Work stress absences

[Lifegoeson600]

I've never experienced myself but at the moment. My company has a number of people off with this. One have been off for around four months.i'm just curious as to how having all that time off work helps?

If they're not at work, then work can't cause any stress.

Yes I completely understand that but surely was wondering how work helps people get back to work etc. And why a doctor would sign someone off due to work stress as I've been told before that stress can not be put on a sick note and it would have to be depression/anxiety etc

I'm just trying to increase my understanding

There have several threads on this recently, I'm sure they could give you some understanding.

thank you I will have a look

DH and I run our own business with a fantastic team of staff. But we have had a few exceptions over the years. We usually find that being signed off with stress usually correlates with disciplinary action over poor performance.........

I have a very low opinion of GPs who just sign notes without investigation...............

Yes there are genuine cases, I will agree but also a lot that aren't.

CatnissEverdene Yes that's what's often said in our work place when people are off particularly long term

I just think that shows a complete lack of understanding.

If you are not performing well in your job then you should be supported in ways to improve by management and often this doesn't happen! Disciplinary action is often used as a first resort instead of a last resort and of course this causes stress for many people.

The reason stress is often put on sick notes is because if another reason is cited the workplace do not have to put any provisions in place to support the employee. However, if stress/workplace stress is cited then the employer has a responsibility to the employee.

I don't think it's fair to say that GPs just sign sick notes without investigating as an employer has no idea of the conversation between a patient (their employee) and their GP. They will often tell the GP things they wouldn't want to say to an employer. If you really want an investigation you can ask your employee to attend an occupational health meeting.

I had a month off in 2017. I was so stressed, angry and frustrated at work I was struggling to articulate myself and crying a lot. I am a consistently high performer but had been moved to a special project and the manager I worked for was a good person but was brash, didn't listen, controlled everything, worked at a crazy pace and was impervious to the effect she had on those around her.

I tried mediation, emailing to explain and honest conversations. She wanted to help but was insistent it was me who needed to get help. Had a month off (was prescribed sertralin but took it for 4 days and hated it so stopped) and felt loads better. She had left by the time I went back which meant I shot back up to previous performance levels. I still talk to my usual manager about it now as they were convinced I "wasn't myself" but it was a reaction to my unhappiness with the situation I was in where I couldn't do my best and thrive.

I think I was signed off with anxiety but I think it isn't always understood.

I know somebody who was recently off work with stress. People from work were questioning and hounding them. Unfortunately they are no longer off with stress as they received a text message and voicemail which sent them over the edge. They decided it was better to end their life last month.
To be honest op it is not your place to be questioning them.

I was signed off with stress a couple of years ago. Frankly, I was exhausted. I'd raised the issue of my workload a lot and the fact that I was having to pull all-nighters or get by on a couple of hours sleep, seven days a week and nobody cared until I went off. When I went back, things were so much better and management were a lot more aware of the impact of the work on the staff.

Norma27 Sorry for your loss. Unfortunately that's often the way in large offices that people talk and it's wrong. I just asked as I wanted to understand.

Work stress seems to be increasing. Hardly surprising after 10 years of austerity. I hardly know anyone who isn't expected or forced to do well over their contracted hours regularly.

And as for PP stress will lead to worse performance and it's important to look at how the person is being managed/workload/training etc rather than just say they're crap at their job so they've signed themselves off with stress. Even if they are crap at their jobs and the previous measures to support them (which will, of course, have been taken) haven't worked leading to disciplinary. Surprise. That's pretty stressful.

Yes it's very safe that it's not taken more seriously.

Sad*

@CatnissEverdene You were badly advised. A sick note does not make someone untouchable at all. It gives you the opportunity to ask what is wrong and then decide on the best course of action. That may be putting in measures to reduce stress, or if their reasons are not legitimate, it would be following your documented absence management procedure towards dismissal.

In what way do you suggest that the GP investigates the patient's reported symptoms? Like many illnesses, stress is primarily diagnosed by a patient's description of their symptoms.

I think with stress it's very hard for doctors to diagnose as these no official tests e.g. Blood tests

I've been off with stress for nearly 4 months. I can't see me being able to return any time soon, neither can my GP or Occ Health at work.

I didn't go to the GP and ask to be signed off, he told me that's what I needed when I went to ask for more/different medication or just anything to make me capable of carrying on.

It has helped, in that a major source of my stress has been removed, but I'm still very ill and the impact my stress and resultant personality change has had on my relationship with my DP may well be permenant. I'm genuinely worried we may split up.

Essentially work has permenantly damaged my confidence, my relationship and my, my partners and my daughters lives. I can't even get a new job because I'm not capable of attending an interview.

Fwiw my competence and performance were never called into question, no disciplinary procedures ever in my whole career. In fact it was trying to satisfy ridiculous expectations that drove me over the edge. (and not just me, the rest of the team has quit since I've been signed off)

I'm sure there's plenty of people at work who think I'm having a lovely time sat at home though. Some days I can't even get dressed. I don't even recognise myself.

Youre right there are no blood tests. But there are a range of symptoms. Stress actually damages your brain and so impacts your cognitive abilities. Thats why people become forgetful, cant concentrate, literally cant think straight. Time off work allows the brain to heal, much like a broken limb.

I have had work related stress, it was a senior manager role, I was expected to work 60 hours plus and be contactable 24/7 but the thought of being signed off work actually made the stress worse as I was constantly worried about what I would go back to. It was an awful existence only solution for me was to Jack it all in and start again, I’m financially worse off but I can honestly say I have never felt better or been happier

When I was signed off with work related stress it was also because stress causes my chronic illnesses to flare. So work was not only affecting my mental health but also my physical. It happened twice in two very different roles and, as a PP has mentioned, completely wrecked my confidence, which is why I am now self-employed.

I think work places often view employees as worker bees rather than as people and the expectations foisted on them, even if you usually thrive, inevitably cause poor mental health. My grandmother is one of six social workers from her team who were all offered early retirement because of how ill the job made them.

Stress, and sometimes depression, are reactive. If I had that many members of a team off for that reason, I would definitely be looking at what we were doing to cause it.

We usually find that being signed off with stress usually correlates with disciplinary action over poor performance.........

^This was certainly the case where i used to work

@Imnotokatall Sorry to hear how bad it is for you.

I've been off for nearly 4 months also. Work have been useless, HR took 10 weeks to respond to my emails. Boss is a man of zero empathy along with the other bullying senior managers.

Sadly my father passed away suddenly a couple of weeks ago and I feel like I've gone back to day one again so seeing a GP on Monday.

People like to think they understand mental health and whilst it is slowly getting talked about more, it's very hard/almost impossible for others to understand exactly how you're feeling if they haven't been there themselves.

for everyone currently struggling with this. Hope things improve for you all very soon.