Union, work and occ health

eileenc

Hello everyone -
After me being sent to Occ Health by my work and being told I would have a miraculous recovery in 6-9 months and be phased back into work my workplace senior management team have told me that they will do a risk assessment against my work duties and refuse to let me in the building. My consultant and other medical people involved are all shaking their heads in disbelief and laughing at the thought of me slowly shuffling into work with 2 sticks and doing all the duties of a special needs nursery nurse.
The business manager said that they are putting me in for another Occ Health appt for a 2nd opinion.
I am also due to have another meeting with my senior team and Human Resources (they got the name right - we are not valued employees we are just resources that can be discarded like broken paper clips and pens)
To keep myself right I got in touch with my union who came out to the house and spoke to me for ages - they agreed that a 2nd opinion is in order and sooner rather than later. The only thing that they can see as a problem is Occ Health saying I should be redeployed rather than retired through ill health - my health people say retirement is the better option for me but Occ Health by their very job is to keep people in work so if they say redeployment then my problems will start!
If redeployment is my option then all my employers will have to do is put me on the redeployment register and if there are no suitable jobs they will have to reluctantly (ha ha) let me go.
Since Edinburgh Council have to cut £90million (yes - you read right £90 million) over the next 3 years it's obvious to me and everyone around me that even though I have been with them for 20 years it would be better to 'let me go' because I'm incapable of doing my job rather than retire me off with my pension that would be topped up to my retirement age (I'll be 50 next week so they would have to put in at least 10 years).
So I'm not holding my breath for a good outcome now - I think in this economic climate I am being set up to be a kind of legal casualty - I can see it now - sorry there is no suitable jobs so we are forced to let you go..............door slams on way out. Legally right but not morally right.
Ah well - tomorrow is another day - my working tax credits stop tomorrow so 1/2 pay, no sick pay and now no working tax credits - am beginning to worry about money more than my health now!!
I'm waiting for my next summons (oops sorry I mean appointment) but lucklily my union rep has said that they will accompany me to any and all meetings so that I don't get railroaded into anything (like resigning or voluntary redundancy).

So watch this space...................

Hope the sun shines on you all tomorrow
love and ((hugs))
Eileen

eckstardeluxe

eileenc wrote:

Hello everyone -
After me being sent to Occ Health by my work and being told I would have a miraculous recovery in 6-9 months and be phased back into work my workplace senior management team have told me that they will do a risk assessment against my work duties and refuse to let me in the building. My consultant and other medical people involved are all shaking their heads in disbelief and laughing at the thought of me slowly shuffling into work with 2 sticks and doing all the duties of a special needs nursery nurse.
The business manager said that they are putting me in for another Occ Health appt for a 2nd opinion.
I am also due to have another meeting with my senior team and Human Resources (they got the name right - we are not valued employees we are just resources that can be discarded like broken paper clips and pens)
To keep myself right I got in touch with my union who came out to the house and spoke to me for ages - they agreed that a 2nd opinion is in order and sooner rather than later. The only thing that they can see as a problem is Occ Health saying I should be redeployed rather than retired through ill health - my health people say retirement is the better option for me but Occ Health by their very job is to keep people in work so if they say redeployment then my problems will start!
If redeployment is my option then all my employers will have to do is put me on the redeployment register and if there are no suitable jobs they will have to reluctantly (ha ha) let me go.
Since Edinburgh Council have to cut £90million (yes - you read right £90 million) over the next 3 years it's obvious to me and everyone around me that even though I have been with them for 20 years it would be better to 'let me go' because I'm incapable of doing my job rather than retire me off with my pension that would be topped up to my retirement age (I'll be 50 next week so they would have to put in at least 10 years).
So I'm not holding my breath for a good outcome now - I think in this economic climate I am being set up to be a kind of legal casualty - I can see it now - sorry there is no suitable jobs so we are forced to let you go..............door slams on way out. Legally right but not morally right.
Ah well - tomorrow is another day - my working tax credits stop tomorrow so 1/2 pay, no sick pay and now no working tax credits - am beginning to worry about money more than my health now!!
I'm waiting for my next summons (oops sorry I mean appointment) but lucklily my union rep has said that they will accompany me to any and all meetings so that I don't get railroaded into anything (like resigning or voluntary redundancy).

