OzzieNurse

I have had some time off sick the last two weeks and some time off last year to care for my son and had some time off due to childcare problems...anyway have been told by my boss I am to attend a meeting with her, the head of community nursing and HR...this seems a little extreme to me? I am feeling a tad victimised as no one else has had this and the time I have had off doesn't seem too much to me.
Maybe I am wrong, maybe it's just following sickness procedure or maybe they are trying to get me to leave? I am really worrying about this had a sleepless night last night too.
Last thing I want is to have to find a new job so close to leaving the UK.
The one thing that I think is out of order is that I only work 3 days a week and yet if I work Mon,Wed,Fri for instance, am sick for friday (one working day only), but I am not rostered on duty until the following Friday they class it as a whole week off sick....I feel this is wrong and will be bringing it up at this meeting...
Any suggestions? I will post this in the nursing forum also but I feel it is thread is not nursing specific, as in the UK most employers make you feel guilty for being off sick!

Carole & Keith

Hi Rachel124.

Try not to worry, all the hospitals are doing the same thing.

I work on a neonatal unit, and our trust policy for the entire hospital is after 3 periods ( in 1 year) of sickness, the fourth you get referred to the matron. with this meeting each individual gets reviewed, supposed to be on an individual basis, the ward managers say they try to get you specialist referrals from the occupational health, if you have had frequent absences off for the same problems, but it is really designed to scare you to not having too much time off.

Also every time you are absent, you have a return to work interview, this also is another tactic to frighten you to not have any time off, but the minority nurses that are taking sickies needlessly do not have a conscience, while the innocent ones feel uncomfortable.

These rules came into effect, after agenda for change, because our trust, halved your wages on your third period of absence in that year, but could not do this action after agenda for change, so now have to recoup their money some way.

On our unit, if your off sick you have to ring in everyday, if you have roystered days off, and you do not ring in to say you are fit for work, they treat them days as continuous sickness, unfair I think,because they are not expecting you to come in to work, so why, but have been burnt by this once, so now I follow the rules to the letter

These rules don't bother me, but feel that I have to prove to them in some way that I was genually sick, like today was on a long shift, crawled into work with a roaring cough and bad chest, just to prove to them that i was genuine, eventually finished at 14.oohrs after saying I could not cope any more, I felt more comfortable going home sick, because they had seen and heard how bad I was.

But It is disgraceful that an employee, has to go to them lengths to have time off sick.

know wonder so many nurses are fleeing,when you are made to feel so uncomfortable.

Mrs JFW

Ours is the same as well Rachie, if you have 3 separate episodes in 6 months you have a meeting with the manager and the option of going to occy health. although its a way of monitoring and managing absences through sickness or other things, they also do want to make sure you are ok and offer you some support if you need it. Don't worry, it will be fine.

jackie x

OzzieNurse

It's bullying plain and simple but disguised in policy and procedure

loubylou1

hiya Rachie, try not to feel too bad about it all, our hospital also has the same policy, we also ahve to ring in every day and state when we would be fit to return to work even if we wouldn't have been in anyway.....but if sick during a/l we can claim it back.......which i did do once but i was in hospital....dunno whether i would have got guilt trip grief if it had just been a cold. we also just got a memo round reminding us that our duty to care, and do no harm meant that if we have a cold, cough, sore throat, flu we should not be in work...........i fell ill with my cold on 22 dec 06 and am still coughing well....needless to say i had 1 day off sick!in fact if all our staff with the above had followed the advice our little unit would have closed! anyway........my advice.........deep breath, leave the high horse at home, as you say you do not want to be getting a new job at this stage of the game, and feel free to rant and get it all ff your chest here in a nice safe environment......thinking of you....loux

Alana and Arrons mum

Ditto!
All trusts are the same I think and really make you feel undervalued.I am sure its not personal so try not to worry.Makes you feel c### though.
Andy

Donna&Neil

Hi yeah all trusts have implemented sickness monitoring. We are told it is to target the people they know abuse sick leave, however it applied to us all otherwise they would be accused of discrimination. Don't worry and good luck with your meeting.

Donna

OzzieNurse

Thanks for all your support with this..
I hope it is just a stupid procedural thing and not too heavy, although it may be the right time to bring up childcare issues and changing my shifts from days to evenings? Maybe something positive can come out of it?
I know if we all stuck to policy the wards would be empty of staff this time of year!!! As we aren't supposed to work with colds and flu, truth is we have no choice really if we want a nice easy life at work.
I had sinusitis last sickness and migraines previously and they almost dont believe you. How can I drive with a migraine? I am a community staff nurse! Do they want me to crash?
Anyway I wont get on my high horse I usually sit there and take what they have to dish out in these situations.
My last employer wasn't supportive either when I slipped a disc in my back during the last few months of my maternity leave and delayed me coming back to work for all of two months! She then reflected my sickness as a concern in my references to Australia! Coming from a ward manager who has had lots of time off sick herself I found that very unsupportive.
I guess I am just someone who gets sick alot more than other people or has bad luck, I generally love my job so there are no problems there, I get fed up of being tarred with a similar brush as those not so dedicated who do take the piss....Thank you all for your support it means alot to be able to sound off in here

Lynoz

Hi, My Nhs does this too, but the ward manager said that if we should phone in and resume - even if we are on days off. Then it only looks like 1 or 2 days sickness.
I think it's happeneng all over the NHS now.

OzzieNurse

Well I have had said meeting. I am now on 3 months trial period. If I have anymore time off in that period for sickness I will have to have another meeting and be sent off to Occupational Health and it will be disiplinary action. So no more sickness for three months then! I hope I am not sick in this time period. I am a bit fed up I feel like handing in my notice. I perhaps would if I wasn't planning on leaving the country in a few months time!

Alana and Arrons mum

Its the same for us all but keep your chin up!You are worth so much more.
Andy

tiredwithtwins

hi rachie
was wondering how you had got on.
did you say anything about your shifts changing?

OzzieNurse

no not at the meeting but i mentioned it to my team leader and she said i need to decide very soon what i should do. I dont know if i go onto the evening service i have to cover the whole of the borough and obviously its dark the shift is from 4.30pm to 11pm...would solve the childcare probs though ??

Mrs JFW

Hi rachie,

Can I ask have they put the conditions of this meeting in writing for you? If not I would ask them to do so. Also is this procedure just for you or is it a trustwide policy? I wouldn't worry about disciplinary action, Occy Health are there to support the staff, they have to do everything in their power to help you through your periods of sickness. I think disciplinary action is an idle threat for you at this stage.

Good luck

jackie

OzzieNurse

I hopefully haven't got long left to put up with this. They did say they would put it into writing also.
I think it is all hot air and red tape! Thanks guys xx