sacked? or will they understand?

Decky

Hi im Decky
im new here and was told to write on this page for help

i've spoke to my Union about having RA and i explained that i cant remember if i told my employer about it when i first started because it wasnt giving me any trouble back then....

They said am i looking to change anything.
I said no not at this stage.
That i just wanted the company know for the future.

They told me that telling them is the right thing to do.

Tho in the passed he said some people havnt told the company about there health problem.
Then they come in saying they need changes. But the company hasnt been told so they have been sacked.. :shock:

But in my case im telling them i have a RA and not demanding any changes as of yet.

I also told him that i had RA when i was 14 but went away before applying for the job and that its just coming back now he said not to metion that i had it just to say that its progressing...
So i went to see the manager and they have let the health dotor know so its just a waiting game now!! :roll: this could take afew months
THANKS IF YOUS REPLY ID BE GREATFUL

topgirl

Hi!!
Ok.....firstly RA is a fluctuating condition.....you can be in remission for a long time with right treatment....
So I would tell them you have it( which you have) say you are being controlled well and seem to be in remission but you are just informing them...
Telling the works doctor will be just a procedure....try not to worry...but now you will be covered if your condition gets worse...lets hope it doesnt..... :P

Decky

Hi!!!
Thanks for the reply!!!

I have been looking to see the union man again but he hasnt been in the office..

But the question i want to ask him is when the work health doctor asks me when was i diagnosed should i say this passed few months are should i say back when i was 14????

Im afraid if i say back when i was 14 that they could sack me.. Hope the union man will be in this week some stage..

topgirl

Mmmmm...im not sure...i'd prob say yes....
they cant sack you anyway....if it was impacting on your job its different..x

Decky

thanks for your advise and support!!!

I'll have a talk with the union and hopefully the health doctor wont take long to they see me just wish things was sorted out!!

would be weight off my shoulders. :!:

Just wish that if i needed to make changes to my job in the future that i could do it without much of a fuss from the company. :x

Am getting injections in november in my knees and shoulders :sad:

Decky

I got a letter i've to see the work health doctor on friday!! :oops:

Decky

Thanks for the tip
not looking forward it at all

BikerAngel

Good luck for Friday and just be honest and definately take a union rep and if they can't go then its usually another workmate you can take in with you and yep keep notes. If I think of anything else I will let you know I have been there but I was unfit to do my job so got dismissed. Lots of heavy lifting and no alternative way of doing it unfortunately.

CJHunter

Hi, hope all goes well with work dr.

If its written in yr med history you should tel them , but also tel them that it has been in remission and controlled well. If you feel you are having a flare tell them this too. If they asked why you didnt say at the begining, well u wernt having a flare and believed it was in remission
Well thats what i would do.
There are discrimination laws to protect you, make sure you read dda work rules, your rep should be aware.

Anyhow, just to wish you good luck and will be there with you.
C x

Decky

I've to see my union in the morning to see will someone come with me,

In the letter i got from work the bottom of it says....

All employees must attend company doctor appointments failure to do so without reasonable justification will result in non-payment for periods of sick pay and may lead to disciplinary action INCLUDING DISMISSAL :shock:

Said to myself as if i wont be under enough pressure on friday :sad:

And i also got a letter from the hospital to see Physiotherapy on thursday :eek:

Thank you everyone for replying to my posts!!

Decky

BikerAngel if you dont mind me asking what did you do when your company dissmissed you?? :oops:

BikerAngel

sorry was not back on lastnight, you got mail

Decky

CHEERS

mellman01

I know little of RA but the type you had at 14 what was or is it, can this type come out then hide for years or just simply disappear with time?, best thing would be to look it up and see what they say about it look for anything that you can quote that you could then use this as a defence, if you had it at 14 and have only got it now how were you to know it was still about, I guess your GP didn't get your blood tested on a regular basis so if he didn't how were you to know, another defence is you were only 14 at the time and didn't really understand what was going on your not meant to be Einstein at 14 are you, how many people know what illnesses they have and understand the magnitude of it at 14.

