off again

lily
lily Member Posts: 160
Good afternoon
Im off work yet again and this is the 4th time in 14 months...The last time i was off and returned to work i had a back to work interview and during that interview my boss asked me if i wanted to finish up, i said no.

My problem is what if she asks again and i still refuse?
I dont want to leave and feel when im there i can do my job..ive already cut down my days from 5 to 3 last may and 6 months later have cut back on yet more hours.

I love working never been much of a stay at home person,and i know that i would not be in a position of getting another job.

I have the doctors tomorrow to see how long im going to be off again, i actually got sent home as within 2 hours of going to work on friday i was in so much pain i was no good to anybody.

thanks for reading
Lily

Comments

  • nearlybionic
    nearlybionic Member Posts: 1,899
    edited 30. Nov -1, 00:00
    Hi Lily
    Sorry to see you are having problems which are meaning you are off work. What type of arthritis do you have? I hope your doctors appointment goes well. It is difficult whe your brain still wants and is able to work but your body is letting you down. This is where I am at the moment and am deciding if i am able to continue with work.
    Do your employers cover you with DDA? I hope that you are able to sort something that will suit your needs and your employer will be happy with.
    NB
  • mellman01
    mellman01 Member Posts: 5,306
    edited 30. Nov -1, 00:00
    Hi Lily it’s a complex issue but I imagine it’s not a given you won’t be able to carry on, firstly are you in a union?, if there is one there then join it ASAP it will help having the legal protection.
    Also do they have an OC health department?, personally being keen to carry on is a really good thing and it should be encouraged as it’s better for you and better for them as they have a person who despite their problems wants to work there, after all a keen part time worker is worth far more than a full time employee who’s not keen at all.
    If I were you I’d go and see the local Citizen’s advice people, also check

    the .gov website, here’s a link https://www.gov.uk/

    If you do have an OC health department have they done a work place assessment?, if you have and they've not done one maybe you could get one done.
    What we could have done with is Del boy still being on here, he was worth his weight in gold when it came to work related issues but hey ho I'd best shut up now or I'll get told I'm wallowing in the past blah blah blah, I'm not at all I'm saying how it is, I just think it was a seriously stupid if not slightly bitter thing to do, he knew so much stuff, this particular forum has never really been much use since his passing and that's simply a how it is.
    right that's me done, if you need anymore help then you can PM me I guess as I still pop on here and I check my mail from time to time.
  • lily
    lily Member Posts: 160
    edited 30. Nov -1, 00:00
    Hello
    Many thanks for the replies

    I am in the union always have been so i guess thats my next point of call.

    Im still of for at least another week but have to go back to doctors for a check up before she will pass me fit for work.

    I went into work on friday and was asked if my long term plan was to stop working, i was shocked especially since this was asked by a so called friend, this person is very close to the boss so im supposing this is where things are heading, I told her no my long term plan was to come back to work and she was shocked, so the writing is on the wall for me.

    When i was interviewed for my job i was open and honest about my arthritis from the very start ( i have rheumotiod as well as psa ) but i have to admit i was not as bad then as i am now and its only been 2 years since i had my interview,

    I suppose i am covered by the equality acy and i also have dla both high rate.

    Can my work just finish me up with me having any say in the matter?

    Im not in a good place right now and that has just totally floored me

    Lily
  • lululu
    lululu Member Posts: 486
    edited 30. Nov -1, 00:00
    Hi Lily, Sorry you are having a hard time. I will try to answer without rambling on about things that are not relevent.

    The equality act will cover you, as will what was the old DDD I think it has another name or update these days. I was ill health retired but as I am nearing 60 for me it was the right thing to do and as I worked for a local authority I get a pension. but my gov. retiring age is 63 so I am subject to the joys of claiming ESA. I am good with filling out forms so am lucky in that I have never been called for a medical which is said to be a nightmare!

    So on a personel level a lot depends on your age, are you getting on, if so then ritirement may be a good idea, if not your work could and should refer you for an Ocupational Therepy for an assessment they could also ask your permision to get your medical reports (they can't do this without your permision).

