Work threatening the sack..

Mental health
1

Hey everyone. I just wondered if anyone has had a similar experience as to what I have today.

I've been suffering with depression and anxiety since I was 14, and I finally got help last summer, where I also found out I have psychosis.

Long story short, I'm only getting around 2hrs sleep a night, and I'm still trying to find medications that work for my conditions - which are crippling.

I work in the NHS and I've been signed off work since the end of Feb. I had another meeting with the health and wellbeing department today (NHS trust policy), and they are saying if I don't return to work at the end of my current sick note.. Then they will look at redeploying me into a less paid roll or to get rid of me all together. My current sick note expires 11th May.

Can anyone offer any help or advice on how to handle this? My workplace aren't supporting my recovery at all.

Thank you for any comments

Rachael

2

Hey Rachael

hope you are well, after reading your post, i would say its their loss.You need to take care of numero uno...................... yourself

jobs, money will come and go........... you are of use to no one,,,, unless you are your full self, stable and can think correctly

take your time,,,,, within reason,,,, and come back fighting

Rgds 

Amit

3

Thanks Amit.

I should also add I'm 26 years old and am right at the start of my dream career. I have to leave home in 18 months and buy a house. So stressful

4

My dear friend

Go with your dreams, would be my suggestion, think from your heart............ Tablets can help to a certain extent

its your will power,,,,,,,,,,,,,, hard but put your mind to it..

moving home is hard too,,,, but think of it as building a new begining,,, something that you can look forward to on a daily basis,,,,,, break it down to a day by day reward towars yourself......

you can do it......... go girll

5

Are there any Unions? Or maybe HR advice / councelling? Usually they can provide advice in the form of what your workplace can or can't do in the circumstance as they are based at the workplace. Also they can be with you in the meetings as support.

As a manager, I've been in both (bad) places.. We had someone who only turned up less than 40% of the time, which was really difficult for a workplace with only 3 people in it.

It crippled him, but also crippled us, because we had to complete the half started tasks, so we had to learn what he had done / not done before we could even start.

As a worker, I've copped plenty of stuff including prelude to being fired during a engagement breakup. They showed no tolerance whatsoever.

In your case, at least these people are offering a different position, albeit lower pay. That may help both sides as the other position *may* be better able to handle your absences and have more tolerance be more positive for you. So from my point of view only, it sounds positive. Wish I had been given that option!

Unions or some HR advisory will know a lot more about the circumstances and should be able to assist you.

ALL THE BEST!!

6

I was off sick a few years ago from november untill june,i didnt have any problems abd my manager was actually having to cover me personally (she was a lazy sod and the other girls i worked with thought it Was hilarious)i didnt know that they can demote you if you didnt come back when they want,your not off for fun its because u need to,try speaking to citezens advice before you make any descions x

7

Well, I'm renting in a garage in southern Sydney - no kidding which is stressful enough ..

Buying a house is definitely very stressful especially if this is your first loan, and if the parents are going to be guarantor.

I was so lucky as I fell into my first Ownership by chance, but this time I’m more picky trying to find the best place to have increasing value etc. This is much more stressful cause I have Expectations.

I prefer Bricks over a government promise to give me Super in 15 years time. At least I can rent the place out, whereas if the Government goes broke cause all the mining fails then Ive got nothing but paying someone else’s mortgage off.

If this helps,

To me, what seems to be the balance is if you buy, you have to pay for 15 years + and you have a place that may go up in value, but costs in council and if an apartment the strata fees, is constant per month and you are tied into an area.

As a renter, you are, say, paying up to 22,000 per year to someone else, but you can move around. So for example, in your case if you believe you could move inter department to another suburb and that would solve some of the issues, then there would be less stress than trying to find a work close to your home, or facing increased travel time in the train / bus etc. Two of the engineers in my department travel more than 3 hours a day to work.

I’m currently in the middle where I want to move jobs, maybe even goto Queensland, have renters in my Owned flat, but am renting at slightly lower than they are paying me so I have $10/week cash in.

I hope some of this is encouraging!

8

If I were you I would book a free half hour appointment with a solicitor who deals with emloyment issues.

Something at the back of my mind tells me that if you have occupied a job for two years of more it is very difficult for an employer to fire you or redeploy you in an other department at a lower pay rate.

I think this is particularly true when an employer is fully aware that you have health problems and has been off work as a result of it.

