Large Company - Written Attendance Warning

sparkovic

I am looking for some advice - I have worked for a large organisation for just under 12 years. A couple of years ago I was off with work related stress / depression for approx. 5 months. This has been my only absence in 12 years and I followed all advice given by my GP and Occ. Health at my work to determine how long I was off. I made every meeting and followed every procedure requested by my manager.

I was given a written attendance warning on my return which I appealed. My appeal was not upheld with the only reason provided being the length of time I was off. I have asked HR and they have advised that the guidelines were followed and the decision was my manager's.

I have various examples of people within my wider team (not necessarily with this particular manager) where no warning has been given (E.g. physical illness, operations, multiple absences within a rolling 12 month period and also work related stress).

I do not feel I am being treated fairly or consistently. I also feel I have some sort of informal "black mark" against me which will continue to hamper my development / progression within the company.

Would anyone have any advice or helpful information that may help me (I am not a member of a union).

Many thanks.

sangie595

sparkovic wrote: »

I am looking for some advice - I have worked for a large organisation for just under 12 years. A couple of years ago I was off with work related stress / depression for approx. 5 months. This has been my only absence in 12 years and I followed all advice given by my GP and Occ. Health at my work to determine how long I was off. I made every meeting and followed every procedure requested by my manager.

I was given a written attendance warning on my return which I appealed. My appeal was not upheld with the only reason provided being the length of time I was off. I have asked HR and they have advised that the guidelines were followed and the decision was my manager's.

I have various examples of people within my wider team (not necessarily with this particular manager) where no warning has been given (E.g. physical illness, operations, multiple absences within a rolling 12 month period and also work related stress).

I do not feel I am being treated fairly or consistently. I also feel I have some sort of informal "black mark" against me which will continue to hamper my development / progression within the company.

Would anyone have any advice or helpful information that may help me (I am not a member of a union).

Many thanks.

You appealed it. You lost the appeal. That's it, over. Sorry, but there's nothing you can do.

ohreally

Within the appeal machinery, how many levels are there?

Get a union membership form completed.

sparkovic

Thanks but at the time I wasn't aware I was in a minority of people who actually received a written warning for similar absences.

theoretica

How long does the written warning remain current for? I strongly suspect that you are thinking far more about it than the company are or ever will.

shortcrust

You mention having a black mark against your name. Do you think bringing it up after two years will help with that? I'd imagine it would make things worse. You talk about how you were treated at the time in the present tense which strikes me as an unusual thing to do. I know it's not what you came her for, but I do wonder why you can't move from something that happened a couple of years ago. Isn't this something that should be done and dusted?

ohreally

shortcrust wrote: »

Do you think bringing it up after two years will help with that?

I missed that.

Op, let this go.

nicechap

Presumably the warning is over a year old - how does it fit with your company's policies? E.g. how many instances of sick leave are you allowed in a period of what time? Does the written warning expire after a period of time?

If you feel you've got a blotted copybook, joining a union would be a good idea but it won't be useful for retrospective problems.

Masomnia

2 years ago? Forget it.

sparkovic

I think joining a union would be a good idea going forward but I don't think they would be able to help with this "past" issue.

Rightly or wrongly I am finding it difficult to accept the inconsistency of my treatment. As a large organisation we are inundated with communications on how our managers are there to help and support with mental health issues but this was not my experience.

It has been recently been brought back into focus for myself when one of my colleagues who was also off with work related stress could not deal with how his return to work was dealt with and has resigned (this is someone in a well paid job with 2 young children with no other job to go to).

xapprenticex

getting a written warning is very normal after 5 months off work. do you think it only applies when you're wagging it?

there would probably be another two escalations before you're sacked and if this happens over a year ago then the warning is probably no longer in effect if your attendance has been good the last 12 months.

i have not had a sick day since 2015 but i know that bradford factor couldnt care less about any of that.