    I did enquire at the time but forget things so I only think that if they want rid of you because of your health they have to consider ill health ritirement only if you are over 50.

    Another possibility is that the can sack you if the OT and medical reprorts say you are not fit to do your job, I think they call it capability, either way you will then have the joys of claiming ESA.

    Good luck and I hope everything is sorted in your favour. If you need any more info. please ask.
  • lily
    lily Member Posts: 160
    edited 30. Nov -1, 00:00
    Hi lululu

    many thanks for your reply

    Im 50 in november so looks like if i get paid off it will be threw capability oh well the joys of life :(

    Ive now been signed off till the end of the month and have phoned my consultants secretatry asking if i can get an appointment quicker, not due to see her till the end of May, i explained on the phone that my doc recommends me to ask for a quicker appointment and she said she would get back to me on Monday.

    I suppose i will just have to wait and see what happens with my job

    once again thank you for your reply
    Lily
  • lululu
    lululu Member Posts: 486
    edited 30. Nov -1, 00:00
    Lily
    You need to be aware that you are not able to receive your Gov pension till you reach the Gov pension age, for me that is 63 which is why I need to claim ESA as well as my works pension.

    I think the age for you may be 67 that is a long time off for you.

    Also in my previous post I should have said OH ( ocupational Health) and not OT. Sorry if I miss led you.

    Just a thought Lily do you know about 'access to work' I have not used thim myself but I know that they can help with transport to work and other things that may be helpful to you.
  • lily
    lily Member Posts: 160
    edited 30. Nov -1, 00:00
    Good afternoon

    I thought i would just continue on this thread instead of starting another.

    Had consultant today and i have to have surgery on my shoulder as the injections and physio have not made me any better.

    When i inform my work tomorrow ( boss is day off today ) im assumming that this will be the last straw for them.

    My consultant did ask if i were getting hassle from my work and i said yes i am, Ive been off work 7 weeks today. Oh well will face the action tomorrow

    Lily
  • lizzieuk1
    lizzieuk1 Member Posts: 302
    edited 30. Nov -1, 00:00
    Oh this is horrible there's no easy solution but ur health has to come first. I think if ur work react as u think then I would obv keep union informed but go to another law firm aswell since I suspect u will be in an unfair dismissal case, don't let them get away with it and take them for all u can get its disgraceful how they're treating u.
  • lily
    lily Member Posts: 160
    edited 30. Nov -1, 00:00
    Good evening

    well went into work yesterday and had a long talk with my boss and me being me i asked her outright if i was going to get paid off due to me being off work, She has said no but..............im always the suspicious one. Will wait and see.

    Told my boss that i will be having surgery at some point but will not be able to say when until i get seen, so have prepared her, im always upfront as i believe its for the best, so will wait and see what happens when i return to work.

    Also told the boss about what i was asked by a collegue about what my long term plan was....I still believe this was talked about between them so again will wait and see what happens when i eventually go back to work, Got to go back to doctors 30th and im hopeful i will be able to return to work after that.

    Many many thanks for all the replies and all the advice i have taken it all on board..once again many thanks for the support

    Lily x
  • lily
    lily Member Posts: 160
    edited 30. Nov -1, 00:00
    Good afternoon

    Just a little update from me, my sicknote finishes today so went to the docs and was promply signed off for another 2 months. my mouth opened as i was not expecting this, still in shock,

    will go into work tomorrow and give the line to them, this im sure will lead me to be getting the sack :( ,

    Dont know when i will get the letter from the hospital about the surgery for my shoulder, id like to think i could get it over and done with within these 2 months but i very much doubt it.

    Lily x
  • sailrib
    sailrib Member Posts: 327
    edited 30. Nov -1, 00:00
    lily wrote:
    Good afternoon

    Just a little update from me, my sicknote finishes today so went to the docs and was promply signed off for another 2 months. my mouth opened as i was not expecting this, still in shock,

    will go into work tomorrow and give the line to them, this im sure will lead me to be getting the sack :( ,

    Dont know when i will get the letter from the hospital about the surgery for my shoulder, id like to think i could get it over and done with within these 2 months but i very much doubt it.

