LGPS Scotland and Ill Health Retirement

Purplelady65

Just a couple of comments. In the 12 months you were on sickness absence did you have any appointments with Occupational Health? Normally in the public sector when someone is reaching the point where their sick pay reduces from full pay to half pay they would have a follow up appointment with Occupational Health after the initial one. This would be to assess the likelihood of the person returning to work in the near future and if not to then start considering the options of ill health retirement, capability etc. It sounds as if you’ve fallen between the various services - HR, Occupational Health as if you were dismissed after 12 months sickness absence someone within that time should have raised ill health retirement with you. Did you have union rep support in the formal sickness absence meetings? If so I’m surprised they never mentioned it either. 

Also I would ask for a copy of your employer’s sickness absence policy (they are sometimes called attendance support or similar now) and capability policy. I would check through the various stages of sickness absence management and what the policy is on managing each stage. I would expect to see in there mention of ill health retirement as a possible option when you’re reaching the final stages of sickness absence management. If there is then you can go back to your employer to say they haven’t followed their own policies which will strengthen your case. 

awrightson

Purplelady65

Thanks for your reply.

I had an appointment with Occ Health approximately 4 months before my ill health capabilty meeting, I was surprised myself they didn't send me for another appointmet before the meeting for an updated opinion on my health from a medical professiona,l but maybe that is not how they operate. I should add it was quite clear that my job had gone as soon as I got into that meeting, their mind had been made up before I turned up.

Another Occ Healt appointment was booked after ill health retirement was asked about at that meeting, and it was at that appointment further information was requested from the Hospital specialist with regards to my health/diagnosis.

I had telephone meetings to do with the different "stages" whilst being unwell but ill health retirement was never mentioned during any of the calls.

I will check online and see if their abscence policy is available, not expecting it to be though, but you never know. If it isn't I will keep that suggestion in mind and see how things pan out.

I did have a union rep with me at the ill health capabilty meeting.

I'm just waiting for confirmation of why it is "deferred" but strangely there's still no response to that one after 2 days of them mentioning it, hmm.

Purplelady65

So just to confirm a few things: 

I wouldn’t wait to see how things pan out I’d ask for copies of the policies now. I’d suggest you ring HR and ask them to email them to you. Your dismissal letter will probably make reference to the relevant policies. 

In the 12 months you were on long term sickness absence you only had one meeting with occupational health? I’m presuming you were sent a copy of the management report? Or were the telephone meetings with occupational health or were they with your manager? 

It’s unusual that your union rep was only at the meeting when you were dismissed. Did you not have any formal meetings with your union rep present when you were at the latter stages of sickness absence management? Ie the stages before dismissal?