So watch this space...................

Hope the sun shines on you all tomorrow
love and ((hugs))
Eileen

Hi Eileen, did you remember to mention about the 4 week run on of Working Tax I mentioned, just to make sure you receive a cheque for 4 weeks money in a few weeks. Every little bit will help you just now. Defo worth a second opinion. The Council would have to prove there are no suitable redeployable positions available for you, so start looking into what other types of jobs are suitable for you in time for your next meeting with the big guns. You can mention this then and ask if they have suitable positions in these areas.

eileenc

Hi Eckstardelux - thanks for your reply and for your advice a couple of weeks ago - I did mention it when I phoned tax credits to confirm that I wouldn't be back at work before their cut off date and the person I spoke to said that I would receive everything I was entitled to - so hopefully I will get the 4 wk payment through ok.
oops :shock: - just noticed that I had half my post in bold - that will teach me not to preview before I submit!
bye for now
Eileen

tanith

Hi Eileen , I was in a similar position 3yrs ago working for the NHS, they tried redeployment with me but nothing suitable for me was available and those jobs they suggested I found really had major headaches for me. So O/H then decided that Ill-Health Retirement was appropriate and thats what happened... the whole consultation process took around 6mths and then my retirement came through....
I hope your Union are able to take you down that same road...

By the way I was encouraged by the Union to claim Incapacity Benefit (now called something else) while I was on half pay and this really helped me out while I was waiting for the pension to come through...

maria09

Hi
Ive just joined the site so im a newbie
Ive had Osteo Arthritis for 6yrs
Had a flare up & off work for 6 months
Been back over a year & have had bouts of sickness off since, was sent to occ health saw Dr who said i was fit for work who said i was
I now have to go back & see him as ive had 3 consecutive bouts of sickness due to conditon in a 3 month period
What do they expect i have a cronic conditon now for the rest of my life. I deal with it the best i can & do go to work when i should not because senior managers make you feel guilty! Luckily my line manager & work mates are very supportive.
If they want to retire me due to ill health well fine by me
So watch this space! My rants over!
Although i must say I have an excellent Rhuematologist thats trying everything he can to help me

eckstardeluxe

maria09 wrote:

Hi
Ive just joined the site so im a newbie
Ive had Osteo Arthritis for 6yrs
Had a flare up & off work for 6 months
Been back over a year & have had bouts of sickness off since, was sent to occ health saw Dr who said i was fit for work who said i was
I now have to go back & see him as ive had 3 consecutive bouts of sickness due to conditon in a 3 month period
What do they expect i have a cronic conditon now for the rest of my life. I deal with it the best i can & do go to work when i should not because senior managers make you feel guilty! Luckily my line manager & work mates are very supportive.
If they want to retire me due to ill health well fine by me
So watch this space! My rants over!
Although i must say I have an excellent Rhuematologist thats trying everything he can to help me

Hi Maria, when you visit the OH, ask them if it's possible they could state that due to your condition it must be expected there will be times of flare ups and time off work and how much you can have discounted due to the DDA. Mines says this. It doesn't mean you can go off all the time but if you had say a couple days off every couple of months then that would be acceptable. I have to say from a HR point of view (not mine), 3 times off sick in 3 months is alot and I would wholly expect any employee to be sent to the OH for this. They need to see what adjustments can be made to your workspace, these are so you are less likely to be off sick and of course if the Dr thinks this is an acceptable level. If he states for your employer to take an average of absence then they can discount so many days. But he may also state that he has no reservations about action being taken, meaning disciplinary etc so try to be as honest as you possibly can with the Dr you see. Good luck.