    Lily x

    Can't really offer any advice but I do hope you don't get the sack as this is not your fault.

    How long have you been waiting for, for you shoulder operation?
  • maria09
    maria09 Member Posts: 1,905
    edited 30. Nov -1, 00:00
    Hi Lilly
    Im reading your post with great interest
    The same thing has happened to me won't go into great details so I know exactly how you feel
    I worked for 30yrs 27 of them as a qualified nurse and spent the last 3-4 years of hell battling my ward manager and our beloved HR dept! With written warnings a total nightmare
    I managed to get ill health retirement and retired 13/3/13 2months before my 50th Birthday
    I am really bitter towards how I've been treat but am now tying to put it behind me and remember the good times we all had, what is interesting is after I left 6 other qualified members have also left how strange!!
    I'm hoping you don't have to go through all I have had to
    I just get so upset and annoyed how we with arthritis are treat by our work place
    Keep strong fight them all the way and remember we are all supporting you
    Maria
  • mellman01
    mellman01 Member Posts: 5,306
    edited 30. Nov -1, 00:00
    Your treatment Maria sounds exactly like mine, I suffered serious harassment by HR and the line managers where I worked for over 4 years until I was finally pensioned off, sadly your OK so long as you don't have health issues, I damaged both my patella from doing to much and being super keen and as soon as I started to have serious problems with them the head of HR had me straight in for an "informal" stage one interview and she sat their smiling asked me how I was then happily said, "I'm going to sack you through the incapability regs is that OK with you?", if I every bumped into her or my line manager I'll swing for them, bloody heartless sociopaths the pair of them.
  • maria09
    maria09 Member Posts: 1,905
    edited 30. Nov -1, 00:00
    mellman01 wrote:
    Your treatment Maria sounds exactly like mine, I suffered serious harassment by HR and the line managers where I worked for over 4 years until I was finally pensioned off, sadly your OK so long as you don't have health issues, I damaged both my patella from doing to much and being super keen and as soon as I started to have serious problems with them the head of HR had me straight in for an "informal" stage one interview and she sat their smiling asked me how I was then happily said, "I'm going to sack you through the incapability regs is that OK with you?", if I every bumped into her or my line manager I'll swing for them, bloody heartless sociopaths the pair of them.
    Well Mellman all I wish for HR, my boss and nasty people like that is for them to suffer like we do so when people say I wouldn't wish are condition my my worst enemy my reply is I do and more so bring it on make them suffer!
    The one thing that totally puddles me off is the fact I worked for a caring profession a nurse foe 30 yrs to be treat like I was and probably many mant more is a disgrace! I've always said who cares for the carers well not the nhs trusts that's for sure! Rant over
    I'm just trying to remember the good times now as I don't want to be bitter and twisted like them!
    Finally having leaving do in June I left in January, this was arranged by my nursing friends on the ward not the evil ward boss, another strange thing has happened since my leaving 6 of my friends have left too all puddled off with the evil boss and now the ward is struggling he he he my only concern is how the patients will be without us wonderful staff there
    Thanks for listening
    Maria
  • maria09
    maria09 Member Posts: 1,905
    edited 30. Nov -1, 00:00
    Hi Lilly
    Sorry for taking over your post there
    If I can help you in any way even if its just to rant them pm me anytime
    The main thing is too keep strong and don't let them win I had 4 yrs of hell but made sure they did not dismiss me on capability as I don't think I would have got my ill health retirement pension which actually happened to a friend of mine
    Get your union involved from the onset always take them with you and get occupational health involved they really helped me
    Before they try and get rid of you there are certain channels they have to go down one is making reasonable changes to your working environment so you can work. Could you work from home? Would that be an option?
    Keep us up to date
    Maria