Hi, i work part time in a school at dinner times and when i had my first day back last week, the head teacher came over and gave me a letter saying as i had had 14 shifts off in the last year i had to have an interview and i was welcome to fetch a work colleague or union representative with me. This scared the living daylights out of me. I have had some time off but i was switched to insulin and was really poorly before that which resulted in the time off. I feel they are trying to get rid of me as i have piercings tattoos etc, andthat they are using my diabetes as an excuse. I was absent for legitimate reasons, could they sack me? I am really worried. Thet say they are going to look at ways to support me, but i feel they are out to get rid of me.
Interview at work regarding absence
- Thread starter cherrypie666
- Start Date
Hi Cherrypie,
Make sure you do take a colleague or Union rep. in with you. Just be honest about your reasons for being off and ensure them you're getting things under control with regards to diabetes.
If you're on a contract, they can't just dismiss you without some sort of warning. It'll just be a formal discussion re. absences. They'll probably just ask if you're ok and if there's anything they can do to support you, etc. Whilst you might get a warning.....they shouldn't haul you in and sack you.
Piercings and tattoos are great - they remind me of the good old hair metal bands of the 80's. You're not a Warrant fan, are you....what with the name?....
You'll be OK.
Make sure you do take a colleague or Union rep. in with you. Just be honest about your reasons for being off and ensure them you're getting things under control with regards to diabetes.
If you're on a contract, they can't just dismiss you without some sort of warning. It'll just be a formal discussion re. absences. They'll probably just ask if you're ok and if there's anything they can do to support you, etc. Whilst you might get a warning.....they shouldn't haul you in and sack you.
Piercings and tattoos are great - they remind me of the good old hair metal bands of the 80's. You're not a Warrant fan, are you....what with the name?....
You'll be OK.
hi, im on a contract, but never actually received it..... This is the same as a few colleagues of mine. Also i have had about two months in work with no abscence since i am getting my diabetes under control. I'm not in a union either, but i have wrote all my medications down, the miligrams i take and the reasons i take them, this should help. I have never lied about my abscences but they make me feel i have done something wrong.
Hi Cherrypie
Don't worry about the interview if you work for a public school your contract will possibly be with your local Council and they have very strict equal ops and sickness policies and procedures, so you will be protected and remember even if you have tattos you have the same rights as everyone else. You are doing the right thing by writing everything down; try and make a note of what is said at your interview and ask whoever is carrying out the interview if you can have a copy of their notes too. This shoud be standard practice.
Again try not to worry because as we all know stress is really bad for our bs levels. The Company I work for carry out 'back to work' interviews even if we have one day off sick and although they say it is too help and support us it still can get a bit worrying if like me you have had 3 seperate weeks off in a 9 month period (not all diabetes related).
Good Luck
Jacqueline
Don't worry about the interview if you work for a public school your contract will possibly be with your local Council and they have very strict equal ops and sickness policies and procedures, so you will be protected and remember even if you have tattos you have the same rights as everyone else. You are doing the right thing by writing everything down; try and make a note of what is said at your interview and ask whoever is carrying out the interview if you can have a copy of their notes too. This shoud be standard practice.
Again try not to worry because as we all know stress is really bad for our bs levels. The Company I work for carry out 'back to work' interviews even if we have one day off sick and although they say it is too help and support us it still can get a bit worrying if like me you have had 3 seperate weeks off in a 9 month period (not all diabetes related).
Good Luck
Jacqueline
A lot of employers carry out interviews like these if you have been off work so many days over a set period of time.
You don't say what the letter said, but if an interview is for disciplinary purposes then you should have been informed of that already.
I have carried out a number of interviews with people regarding their sick record. As the interviewer, the head teacher should simply be asking whether there are any issues with your place of work that are making your condition worse and finding out if they, as employers, can do anything for you, which will reduce the number of sick days you take.
Do take a work colleague or union representative with you if you can, often they will think of things that you should mention, but forget because the interview itself increases your stress levels. They will also tend to have better recall of what was said.
You don't say what the letter said, but if an interview is for disciplinary purposes then you should have been informed of that already.
