as a politer version of 'f... it' or similar. I think maybe the OP meant it along those lines.

GlasweJen

Sorry sack it = f*ck it in scottish slang.

I didn't get a new contract moving me to admin but my current contract doesn't actually state my job title, the only thing with my job title on it is my name badge!

Takeaway_Addict

how long have you worked there?

GlasweJen

Just over 2 years. I started in one role, was found unfit to practice due to deterioration of a disability and down banded but never got a new contract - it was all verbal. In the last 9 months my role has changed 3 times and I think it's about to change again. I went from person who sells stuff to person who screens people to administrator.

Hillbilly1

What does your GP fit note say?

If you can't return to usual duties it should say return to work with adjustments and then what the adjustments are.

GlasweJen

Fit for work considering a phased return and amended hours.

I'm going in 3 days a week, starting late and finishing early to avoid rush hour on the trains as I had a mental breakdown on the way to work and had to be took off a rush hour train by the conductor.

Despite negotiating all this 2 weeks ago the boss hadn't considered break times and I left at my usual leaving time yesterday as boss disappeared so I couldn't get my time sheet signed for payroll

Hillbilly1

I think you need to sit down and talk to them about your duties. If you are there less time some of your duties will naturally have to go to others, they just need to define which ones so you know.

GlasweJen

The problem is trying to pin the managers down!

What I think has happened is my manager (recently promoted and hates being on the shop floor) has taken on a few admin tasks while I'm away and decreed herself to be administrator extrodinaire. She wasn't in on Thursday but I expect that on Monday there will be a meeting and I'll be told that the manager will be working in admin instead of me and I'm going back into the shop.

The big boss is quite spineless and absolutely wouldn't have the balls to tell me this without back up. The manager thinks she's capable but she only has a thin understanding of admin (no experience and no qualifications). I am absolutely not training her as they never trained me in the role, just expected me to get on with it (the previous administrator is off sick with stress).