Again, if my memory serves me right I recall that the Equality Act 2010 caters for situations like this as does, but you do need to check this out yourself.

9

Hi Rachael I too work for the NHS I'm on my 3rd week of sick for depression. I too feel the pressure to go back to work even though I know I'm not ready. You would think working for the health service they would be understanding. I have been considering handing my notice in until I am better then try and get another job so it doesn't look like I have had a lot of time of sick. Not that I can afford that. Private message me if you like. I would be interested to know the process you have been through with your trust. I am writing on my phone so cannot actually see what I am writing so hope it makes sense. I have had depression for 20 years since I was 15 but this the worse I have felt in a long time. Previously I have hidden mmy depression from work. Sue

10

Hi Rachael, it sounds like you need the advise of a solicitor as if you have psychosis you should fall within the definition of having a disability as such to fire you or change your job would be discrimination.

See a solicitor who deals with employment law.

Neil 

11

Thank you for your responses everyone. I have spoken with several professional services today and taken advice. I have another meeting with work tomorrow to highlight my knew understanding of my rights and also to disclose some more information about my condition to them.

Thanks again

12

Well done Rachael.

Please keep us informed of how you go on.

13

+1 well said!

14

Agree. Please keep us updated, as its mentally good for us to see a resolution!

15

Hi from what I have heard the NHS are totally inadequate in dealing with illness (like the civil service where I worked).   Are you in a union?   If so speak to them.   Have they referred you to occupational health?   Have they made any reasonable adjustments for you to help you cope?  And lastly have you been there 2 years or more coz you do have rights.  If less than that they are within their rights to get rid of you.

You don't get dismissed for illness but because you aren't fulfilling your contract.  I was sacked from the Civil Service for that reason. 

I hope it works out for you,  and please let us know. x

16

It is 2 years archemedes.   Before that it is much easier to get rid of someone unless they are pregnant,  or because of race or sexual inequality. I think there is one more but can't remember it.

If you have been there long enough then the employer has to make 'reasonable adjustments'  to help you cope with your illness and they can move you to a different job.  They have to refer you for professional advice ie ATOS BUT they don't have to take their advice.  Everything is 'subject to business needs'.   This is under the Health and Safety at Work Act.   If your employer doesn't do anything then you have a good case to take to industrial tribunal.  

I have been through this with the Civil Service and they still sacked me coz they followed the rules.  They don't sack you coz of illness but because you are not fulfulling your contract.  A question of semantics but it works out to the same thing.   It's easier to sack people than most realise!   x

17

Thanks for that information Hypercat.

It is some years since I was last involved in industrial law, so the occasional prompt in my direction is always a good thing.

Thanks again

R x

18

You are welcome archemedes.   I only know it because I went through it all in my last job in the Civil Service.  You would think they would know the rules and they do but they are very sneaky and if they want to get rid of you they will.  We were allowed just 7 days sick in a year on a rolling period unless it was what they termed a one off or serious illness like cancer,  then they were brilliant.   Otherwise you would get a written warning which took 18 months to go off your record and if you breached that would get a final written warning and going even 1 day over your 7 days could and often did result in dismissal. 

People (including me) would have to got to work with chest infections and even flu if you were close to your 7 days.  It was hell. 

I was on a final written warning which was due to expire in 2 months time but got a severe chest infection and had to take a couple of days off.  Fine - then it came back and I had to take 1 day off so I was over my limit and they did everything they could to sack me,  and did.   The barstewards! x

19

I sympathise. Maybe it wouldn't have been so bad for you if they had been bar stewards, but my intuition and experience tells me that your description of them is intended to be a little less complimentay and is totally believable - nasty people.

It might give you solace to believe (as I do) that 'what goes round usually comes round', if you know what I mean, and I wouldn't mind betting that the 'firers' have now been fired themselves.

R x

20

Hi it;s not so much nasty people but a nasty culture.   The team leader was given instructions to dish the dirt on me and went round talking to people on my team hoping to find something to use against me.   But she kept saying there is hope and they might not dismiss you.  Having been there over 5 years I know how it worked!   So the day I was due to hear I cleared my desk out and when I got the letter (late so very few people were still there) I only read the first paragraph which said I was dismissed.   The team leader looked 'upset'  and asked me if I needed to clear my drawers out.  I told her I had already done it and walked off 2 minutes later with my bags. 

They don't want anyone who is off sick.  And that is the Civil Service...  x