alleged sleeping on post

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shiwen55
shiwen55 Posts: 124 Forumite
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Hi all,

I'm a security officer for a French bank for almost five years.

I became ill two years ago while I was with them and they have all the doctor's advise and letters.

On Friday, instead of my regular post taking deliveries, they put me at reception which I don't cover normally.

The night before I was in severe pain that I took two codeines and in the morning of Friday, I was still in pain and when I noticed I had put on reception, I took another codeine before the start of my shift.

About 1 pm, I was so numb and tired that I put my head down, looking down for a few seconds. The client has seen me and alleged I was asleep. Now I have been suspended with pay to report to security head office on Monday morning.

What can I do? Any advice? Is my job at risk, knowing they're aware of my medicines side effect (GP has sent them a letter, as they requested) and I'm ill?

I am a member of the union as well and will contact them Monday afternoon.

Thank you,

shiwen55
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  • elsien
    elsien Posts: 32,863 Forumite
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    If there are issues about you being unwell and your medication having side effects, if you're not up to carrying out the role effectively then there is a query as to whether you should have gone to work at all. I suspect it was rather longer than for a few seconds for someone to have raised it as an issue.
    Yes your job could potentially be at risk. You say you've been ill for two years - what have occupational health said about your ability to carry out your role?
    All shall be well, and all shall be well, and all manner of things shall be well.

    Pedant alert - it's could have, not could of.
  • Sea_Shell
    Sea_Shell Posts: 9,452 Forumite
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    Do they have CCTV covering reception?
    How's it going, AKA, Nutwatch? - 12 month spends to date = 2.38% of current retirement "pot" (as at end April 2024)
  • Blatchford
    Blatchford Posts: 601 Forumite
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    I agree, this is potentially serious and you need your union. If you were not fit for work shouldn't have been there. It doesn't really matter what your normal or regular duties are, you would have been too tired to work so the same thing would have happened - you'd have slept on the job. That is not something that is looked on favorably by employers, and especially not in their security staff! If codeine has this effect on you, have you asked your GP about alternatives? I appreciate that it can have side effects, but if sleeping at work is the result, you need an alternative - either call in sick or something that doesn't make you sleepy.

    As a matter of interest, how did you get to and from work? Because if codeine does make you drowsy, you also shouldn't be driving.
  • shiwen55
    shiwen55 Posts: 124 Forumite
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    elsien wrote: »
    If there are issues about you being unwell and your medication having side effects, if you're not up to carrying out the role effectively then there is a query as to whether you should have gone to work at all. I suspect it was rather longer than for a few seconds for someone to have raised it as an issue.
    Yes your job could potentially be at risk. You say you've been ill for two years - what have occupational health said about your ability to carry out your role?

    I wanted to call sick night before, but I thought it should be okay, actually I was embarressed to blow out.

    The client was leaving a meeting and just happened to see me, they were not watching me at all.

    My GP has said there are times I should be resting and stay home. I could say my pain started in the morning (?) to cover my back, can I do that? So they had an obligation to send me home if I asked.
  • shiwen55
    shiwen55 Posts: 124 Forumite
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    Sea_Shell wrote: »
    Do they have CCTV covering reception?

    Yes, they have CCTV
  • elsien
    elsien Posts: 32,863 Forumite
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    shiwen55 wrote: »
    I wanted to call sick night before, but I thought it should be okay, actually I was embarressed to blow out.

    The client was leaving a meeting and just happened to see me, they were not watching me at all.

    My GP has said there are times I should be resting and stay home. I could say my pain started in the morning (?) to cover my back, can I do that? So they had an obligation to send me home if I asked.

    You also have an obligation for your own health and safety at work. You should not be waiting for them to send you home - as a manager that used to particularly annoy me, people drooping around and waiting for me to notice.
    Did you tell them at the time you were in pain and ask to go home? And you've not answered the occupational health question.
    All shall be well, and all shall be well, and all manner of things shall be well.

    Pedant alert - it's could have, not could of.
  • Sea_Shell
    Sea_Shell Posts: 9,452 Forumite
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    shiwen55 wrote: »
    Yes, they have CCTV

    So may you have been caught on camera?? Maybe they have evidence!
    How's it going, AKA, Nutwatch? - 12 month spends to date = 2.38% of current retirement "pot" (as at end April 2024)
  • shiwen55
    shiwen55 Posts: 124 Forumite
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    Sea_Shell wrote: »
    So may you have been caught on camera?? Maybe they have evidence!

    َAlso if they check, they'd see for themselves it was few seconds I put my head down
  • shiwen55
    shiwen55 Posts: 124 Forumite
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    elsien wrote: »
    You also have an obligation for your own health and safety at work. You should not be waiting for them to send you home - as a manager that used to particularly annoy me, people drooping around and waiting for me to notice.
    Did you tell them at the time you were in pain and ask to go home? And you've not answered the occupational health question.

    They were all in the meeting with client and Supervisor was on his break
  • shiwen55
    shiwen55 Posts: 124 Forumite
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    elsien wrote: »
    You also have an obligation for your own health and safety at work. You should not be waiting for them to send you home - as a manager that used to particularly annoy me, people drooping around and waiting for me to notice.
    Did you tell them at the time you were in pain and ask to go home? And you've not answered the occupational health question.

    Annoying? It's management fault. The amount of times I asked them to send me home but they didn't
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