Can an Employer sack you

Sukhi23

Can an employer sack you if you have gone on sick leave a few times

AskAsk

if within the first two years of employment, yes. 

if beyond that period then only if you are off sick for too long or too often, that it stops you performing your job, i believe.

Sukhi23

@AskAsk I have been with them more then 4 years and never really been on sick before but recently due to Covid I have gone off on sick due to stress and anxiety but worried they might get rid of me. 

AskAsk

Sukhi23 said:

@AskAsk I have been with them more then 4 years and never really been on sick before but recently due to Covid I have gone off on sick due to stress and anxiety but worried they might get rid of me. 

because of employment law in the UK, it is actually very difficult for an employer to sack you because of ill health.  you will have to be ill so often and for so long that it becomes a real issue for the employer.  there are long processes that they have to follow to dismiss someone because they are sick, which can include them demanding that you are examined by their consultant doctor.  they will also give you warning so you have a chance to 'recover'.

Marcon

Sukhi23 said:

@AskAsk I have been with them more then 4 years and never really been on sick before but recently due to Covid I have gone off on sick due to stress and anxiety but worried they might get rid of me. 

But earlier today you said you'd have to give up your job to look after your grandchildren: https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/6241429/grandparents-childminding#latest

I'm confused!

Torry_Quine

AskAsk said:

Sukhi23 said:

@AskAsk I have been with them more then 4 years and never really been on sick before but recently due to Covid I have gone off on sick due to stress and anxiety but worried they might get rid of me. 

because of employment law in the UK, it is actually very difficult for an employer to sack you because of ill health.  you will have to be ill so often and for so long that it becomes a real issue for the employer.  there are long processes that they have to follow to dismiss someone because they are sick, which can include them demanding that you are examined by their consultant doctor.  they will also give you warning so you have a chance to 'recover'.

Sadly not always true. My husband had only been off ill 4 months with cancer when he was told that his contract would be ended as they couldn't afford him. He was only on SSP and had worked there 3 ½  years. 

Sukhi23

@Marcon I am currently only working every weekend and won't be looking after the kids till later on in the year. Still need my job until I am certain of an income whilst taking care of my grandchildren. I am getting on a bit and don't think I can cope with working 7 days a week so may need to give up my job providing I don't get laid off before!

Sukhi23

Torry_Quine said:

AskAsk said:

Sukhi23 said:

@AskAsk I have been with them more then 4 years and never really been on sick before but recently due to Covid I have gone off on sick due to stress and anxiety but worried they might get rid of me. 

because of employment law in the UK, it is actually very difficult for an employer to sack you because of ill health.  you will have to be ill so often and for so long that it becomes a real issue for the employer.  there are long processes that they have to follow to dismiss someone because they are sick, which can include them demanding that you are examined by their consultant doctor.  they will also give you warning so you have a chance to 'recover'.

Sadly not always true. My husband had only been off ill 4 months with cancer when he was told that his contract would be ended as they couldn't afford him. He was only on SSP and had worked there 3 ½  years. 

I am so sorry,I didn't think the employer was allowed to do that!

Marcon

Sukhi23 said:

@Marcon I am currently only working every weekend and won't be looking after the kids till later on in the year. Still need my job until I am certain of an income whilst taking care of my grandchildren. I am getting on a bit and don't think I can cope with working 7 days a week so may need to give up my job providing I don't get laid off before!

In that case there shouldn't be too much to worry about. An employer would be hard pressed to jump through all the hurdles to get to dismissal between now and 'later this year' assuming you return to work in the reasonably near future.

Savvy_Sue

Dismissal for sickness is a possibility if there doesn't seem to be a realistic chance of you returning to the workplace in a timely fashion, so it could be worth working out ways of dealing with the stress and anxiety, especially as you say you've been off 'a few times'. There's a heap of ideas on https://wellbeingandcoping.net/ which might help? 

Being off sick, coming back, going off again, coming back, going off again - it sends a message that something about this person and this job isn't working. At the end of the day, the employer has a job which needs to be done. There are steps the employer needs to go through, but that will be their bottom line: "this is the job I need doing, you don't seem able to do it consistently."

Sorry if this sounds harsh. At least having been there more than 2 years it's harder for the employer to dismiss you! Less than 2 years and they could just say "this isn't working out, bye."

Undervalued

AskAsk said:

Sukhi23 said:

@AskAsk I have been with them more then 4 years and never really been on sick before but recently due to Covid I have gone off on sick due to stress and anxiety but worried they might get rid of me. 

because of employment law in the UK, it is actually very difficult for an employer to sack you because of ill health.  you will have to be ill so often and for so long that it becomes a real issue for the employer.  there are long processes that they have to follow to dismiss someone because they are sick, which can include them demanding that you are examined by their consultant doctor.  they will also give you warning so you have a chance to 'recover'.

It really isn't "very" difficult, nor do the processes have to be "long". Obviously it depends on exactly what you mean by these terms but I think you are well overstating the degree of protection that exists.

It is quite possible for an employer to lawfully run a very tight sickness absence policy with warnings kicking in really quite early. Providing they apply the policy properly then "harsh but fair" is usually lawful. Obviously many employer choose to be far more flexible and generous but that doesn't mean all do.