NHS Sick leave policy puts you in a no-win situation

NWOIHTS

Takeaway_Addict wrote: »

Why ask the question if you're just going to rant anyway and not acknowledge the other view?

Rant? ok this is exactly the style now isn't it, when people don't agree or conform, they are mad, ranting or whatever. No I totally stick by my points as valid genuine concerns and it is NOT ranting.

FBaby

I got up one morning and was literally being sick through stress that had been culminating over the last few weeks. I did speak to my manager about it and things have settled down a good bit now, no thanks to the senior management, I took matters into my own hands and got things a bit more streamlined with my line manager's help.

So really, you could have had that discussion earlier and avoided the sick day in the first place? Not disputing that you woke up feeling stressed, we all do, but that is not what would be defined as 'severe' stress if you were able to make it to work the day afterwards.

The reason why you are angry is because you only see it from the perspective of the employee and expectations that employers, especially one whose business is to provide care, should be there to support their employee's heath issues. This is true, but you are forgetting that every sick day someone takes ends up costing millions, and that millions of tax payers money resulting in the NHS not able to deliver the services of care to their patients.

Also, what you need to appreciate is that the process is in place to do just that, support the employee, not punish them, whilst also protecting the employer if indeed, the inevitable outcome had to be dismissal and the employee decided to take the court route, which seems more and more common.

The first trigger, which is after 3 absenses is 'only' a letter. The letter is a mean to discuss the issues. In some cases, it might result in the need to consider adjustments on either side, or it might indeed be to confirm that the absences were inevitable and not likely to set a pattern. It is a far step from considering dismissal and it is not a telling off.

bagpussbear

OP it does appear you have a strange sense of entitlement here.

It comes across as because you have genuine illness ("not at it") that you should be treated more leniently than others. NHS doesn't work like that, and I doubt very many other organisations would either.

You appear to have worked in the NHS a fair while. So you know the policies. You had a manager before who you say was more laid back, but in reality sounds like they were not doing their line management responsibilities properly in adhering to rules. It think this experience with this line manager has distorted what you think is fair versus actual policies.

The fact of the matter is that you have taken quite a bit of sick leave. That would worry any employer. Now I am sorry to hear you have had ill health, and that there are problems at work causing stress, so I do have sympathy.

But you cannot expect to be treated any differently over sick leave policy than anyone else.

Others will have to pick up your work, surely, when you are away so this impacts on others.

If you came back to work sooner than you should have, when in fact you should have taken longer to heal properly, well that is your decision. Sounds like you think you did a favour for them. It doesn't work like that.

NHS sick leave policies are what they are. Suggest you drop the resentment and look for a new job with less stress. The NHS is not ever going to get a less stressful place, well not any time soon anyway!

w06

NWOIHTS wrote: »

I tend not to take pain killers or anti-inflammatories, mainly because I don't want to have my body rely on drugs any time I am ill and I just don't like them. Any time I have taken them before I felt worse, woozy, dizzy and felt like sleeping.

This means you're choosing not to take the treatments that likely would have meant that you could have gone to work, the main stay of treatment for gout, a sprained ankle and sore knee is anti-inflammatory painkillers.

RichardD1970

At our place, with 4 instances of absence in a rolling twelve months you would be at or near the end of the capability process with the requirement to keep a clean sheet for 12 months to clear your record.
We also have a "back to work" interview after EVERY absence, even the first, although that is usually just a formality until things escalate.

Nicki

OP sounds a bit of a work shy shirker to me. I've got a chronic knee condition which causes a lot of pain and have often gone into work with crutches or a walking stick - it isn't the kind of thing you need time off to deal with unlike for example a high fever or contagious illness. My OH has had attacks of gout for years and although these are also very painful he's never had a day off work either.

OP works in IT - so whilst he may need to walk from desk to desk at work it's not like he's a bobby on the beat or on his feet for 10 hour shifts. If he doesn't want to take pain killers he's going to be in pain wherever he is, so may as well be at work as at home watching Jeremy Kyle! And if he wasn't on full pay for these sickies that's probably where he would be!

Comms69

NWOIHTS wrote: »

!!!!!! are you on about? Where have you been, no idea what gestapo means, are you of the snowflake generation perhaps?

What? The only snowflake here is you.


1: there is a sickness policy, it's the same for everyone - whining that it's not fair because you really were sick and not pulling a fast one; that's being a snowflake. As has been said numerous times: sickness policy really does manage sickness. Pulling a sickie is grounds for dismissal.


2: the Gestapo were the Nazi secret police. It's not a term used to describe what you feel to be OTT management style. The ACTUAL gestapo were responsible for the murder of millions of civilians.....

Comms69

Gonna take a wild stab in the dark and suggest the OP is also a 'FMOTL'...

pinkshoes

Isn't gout a victorian illness where sufferers were overweight??

Knee pain can often be caused and certainly not helped by being overweight too.

Are you overweight OP?

If not, then no problem, but if you are then I suggest a weight loss program to help you.

Comms69

pinkshoes wrote: »

Isn't gout a victorian illness where sufferers were overweight??

Knee pain can often be caused and certainly not helped by being overweight too.

Are you overweight OP?

If not, then no problem, but if you are then I suggest a weight loss program to help you.

Gout is incredibly rare nowadays - it's caused by poor diet, not necessarily being overweight though.