I have carried out a number of interviews with people regarding their sick record. As the interviewer, the head teacher should simply be asking whether there are any issues with your place of work that are making your condition worse and finding out if they, as employers, can do anything for you, which will reduce the number of sick days you take.
Do take a work colleague or union representative with you if you can, often they will think of things that you should mention, but forget because the interview itself increases your stress levels. They will also tend to have better recall of what was said.
I have recently had time off work because I switched from Metformin to Insulin, my work place have a policy whereby you hit a trigger if you have had more than three periods of absence within a twelve week period, in total I have had four days off sick in three separate periods but this was within the 12 week time frame.
As a result of this I have been put onto an Attendance Improvement Plan which basically means that they are going to monitor my attendance for the next six months and I can only have a few days off sick in that time or I will have a disciplinary hearing. Personally I think it could be classed as discrimination, I’m not the sort of person to have a day off on a whim cause I cant be bothered, all of my absences have been related to my diabetes in one way or another, although my employers have said that they take that into account.
The one thing that has really wound me up about it is that they take into account the fact I have been on an attendance improvement plan when assessing my grade and how much bonus I will get which I feel is very unfair, what are your thoughts?
As a result of this I have been put onto an Attendance Improvement Plan which basically means that they are going to monitor my attendance for the next six months and I can only have a few days off sick in that time or I will have a disciplinary hearing. Personally I think it could be classed as discrimination, I’m not the sort of person to have a day off on a whim cause I cant be bothered, all of my absences have been related to my diabetes in one way or another, although my employers have said that they take that into account.
The one thing that has really wound me up about it is that they take into account the fact I have been on an attendance improvement plan when assessing my grade and how much bonus I will get which I feel is very unfair, what are your thoughts?
I used to work for a very large retial chemists and I went through this with them. My periods of sickness were all totally valid, covered by doctors and hospital notes and even included my misscariages, but I was still put through the whole disciplinary procedures.
One of my husbands collegues is a solicter specialising in employment law and she looked over everything for me, and it was entirel legal, though in her opinion, 'heavy handed'
I remember asking at one such interview, 'do you beleive that my absences are genuine', the reply was yes. So I then asked why they felt that dragging me into an office and making me feel like **** would help to decrease these absences, to which I got a shrug of the shoulders and an, 'I can't answer that'.
One of my husbands collegues is a solicter specialising in employment law and she looked over everything for me, and it was entirel legal, though in her opinion, 'heavy handed'
I remember asking at one such interview, 'do you beleive that my absences are genuine', the reply was yes. So I then asked why they felt that dragging me into an office and making me feel like **** would help to decrease these absences, to which I got a shrug of the shoulders and an, 'I can't answer that'.
If you are a dinner lady you work in the public sector. Therefore I would advise you to contact your consultant and get him/her to write a letter to your employer. They will then realise just how much trouble they are creating for themselves. And that they are breaking the disability discriminations act to which they must abide.
Dont worry you can't legally or otherwise lose your job as it would be totally illegal to dismiss you.
I spoke with my consultant during a simular situation at work a few years ago. Unfortunately he wasn't able to do much because I work in the private sector. I was told the situation would be more in my/our favour if I worked in the public sector.
Dont worry you can't legally or otherwise lose your job as it would be totally illegal to dismiss you.
I spoke with my consultant during a simular situation at work a few years ago. Unfortunately he wasn't able to do much because I work in the private sector. I was told the situation would be more in my/our favour if I worked in the public sector.
don't worry it's normal practice if you have had time off they will probably ask you why you was off and are you ok now and if there is anything they can do, they also ask quastions like is it going to happen again, but i know this sounds silly but they do ask this its a common question, they all ask but in you case you will be covered what with everything documented in your doctors records and if they got rid of you you could take them to the cleaners, you have rights, i don't think they will though so don't worry about it i would take a work collegue with you to the interview just for a witness for yourself, someone that you trust but it should be fine its just a back to work interview they have to do this for they own safety it would probably go on record that's all just saying that they had a talk with you ,so don't worry good luck and all the best footy
