Im receiving some long term treatment for a year - what are my rights in terms of pay

invisibility

I'm due to start a civil service job in March. I've been on the waiting list for some intensive treatment for my mental health for 18 months. I've been given no indication when I may be starting but I think it will be in the next six months.

The treatment is one Tuesday morning a week and one extra hour whenever I can book (in my working hours though). This is for a year.

Can someone tell me what my rights are for getting this time off with pay? I will have all necessary medical evidence if needed.

nicechap

In your first 2 years, very little "rights". It may have changed since I was last aware, and its possible different bits of the civil service have different rules but in general its 1 month full pay 1 month half pay for sick leave during your first year. However, weekly absences will start you on the managing attendance process by end of 1 month if you take 4 Tuesdays off in a row.

Did you declare this treatment during the recruitment process?

Are you on a flexi time or part time contract (so can make up the hours or schedule your work around the appointments?

Are you planning on joining a union when you get taken on?

invisibility

nicechap wrote: »

In your first 2 years, very little "rights". It may have changed since I was last aware, and its possible different bits of the civil service have different rules but in general its 1 month full pay 1 month half pay for sick leave during your first year. However, weekly absences will start you on the managing attendance process by end of 1 month if you take 4 Tuesdays off in a row.

Did you declare this treatment during the recruitment process?

Are you on a flexi time or part time contract (so can make up the hours or schedule your work around the appointments?

Are you planning on joining a union when you get taken on?

Yeah I wasn't sure if it would be classed as sick pay.

I didn't get chance to declare during the recruitment, but I have in the pre employment checks - I ticked the box that said I am due to receive treatment. Are they allowed to withdraw my offer based on this?

I'm on a full time contract. I'm not sure if it's flexitime or what my hours are yet, I was thinking I could negotiate around that a bit.

Yeah I'll definitely be joining a union.

sangie595

Treatment isn't classed as sickness. Usually you have to make up the time or have the time deducted. No different than attending a doctor's appointment. It's generally regarded as in your own time, unless the employer agrees otherwise. But it isn't sickness and shouldn't be counted as such. Sickness is when you cannot attend work because you are too ill to work. Obviously!

lincroft1710

If you are going to be absent one day a week for a year, I think you need to negotiate something before you start work. In effect you would be working a 4 day week. Plus there is this extra hour a week absence. I honestly can't see the CS paying you, a new entrant, to be absent 1 day a week for a whole year.

Plus it's not strictly speaking sick leave, but attending a medical appointment, which was allowable but very restricted in the number of appointments allowed.

TELLIT01

To clarify, you are saying that you would be absent for all, or most, of every Tuesday morning and for part of the day on one other day of the week, each week. So effectively, when travel time is added to the second appointment, absent for 1 day per week, every week, for a year.
I don't see any way you will be able to make up the hours even if flex was an option. Even if it was accepted as sickness absence I can't see it being paid absence for a new employee. Most likely outcome is being allowed to take it as unpaid leave.

Nicki

How do you know the treatment will be in Tuesday morning if it hasn't started? Or is this a group therapy set up which is always at the same time? How far is it from your employment base and what time will it start and finish?

If for example it's half an hour away and runs between 9 and 10, you could try to negotiate starting work at 10.30 on Tueadays and working later on other evenings to make up the time. If the timing and the commute mean you'll be out for half a day or more each week, as a new starter I'd be surprised if this will be approved for a whole year. Does your MH condition meet the criteria of a disability requiring reasonable adjustments?

happyandcontented

I doubt that it will be acceptable for you to be absent for so many hours. Where I work doctors appointments have to made in your own time. Do they know the extent of the treatment plan?

Tiddlywinks

What your 'rights' are and what actually will happen are two different things.

If I were a colleague and a new person turned up and then said they needed to be off 'for treatment' one day a week, every week for a year then I'd be more than a little bit miffed because I'd be the one picking up the slack for that person not being there... that's the reality.

New person, looking like they are taking the P, disgruntled colleagues left holding the can.... a complete recipe for an unhappy work environment.

So even if you are 'allowed' the time... be prepared to accept that you will not be popular as a result.

invisibility

I was hoping I might be able to make up the hours, even if it did turn out to be a full day. I don't know enough about the rota to know if it's doable.

I don't really want to start making an arrangement with them now. After all, I've been given no indication of a start date for the treatment. It could be six months away for all I know. I'm really not sure.

Yeah, I know it's Tuesday mornings because that's the group session. It's 9-12 iirc. Wouldn't be as bad but I think my hours are going to be 8-4 And it's a 90min commute. I'm thinking Id be better booking the one to one hour appointment on the Tuesday too, then it's all done on the Tuesday.

How do I know if I meet the criteria for reasonable adjustment? I can't see how I could possibly not be allowed to go to my treatment that my psychiatrist, mental health nurse and doctor have all agreed is vital for me. I'm not even talking about the pay now.

I feel like I'm going to be made to choose between a job im really pleased to have gotten (I've been unemployed for a year because of my mental health) and a treatment I've been waiting for for ages that will help me in the future.

I've talked to people who are receiving the treatment and they've all got very mixed experiences of employers - some receiving full pay, some having to quit. The lady who runs it said it's normally private sector workers that have problems attending. Gah, I wish it was during an evening or better yet I wish I could have started and completed the treatment in the past year where I've had nothing to do.

agrinnall

I don't see how you can expect to get paid for it, and to be honest I think your best option is to ask if you can work (and be paid for) 4 days a week for your first year, and just don't work any Tuesdays at all. I'd be concerned that if you don't get it sorted out before you start the job that it won't be long before they decide that you're unable to do the full time job and you are sacked for capability.