Decky

After all the waiting the health doctor cancelled and i have to wait on another letter.. :roll:

Decky

Injections tomorrow not looking forward to it

Decky

HI

Well here i am a day after my injections in my shoulders.
I was supposed to get my knees injected too but while they were doing my shoulders i got dizzy and felt faint so the doctor decided to call me back another day for my knee injections.

Never slept much last night this could be a side-effect but i am resting . The pain is sore but manageable.

While i was there i got to see the results of my X-Rays they took afew weeks ago.

My shoulders are not in the right place they said they are higher an slightly out of the socket.. and if the injections dont help they will consider surgery which was quiet a shock to me.

But there was worse to come they said looking at my X-Rays my knee pain could be coming from my hip and that in the future i could need a hip replacement which was a further shock to me.

Trying to hide some tears

I came home last night and went to bed thinking is it time to give up my job?
Because if i can avoid having any surgery i would.

The nurse suggested that i should watch out for the likes of a job in a hospital doing porter or something which isnt heavy an a warmer job.

Can i ask what would you folkes do??
What can i do??

(i know there is a helpline here but im not a talkative person)
And i wouldnt usually ask people to help id rather help others i always try to hide my pain.

Im sure some of yous are the same?

valval

the thing is how long have you been in job you are in now and would nhs employ you with arther they do not have the best track record from what i read on here fo looking after there staff with arther quite a few have been gotten rid of sorry can not help let me know how shoulder going as started having problems with mine and painfull at min so might be next joint to need sorting val

Decky

I've been in my job for 8 years.
Shoulders not to painful today tho im still resting them,
I'm due back at work on monday so i hope things go well when i go in.

Val what do you mean would the NHS employ me? if you dont mind me asking?
Hope your shoulders are ok!

janie68

I think Val means that the NHS are not great in looking after their own staff, as I work for them and I am being dismissed on capability grounds. Redeployment is hard to come by as they are cutting back jobs, andnthere is a very strict sickness policy too. Well there is for my trust anyway. They seem to be from my experience, not very understanding of my RA at all and very rigid in their approach.

Sorry I'm going on! Hope the injections help. They can last a long time

Janie

JoKeyes

I've been having major problems with my right wrist for around 2 years now, and was diagnosed with RA back in 2008 - I had to take a couple of months off and work were very supportive, I work for the NHS in Manchester. I came back to work and due to problems with my wrist I was struggling to work a full week, so I asked to be referred to Occupational Health so a full assessment could be made. I've recently had to go and see OH again as the pain was getting unbearable, they signed me off while I waited for an op date, I've just come back to work last week ater a total of 3 months off, and will be off again at some point for another operation. Work have been very supportive and understanding, but I made a point of being asked to be referred to OH so that everything was formalised and written up. I've also had injections, but was told that a joint can only be injected up to three times, which is a shame as they worked brilliantly. I'm an administrator by the way, and am right handed, so having a useless right wrist is pretty akward! I hope it all works out for you, union reps are good people to speak to but I'd deffo see Occupational Health. I'm shocked at the lack of understanding some people seem to have experienced!

Decky

HI
I was supposed to see Occupational health 2 weeks ago but for some reason
they cancelled and i hav'nt got a letter yet for another date.

I feel good today not sure if its because of the injections or because i've been off work an hav'nt been over-doing it...

I just get the odd twinge in my arm whatever way i must move. But the main thing i've not been waken up from pain during the night

I'll been told to have look into the CAB advice service.

My mother thinks if its to much for me an the pain comes back during the night when i go back to work on monday,, then i should consider looking at part-time..

Any of yous had to go part-time??
How does it work?

THANKS!!!!!

JoKeyes

If you have a line manager/supervisor ask them to chase Occupational Health for you, mine contacted them last week and I am seeing them on Thursday. I know reduced hours have been an option to me before so maybe this is something you could consider/discuss?