View Full Version : Work and illness
Just asking for a bit of advice here. But first I will tell events that may have triggered this.
I am currently employed by a shop doing 40-48 hours per week. This week I have only had 1 day off and that was Monday. I have only been at this job for 2 weeks and before this I worked part time at only 25 hours a week. I started this new job on the 7th of December 2005 and I have already done 80 hours with some shifts being 2pm-10pm one night and back in at 7am the following morning.
Anyway onto this morning. For the last few days I been feeling like crap with the flu, bad chest, sickness, coughing and headaches but I been going into work anyway. But being a Sunday and the crapness of public transport in Sutton Coldfield I had to walk to work. I started of but I was feeling worse but I carried on walking at a slower pace. My works is 2.78 miles away according to multimap so itââ‚ ¬ÃƒÂ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¾Ã‚¢s not close but then again not to far. I got as far as about 1 mile or so when I felt dizzy and had to sit down for a while I did not have the energy to move. So I was sitting on a bench outside Sutton Coldfield College and police station. A local patrol car was doing some patrolling and stopped by me to ask if all was ok. I just told him I was feeling ill and needed a rest. He asked where I was going to and I said work. He then left it at that. After I stood up then to carry on my journey I felt dizzy again. I then made the judgement i could not in any way stand behind a till for 8 hours while stocking up and sorting out Sunday newspapers. So I started to walk back home. I made it back and basically collapsed on the bed scaring the crap out my fiancÃÃâ€*’©.
My fiancÃÃâ€*’© rang up work for me to explain what had happened. I am just scared now I may lose my job. I been telling the manager at my place I am ill and taking benylin while there but she does not seem concerned.
Do you think I could lose my job?
Thanks for reading
dilli-theclaw
18-12-2005, 07:59
If you've only been there 2 weeks it's a possibilty I Guess. But most managers wouldn't do anything like that without asking you what happened first, so I'd just explain to them why you weren't there.
Don't forget you can self certificate for so long.
The thing to remember is communication, they are much more likely to be more hacked off with you if you don't keep them informed of what's going on (The shop I mean).
In any event, if you're feeling no better tomorrow, I'd get down the dr's so that you can tell the shop you've been.
poolking
18-12-2005, 09:22
This might give you some idea:
http://www.hmrc.gov.uk/employers/employee_sick.htm
I sincerely hope you don't lose your job Angelus as you come across as a grafter. Having said that no job is worth sacrificing your health for (been there, done that) But I would urge you to go to the docs. That dizzyness worries me. Does it come on with exercise/exertion? Do you feel sick with it too?
Bloody hell its hurting to swallow now. :(
Does you GF drive? IF so get her to take you to a NHS walk in centre, they can look at you, and if needed get an appointment for your doctor ASAP.
They may be able to sign you off, which then should stop you employer getting rid of you!
Chimaera
18-12-2005, 12:39
And if you can't get to a walk in centre, get some Day Nurse, Nurofen Cold & Flu or whatever is your choice (available from any supermarket), dose yourself up and go to bed. I've got my second bout of this now in 3 weeks and it's not nice - not that I can stay off work either because I'll be on a disciplinary if I do!)
Flubflow
18-12-2005, 15:02
What precisely does it say on your employment contract regarding sickness and about warnings?
I seriously doubt they would summarily sack you.
You don't really get your full rights until you've been employed for a year but the employer would be on a hiding to nowhere if they didn't operate a fair procedure even for new employees - i.e. you at least get proper verbal and written warnings.
I do find it bizarre how an employer, when given sufficient evidence, can still punish or mistrust someone for being guilty of nothing more than suffering from the human condition.
Where I used to work the policy was if you had 3 sicknesses in 6 months (be they 1 day off or 2 months) you're manager would have a meeting to discuss what wrong.
Those that they knew where genuinely ill they would just carry it any further, Those members that took time off after sneezing would end up getting warnings (like a person who worked with my mother.)
Who long had you been doing part time?
If you boss knows you and you have never taken the mick over sickness, you shouldn't have a problem.
It would have been better if he'd rang in sick BEFORE his shift was due to start. Otherwise he's classed as a no-show.
Most companies have policies about ringing in sick.
I think where i work it has to be at least an hour before your shift is due to start, unless you're already in and you get sent home of course. But then you never made it there.
Also are you on trial period still? They wouldn't sack you if they didn't like it, they just wouldn't get you passed the trial period.
