Attend support meeting at work

[hol26]

I'm so worried, can anyone help or reassure me?

I had an attendance support meeting at work today.

I've had ongoing mental health issues for about 4-5 years. Under community mental health, on tablets etc. sometimes I'm very good other times bad.

It's never affected my work too greatly but recently I've started having severe panic attacks and have been signed off by dr. Came back for a few weeks then panic attacks again.

I want to be at work and I'm trying to do everything I can for my MH, taking medication, therapy etc.

My line manager said meeting was to support me, but it didn't feel that way. I can't control my panic attacks and I've been set targets like no time off for 6 months, it was suggested I change GP (not easy is it!), accused of being ill after annual leave (I had a day off annual leave then fell ill on my normal days off and didn't return to work)

I feel like they're trying to get rid of me because of my MH and this is the first step

8 working days (over 2 weeks as I work 4 days a week), which was one period of sickness when I was signed off.

Then 2 additional days.

10 working days in total.

Sickness record in general id day would be good. I've been employed there 5 years. I had time off with covid when restrictions were still in place. I had another period of sick leave with a bad chest infection it was about 4 days in total.

I've returned from maternity leave mid this year. Had some pregnancy related illness (high risk pregnancy) and time off for appointments relating to that

For all of those surprised by 'targets', this sort of sickness process is well established in the NHS (not saying that the OP is in the NHS) so these 'sickness or attendance plans' are fairly common. They are meant to be supportive and tease out issues where more support/reasonable adjustments are needed to support people to a. Remain at work and b. work effectively. However, this greatly depends on the person conducting the review (in my opinion and experience).

It's great that you've got the occupational health referral coming up. Get any reasonable adjustment suggestions in writing, and make sure that you catch up with your manager after this to see whether they will be implementing them, and if it is feasible to do so. Others have pointed out that your longer term condition my sit under disability legislation. I think you would be well advised to read through your HR sickness policy and make sure you are being managed in line with that.

I think what's upset me is it didn't feel supportive. It felt like they were saying I'm not doing enough, which puts more pressure on me and my MH. Like suggestions to get a new GP, I'm on the waiting list for a certain therapy through the MH team, I was told at my last appt the wait could be a while.
My manger seemed to think I could just phone up and be pushed up the list if I tried hard enough.
No sickness for 6 months seems unrealistic like I said I'm not planning on but I don't know why my condition seems to be getting worse at the moment, hopefully I'd never have another serve panic attack again but I just don't know right now

If you are not happy with your GP do look at changing. For you, not work.

Do also telephone to try and get your therapy sooner and email your manager to say you have done this and the outcome.

I agree that zero illness is not a reasonable target but I would just park that for now ... it's their target.

If you work, say Monday-Thursday, if you were ill on Tuesday, could you work Friday? Just a suggestion ... a little flexibility from them might be worth proposing?

What has your sickness been like previously, say in the last two years?

OP I agree that the system usually feels more punitive than supportive and stresses people out.

Your manager sounds fairly unrealistic and like they were following the tick boxes rather than trying to look at what support they can actually provide.

Try not to get hung up on the target thing at the minute. Speak to occupational health and see what is said after that. Have a think in advance of the meeting about whether there are any reasonable adjustments that you could suggest to the occ health person- it is quite likely that this person won't know your specific role, so the more detailed information you can provide, the better they should be able to advise you.

Some of the targets as well are things like to take my medication, follow my gp medical advice, see gp if I'm I'll etc which I do anyway

I've got a follow up gp appt next week and she kept saying well I think you need one sooner (I don't know why as I'm at work at the moment and okay currently!), so it felt like a bit like she was out to get me and making out like I'm not helping myself

That sounds ridiculous. She could have just written along the lines of ' hol26 already has a plan in place for medication and symptom management plan from her GP, and is scheduled for review next week. She has agreed to check in of there is anything that work need to be aware of following this review. I have submitted an occ health review. Plan to meet following this review.'

Pass all of this relevant information along to the occ health person, as they usually love a lengthy report. Make it clear you are already doing x& y and have been doing them for z time, then you have some written evidence to support you.

They should have involved Occupational Health for unbiased support and advice already. They should also be looking at any suitable reasonable adjustments.

If you have long term mental health issues that affect you on a daily basis then it is considered as a disability and is covered by the Equality Act.

They can't set a target stating that you can't have sick leave for the next six month, your disability is not going to magically disappear because they decided you having mental health issues are inconvenient...

Document everything, ask them to put everything in writing and seek support from ACAS and Citizen Advice Bureau.

I would also consider putting an official complaint in writing to HR about your manager's behaviour. She is not a healthcare professional and should not be telling you what your should do or not do in term of treatment. State that this behaviour is actually aggravating your symptoms and that Occupational Health should be dealing with this but that referral to them has been too slow.

@hol26 how are you now? What happened afterwards? Are you still working? I am interested in your experience as my own experience was that the meetings to support me impacted my wellbeing negatively yet I had to attend them.