My Meeting is Thurs, Can someone come with me?

caterina57

Hello Everyone
I have just received a telephone call from my employer, saying that they have received the report from my Dr and I need to attend for a meeting on Thursday at 10.00am.
I wonder if any of you can come with me? I have had eight weeks to be able to build my case, and I am quite clear now what I will say, but I am not sure that this confidence will remain when I am put under pressure! I think if I thought some of you were with me I would feel stronger.
Thanks
Cath

dreamdaisy

Count me in: I am not sure what use I will be (I am off to the doc's in a while) but I will be thinking of you, I promise. DD

coco67

count me in also. write down everything you want to say so you have notes and dont forget everything. its a good distraction also which helps with the nerves

traluvie

Hi Cath...

I will def be there with you luvie...
As coco said write everything down you may need to say or ask..
Have you someone going with you as a representative??

ironic

Hi Cath,
I will be with you on Thursday if you feel a gentle pressure on your back it will only be us.
Deep breath and head up girl, you can do this.
Lv, Ix

jillyb1

Hi , Cath , we haven't " met " ; chatted on here much but I'm free to join you for extra support on thursday . Can I bring Betsy the dog too ? She is very sweet and reduces most people to coos oohs and aahs ; it might help to keep everyone relaxed and cheery ! Jillyb

madwestie

Cath, me and Maddie (the madwestie) will be there with you.
We are sure you will have everything covered but i can get maddie to growl if you need the extra backup..

If you feel yourself getting streesed or flustered take a minute have a deep breath and remember you are in control.


Tracey

caterina57

Hi everyone, Thanks for your support, I feel I am definately going to need it! Yes bring the dog, distractions may be needed. Does any one have a St Bernard? I think I may need to use the contents of the barrel round his neck!
Cath

traluvie

caterina57 wrote:

Hi everyone, Thanks for your support, I feel I am definately going to need it! Yes bring the dog, distractions may be needed. Does any one have a St Bernard? I think I may need to use the contents of the barrel round his neck!
Cath

I have 3 staffy's they can look scary lol??(they real soft but can stand to attention if need be lol)
I can roll a barrel behind you if thats what you wanted lol

barbara12

Count me in Cath...like the rest say, you write everything down,and double check it.
Dont worry we will all be there tucked up in your pockets, if you falter which you wont....you will here our little voices prompting you.
Good Luck with it...and try not to worry.
Love
Barbara x

katie5

hi cath

just want to say will be there for you if there's room for one more! like everyone says write it down, take a deep breath, don't let them rush you and everyone one of us will be there for support.

don't have a st.bernard unfortunately but can bring hip flask - may need to bring a few for everyone on your support team.

good luck

katie x

chris7

Hi Cath

Just leaving some extra courage and confidence and hoping all goes well for you. We will be keeping our fingers crossed and giving you a gentle prod to say what you need to. Don't be bullied. You can do this.
Good luck
Chris

tillytop

I'm there too Cath!

Really good luck. Will be thinking of you.

Love Tillyxxx

skezier

Hi Cath,

Will be in your pocket for sure as well. Fingers crossed it goes a bit better than you fear it and a ((( ))) to take as well. Cris xx

spacey

good luck from me too x

caterina57

Thank you everyone for your good wishes and support for my meeting with my employers tomorrow. I will ensure that the outfit has plenty of pockets for you to jump into and I am taking my big bag so some of you can hide in there too. I cannot express how grateful I am to you all.

Over the last couple of weeks I have been trying to get more mobile, but the truth is I can only manage a couple of hours "on the constant go" before I am in pain and extremely tired. Its one thing to pace myself at home - doing a bit and resting a bit ( which actually is ideal in stopping me getting stiff or getting payback from doing too much) and completely another in preparing myself for a return to work for what will possibly a minimum of 9 and a half hours a day. If work agree to my return I am hoping for a phased return with a few hours a day working up to my full time hours of 40. Ideally I would like to be able to go back on a permanent part time basis - When I mentioned that before I was told "the post is full time"! But I will try again. I will let you know what happens after the meeting tomorrow ( nerves are beginning to build) and once again Thank you to you all for your support.
Cath

chris7

Hi Cath

Hang in there, we will be in your pockets and keeping our fingers crossed. Hope they do agree to shorter hours long term even after any phased return. 9 hours shifts are too long for anyone!! :shock: Be firm with them and remember how much they have relied on you in the past. I think they would be mad to lose you.
Good luck
Chris

roses1

Hi Cath,

Reporting for pocket duties for tomorrow!
I have sticky buns but i will bring some wet wipes for mucky pups :eek:

