urgent advice - job offer/health situation

Dingbat007

very stressed. life has suddenly got too complicated. i have a job offer with a new employer. there is a promotion and large salary increase from present job.
(just for background, my present job involves a secondment which gives me a better salary, but the secondment is easily terminated, meaning I can easily lose the higher salary - but I would still have a decent job if the secondment ends).

I would really like to take the new job with the new employer, but I have a health issue I've been putting off going to the doctor about. It could be lots of things, including cancer. I strongly believe, for good reasons, that whatever it is will require surgery with at least a 6 week recovery period. 

My current job, which I've been in for many years, has good periods for protected sick pay.

I have recently (within the past few months, prior to the health issue developing) taken out private health insurance and income protection insurance, but who knows if either of these will kick in.

I don't want to be in a position where I have no income/lose my job due to a health condition. I have a high mortgage with 15 years left on it and no income other than my salary and no family support/savings.

What should I do? I have very little time to decide on the job offer. Would appreciate advice from any wise person - but someone in HR would be especially helpful. TIA.

Grumpy_chap

Dingbat007 said:

very stressed. life has suddenly got too complicated. i have a job offer with a new employer. there is a promotion and large salary increase from present job.
(just for background, my present job involves a secondment which gives me a better salary, but the secondment is easily terminated, meaning I can easily lose the higher salary - but I would still have a decent job if the secondment ends).

I would really like to take the new job with the new employer, but I have a health issue I've been putting off going to the doctor about. It could be lots of things, including cancer. I strongly believe, for good reasons, that whatever it is will require surgery with at least a 6 week recovery period. 

My current job, which I've been in for many years, has good periods for protected sick pay.

I have recently (within the past few months, prior to the health issue developing) taken out private health insurance and income protection insurance, but who knows if either of these will kick in.

I don't want to be in a position where I have no income/lose my job due to a health condition. I have a high mortgage with 15 years left on it and no income other than my salary and no family support/savings.

What should I do? I have very little time to decide on the job offer. Would appreciate advice from any wise person - but someone in HR would be especially helpful. TIA.

The most important thing is to go to the Dr and not put it off any longer.
While you have this concern, it will affect your thinking and performance.  If the illness is serious, you need to know and get treatment ASAP.  If the illness is not serious, you need to put your mind to rest ASAP

Brie

Difficult.  What health cover does the new employer have?  Do you think you need to disclose the issue to them?? Obviously it may well affect your settling in to the new role.

There's much to be said about dealing with one issue at a time.  Stay in the same co and sort out your health.  There may be less stress that way and help you concentrate on what is essential.

I was in HR at one time but had a weird period of dealing with potentially redundancy when FiL was terminally ill and then died, then my cat died, then I managed to get a new role in the company, then I had a possible cancer diagnosis the same day I accepted the new role, then we were selling our home- all in a 6 month period.  I don't recommend this to anyone.

Dingbat007

Thanks GrumpyChap and Brie.
Brie sorry to hear about your past difficult issues, I hope you are over them now.

the new employer has more or less the same sick pay conditions as the existing one.  However with the new one I wouldn't (obviously) have 2 years service, making it easier to dismiss me. 
At the moment I wouldn't have to disclose as I've not been to the doctor's and there is no diagnosis. 

cymruchris

As above really - if something is medically wrong, and you suspect it to be serious - then any secondment, promotion, different job, opportunity etc really need to be put on the back burner so you can establish what might be wrong. It could turn out to be something, it could turn out to be nothing, and appreciate that it's something you probably don't want to address for the fact that you might find out something you don't want to hear. It could also be something you do want to hear of course, that it's not as serious as you think.

I have a friend who at the start of the year was experiencing increasingly severe pains around the stomach. He put up with it for weeks hoping it would go away. He then convinced himself it was cancer. After several trips to the GP and the hospital, and having had various tests and scans - they've so far not found the source of the pain - but they have ruled out many of the common nasties. (and they're confident it's not cancer)

So before really thinking about whether to go down career path A or career path B - I'd be going down the get yourself ok again path before thinking about anything else.

Is there someone outside of the immediate family who you could talk it through with in confidence?

You mention you don't want to be in a position where you have no income, or no job due to a health condition - but if the health condition does happen to be serious, how would the family be in a position without you?

Dingbat007

Thanks CymruChris - i don't really have family. Pretty much all of my friends are connected with work - if not with the same employer, within the same 'trade'. A friend not in that category who i might usually talk with is perhaps ambitious on my behalf and is encouraging me to take the new post, but i'm not sure they appreciate the possible severity of the medical issue, as it's been quite hidden. Hence my visit here...sometimes easier when people don't know you! I have good reasons for believing surgery is required - whether it's cancer or not.

As for my employer doing without me - no one is indispensible...I've been around long enough to know that and the very harsh realities of hr/dismissal situations.

cymruchris

Dingbat007 said:

Thanks CymruChris - i don't really have family. Pretty much all of my friends are connected with work - if not with the same employer, within the same 'trade'. A friend not in that category who i might usually talk with is perhaps ambitious on my behalf and is encouraging me to take the new post, but i'm not sure they appreciate the possible severity of the medical issue, as it's been quite hidden. Hence my visit here...sometimes easier when people don't know you! I have good reasons for believing surgery is required - whether it's cancer or not.

As for my employer doing without me - no one is indispensible...I've been around long enough to know that and the very harsh realities of hr/dismissal situations.

Maybe look at it another way - if the problem is fairly serious - and it's treated early - wouldn't there be a better chance of recovery and hopefully achieving a better position? Whereas if you put it off to the point that you're found on the floor and rushed into hospital, you'd then potentially have less chance of recovery and no job.

With the friend I mentioned - they still haven't diagnosed the issue - and the investigation is ongoing, but although he's frustrated with the pain, he's also got comfort that it's not cancer.

Could you be in a similar position I wonder?

I know only you know the ins and outs of where you are and what you're feeling - and not having someone to talk it through with is no doubt difficult. Have you mentioned the potential severity to your non-linked ambitious friend? Would it be worth really opening up to them about it? Or if not - and as much as this might not be something you'd considered, but maybe a call through to the Samaritans just to air your thoughts and feelings - they obviously can't give medical advice - but maybe by getting things out into the open might help you move forwards to getting some medical analysis and potentially putting your mind at rest?

Is it the fear of finding out that's stopping you from getting the problem addressed? (And I don't mean to be personal here - but trying to find out a way that might encourage you to get yourself checked out)

Marcon

Dingbat007 said:

I have recently (within the past few months, prior to the health issue developing) taken out private health insurance and income protection insurance, but who knows if either of these will kick in.

Read the policy documents. There might be a waiting period (six months is typical), there might not be - there's only one way to be sure.

Dingbat007 said:

TA friend not in that category who i might usually talk with is perhaps ambitious on my behalf and is encouraging me to take the new post, but i'm not sure they appreciate the possible severity of the medical issue, as it's been quite hidden. Hence my visit here...sometimes easier when people don't know you! I have good reasons for believing surgery is required - whether it's cancer or not.

Sometimes friends are best ignored - unlike your health concerns. Time to take head out of sand - and I hope very much you then find that you are looking at a picture which is far less gloomy than you fear. One thing is for certain: not sorting out the medical issue isn't a great idea.

LightFlare

100% agree with everyone that says to get your health sorted asap, first and foremost.

Almost daily, I come across people who say “I wish I’d gone to the Doctor earlier”

Do it TODAY- phone up and get an appointment 

Having health issues is a big stressor
Undiagnosed health issues, even more