Signed off sick but asked to attend review meeting

Tigsteroonie

Dear xx

Please find enclosed my latest Fit Note.

I have received your letter regarding XYZ meeting. Unfortunately I do not feel sufficiently well to travel to HQ. Please would you contact me to arrange a date and time for that meeting to be held at my home.

Kind regards

ohreally

surveyor_101 wrote: »

health would want to meet with you but they have no OH.

The NHS can provide a contracted service for a small cost, you could enquire if your employers is aware and would they consider http://www.nhshealthatwork.co.uk/find-providers.asp

In Scotland there is a similar fit for work service https://fitforworkscotland.scot/about-fit-for-work/index.html

Savvy_Sue

karxlee wrote: »

I work in HR and you need to obtain a copy of your companies absence policy, it will state in there what the process is they have to follow. You can contact your HR dept for this, they have to provide you with a copy.

That's good advice.

karxlee wrote: »

Are you in a union? If so I would advise you to speak to them, if you are not the you can call ACAS for advice.

So is that, although ACAS's advice is not always reliable: googling their site may give better results. the people answering the phone are limited in the information they give.

karxlee wrote: »

Did you document your concerns about your workload - via email or meetings book in with your manager?
You need to document everything you have discussed and how you were feeling.

Also good advice, although this doesn't need to be an essay a day: brief notes!

karxlee wrote: »

If your work has something called occupational health then you can be asked to be referred, your company will then be obliged to consider OH recommendations.

Fairly astonished that someone working in HR does not know about the independent OH services which any employer or employee can access! Also note that being "obliged to consider" does not mean being "obliged to follow" OH recommendations! Especially for someone with such a short period of service. ohreally gives the links.

karxlee wrote: »

If you do not feel up to traveling for the review you don't have to, you can ask for a meeting closer to your home. I would also take support with you so they can take notes whilst you concentrate on the conversation.

You can ask, but they are not obliged to allow you to have support at this kind of meeting. What I would ask for is that they provide an independent note-taker who is not taking part in the meeting. But again, I don't believe they are obliged to do so.

surveyor_101 wrote: »

Can I ask for th meeting to be rescheduled for when I feel better?

You can ask. They don't have to agree. You'll do better to ask for it to be scheduled closer to home.

surveyor_101 wrote: »

I was advised to turn my phone of and refrain from reading work emails as I need a break as it it!!!8217;s affectig my health.

I happen to look this afternoon and saw this letter on an email.

I don't know who advised you to do this, but whoever it was, I strongly suggest you follow their advice, because it is good!

surveyor_101 wrote: »

If my doctors feels this meeting will be damaging to my health can the write a letter saying this will make my stress work, assuming they issue a new sick note stating stress.

I don!!!8217;t feel up to this meeting at the moment.

Your doctor can write to request this, however if I had an employee with less than six month's service who was SO unwell they could not attend a sickness review meeting, I would seriously consider how long it was going to take them to recover, and wonder whether it was worth keeping them on. And whatever karxlee says, it would be very very easy to terminate your employment at this point, and very very difficult for you to do anything about it.

surveyor_101 wrote: »

My contract says I agree to be interviewed by a member of management while off sick at any time at my home if necessary.

I agree that just turning up was not fair, although if he had been unable to speak to you at all then it is understandable.

My response in such a situation would be to phone no more than once each (some employers require this), decline to discuss why I am not yet well enough to attend work because I still had a Fit Note, and then ignore calls from that person for the rest of the day. If it's a work phone, I'd have it switched off.

Les79

Savvy_Sue wrote:

Originally Posted by surveyor_101 View Post
I was advised to turn my phone of and refrain from reading work emails as I need a break as it it!!!8217;s affectig my health.

I happen to look this afternoon and saw this letter on an email.
I don't know who advised you to do this, but whoever it was, I strongly suggest you follow their advice, because it is good!

Pretty much agree with everything you've said, except maybe for this bit.

Ok, yes stop reading work emails (if you are off sick then you shouldn't be working) BUT I would keep the line of communication open by way of a phone. I would also obtain the handbook/sickness policy info from HR and record any transgressions which happen (ie excessive contact) and maybe just not answer the phone.

Savvy_Sue

Les79 wrote: »

Pretty much agree with everything you've said, except maybe for this bit.

Ok, yes stop reading work emails (if you are off sick then you shouldn't be working) BUT I would keep the line of communication open by way of a phone. I would also obtain the handbook/sickness policy info from HR and record any transgressions which happen (ie excessive contact) and maybe just not answer the phone.

I'd say if it's a work phone, it's switched off when you're not at work, especially if you're not at work because you're not well!

if it's a personal phone then agree you can't just switch it off, but you don't have to answer every call from work.

surveyor_101

Have check my work phone and not heard anything since I emailed my letter to them.

I sent an email yesterday requesting confirmation they have received my letter, copying in another manager.

I also sent it registered post the same day (Wednesday 11.04)

Maybe the new sick note with stress has made them think.

BorisThomson

surveyor_101 wrote: »

Have check my work phone and not heard anything since I emailed my letter to them.

I sent an email yesterday requesting confirmation they have received my letter, copying in another manager.

I also sent it registered post the same day (Wednesday 11.04)

Maybe the new sick note with stress has made them think.

Honestly, all it's going to make them think is how to best manage your exit.

surveyor_101

I accept that they probably just want rid of me now and I have seen them bully and get rid of 3 employees so I don!!!8217;t want to go back. I just want to get myself better and find another job. I am tempted to offer to resign if they pay me two months notice,.

They have sent and email saying they are sending another manager to interview me with regard my performance at my home on the suggest day. I have not met the person other than briefly and he is supposedly coming solo.

The email states to review my performance in the role.

Since I am signed off with stress I have been told that it!!!8217;s not advisable and I may be protected but disability act.

I have a copy of my pdr dated 13/03/18 which shows no concerns with my performance.

marliepanda

Stress and family issues is not a disability.
Suggesting you!!!8217;re protected by the disability act is, reaching, to say the least.

nicechap

surveyor_101 wrote: »

......

Since I am signed off with stress I have been told that it!!!8217;s not advisable and I may be protected but disability act.

.......

You can safely ignore every piece of advice this person gives you - reread the thread and absorb the advice here.

You want out, they want you out, you're not doing the job you're paid to do.

Why increase your stress levels fighting unwinable fights?

Time to move on.