Good luck
Rose x

need me bed

Count me and Lewis the cat in too.... he'll be doing the wall of death round the meeting room coz he can be a bit hyperactive, then he will get right up in their faces and demand to be able to nibble a few ear lobes, I shall be comfortably supporting you from inside the big bag, (I don't think a pocket would be roomy enuff for me)

Don't forget as part of DDA your employer HAS to make reasonable adjustments for you too....

Good luck, keep ya chin up we're all right behind you

NMB
xxx

julie47

Hi cath
I am stood in this very long queue waiting to jump in your pocket

Wishing you luck today

Juliepf x

traluvie

Good luck luvie..

In your pocket i jump....

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

dreamdaisy

Good luck for today. I will be thinking of you. DD

barbara12

Morning Cath
Just to say good luck with the meeting, now you stand your ground....we are all with you.....and now and then will give you a gentle nudge just to remind you.
Hope it all goes well for you.
Love
Barbara x

caterina57

Hello everyone,
I am back from my meeting, Thanks for being with me in pockets and bag - There is no doubt that thinking of you all thinking of me was a great source of strength.

We have discussed my return to work and my manager does not fundamentally have a problem with me returning on a phased basis of four hours a day slowly increasing over 6 weeks to my full time hours of 40.
However there are some issues:

I have explained that I will not be able to do the heavy personal care calls where lifting and bending are involved - This she thinks may be a problem
I have also made it very clear that I will not be able to work more than my contracted hours of 40 a week, although how those hours are allocated - Early mornings, evenings, weekends is not a problem to me, I am willing to work any time of day or night up to the 40 hours I am contracted to work.

(Between the 25th October to 15th December I was working 12-14 hours every day without a day off, obviously my body had enough and I was in absolute agony couldn't get out of bed and I havent worked since)

This is where my manager has raised concern - It is expected that within my role as a carecoordinator, where care cannot be covered by the carers it will be done by the carecoordinators, which generally means working 12-14 hours a day very often 7 days a week. I have made it very clear that I cannot do this any more. And that having done it before has led me to the predicament I am in now.

My Manager has said that she feels that my stance on this point is unfair as it would mean that other care coordinators would be working 50-60 hours a week and I would only be doing 40. I think her general fear is that if they agree to this for me it will set a precedent, and other coordinators will want the same and the company would clearly not be able to function.My manager said she simply did not see how it could work.

At this point I raised the issue of me changing to work part time or Job share, she said that part time wouldn't work as there is no part time vacancy for the role and that jobshare had never been tried.

It has been left that they are now going to contact head office to take advice on the issues raised and will get back to me. I am certain that under Employment Law I cannot be forced to work more than my contracted hours of 40.

I do have a suspicion that they may decide that, because I have said that I can't do the heavy personal care calls that they will say that I am incapable, and duck the issue of contracted hours. I will just have to wait and see.
Once again thanks to you all for your support.
Cath

valval

sorry did not see this before so glad you stuck to your guns i could not manage to work 40 hours to say you should work more shows they do not have enough staff on there books and need to re think things no one should have to work over time regular good luck but do not walk away make them give you shove as not able to do job as affects what you can claim good luck do hope they see sence and do as ou wish val

dreamdaisy

Oh, they like the guilt-trip thing, don't they? If you can't do it then you will be making your colleagues work far longer hours . . . . no, what they should do is employ some more bodies to share the load more equally, but then not many people want to do that kind of work, oh it is a tricky one.

Well done you for sticking to your guns: you sound fair, reasonable but FIRM. Good on yer, caterina57, I think you done good there girl! Right, get your nurses kit on, we need you in the M.A.S.H.unit, pronto - various men need reviving after frog's sashay down the ward with the tea trolley. DD