If i was your boss i'd want to know why you didn't ring in earlier, why you haven't been to the doctors, and is it really just man flu:shrug: :rofl:
They can't sack you for being off sick even if you are on a trial period, most employers will look at it as a sick leave.
They can't sack you for being off sick even if you are on a trial period, most employers will look at it as a sick leave.
Well, they can, but I doubt that they would. What'll probably happen is that you'll get docked your days wages (and they'll probably beat their policy of calling in into your head with a stick ;) ).
handyman
19-12-2005, 09:39
They can't sack you for being off sick even if you are on a trial period, most employers will look at it as a sick leave.
But they don't have to give a reason for not employing you after the trial period is up. Take it from me if your on a trial period then you should make it in at all costs, and Its always been better to be sent home for being ill (so they see that you are) than to call in.
Chrysalis
19-12-2005, 09:49
They can't sack you for being off sick even if you are on a trial period, most employers will look at it as a sick leave.
They can and I have, if you think employer's dont do this I am afraid you not in the real world.
My last job before I got ill I was nearing the end of the 3 month trial period and had a 100% attendance record but then became too ill and got my doctor to do a sick note but they simply terminated my employment at the end of the trial period because I was ill.
To the OP I think there is a fair chance you could lose your job but more likely you will just be disciplined for not following procedure's, been in the job only 2 weeks will go against you for sure, I wish you the best of luck.
Your symptoms sound a lot like you have a labyrinthitis and pharyngitis (Ear and throat infection). I wouldn't want to diagnose this without examining you though so my advice would be to seek a medical opinion. Medication can be given to control the vertigo though. If you feeling rotten try taking some paracetamol. A lot of people underestimate their potential in making you feel better with this type of problem. If you can manage it you could try garggling with soluble aspirin to help the inflammation.
ian@huth
19-12-2005, 10:19
What action your employer takes will largely depend on your past performance in work and the ease / difficulty in replacing you. Working the early morning shift in retail newsagents is not a job that is easily filled which goes in your favour. Quite often workers in establishments such as where you work are only paid the minimum wage which makes replacement difficult. On the other hand there is a lot of pressure on your co-workers, especially if the shop does a lot of home deliveries and they cannot put up with continual early morning absenteeism.
Chrysalis
19-12-2005, 12:59
Well I dunno about the min wage, hasnt stopped companies around here sacking people without a second thought, also some stats on the local news show over 30% of jobs in my city are less then 10% above the min wage. With unemployment over 5% demand will outstrip supply.
The last company I worked for, which convieniently does credit card/cheque processing for NTL, had a hidden clause in their sickness policy
If you're ill on three seperate occasions, you get a disciplinary and you lose your company bonus
None of us who worked there were told that UNTIL we were ill on our third occasion
I was forced to come into work with a migraine or i'd get disiciplined.
That place sucked.
etccarmageddon
22-12-2005, 23:46
a disciplinary - that's against employment law.
scrotnig
23-12-2005, 01:25
a disciplinary - that's against employment law.
Nearly all employers will discipline you for being ill too often...and it's perfectly legal.
Employment law gives you no protection in this country whatsoever, you are expected to come to work no matter how ill you are, if you don't like it, find another job, meanwhile the government put you in prison for not being able to pay your council tax.
Anonymouse
23-12-2005, 06:29
Tell me about it. At our dump (of which I am now FREE until the New Year, yippee!), you only have to be off sick 5% of the time before you have to be "counselled". One of our lads was fighting a disciplinary for being off eight weeks. He had a broken leg!
Another has twin babies, one of whom is always ill - and apparently his missus is doing less than him even though he works nights. As a result he's off work a lot - but what the hell's he supposed to do? I mean, work or look after your sick baby - no-brainer or what?
You also have to look at it from the employers view as well, 2 weeks in a job and already off sick (albeit genuinley) this sets the alarm bells ringing because you haven't been their long enough to build up a good work record/history and they will wonder if you'll be a consistent sickie.
Once out of probation/trial period it's harder to get rid of someone so they may take the decision to cut their losses and lose you.
Hopefully not though, if it had been me I would have made a point of talking to the boss and explaining how bad you feel being off sick so early into your employment......good luck anyway.
When I started my last job I started on the Monday, I woke up Thursay feeling like s**t throwing up every so often. I stuck it out until my boss I asked if I was OK, I said I felt ill, she said why don't you go and see the company nurse, I said that I did want to go home, but as it was my first week I didn't. But she told me to go home. I did, and there where no problems.
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