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Original poster

HELP In A&e and worried about job

101 replies

Silvercoconut · 27/06/2026 04:05

Can anyone help with some strategies?
I'd like to be able to advise my daughter who is currently in A&e since nine o'clock this evening with terrible cellulitis in her hand and arm caused by a bug bite. She went to the out of hours doctor service because she's very swollen red and hot.

She's supposed to be in work at 11 a.m..
Just last week she had a disciplinary because over the past nine months she has had three sick days. Once was flu, once she was also unable to work due to trigeminal neuralgia for which she had a doctors certificate. And 3 weeks ago she had switched some medications, the dose was increased and she was suffering terrible nausea and vomiting.
She threw up whilst at work and was told to go home.

She's now sitting in the hospital having terrible anxiety about work, that she will lose her job I'm not sure they can do that but I don't know what to suggest to her.
I don't think she should make her way home she's in terrible pain also, she really does need IV antibiotics.

OP posts:
Otterloverfrenchielady · 27/06/2026 04:25

What was the outcome of the disciplinary? Is she in probation?

Original poster
Silvercoconut · 27/06/2026 04:38

It was only last week😭 still waiting to hear. She works in a bookshop, it's a chain sort of like WH Smith. It is a part-time job, she's on a 12-hour contract, sometimes does 16 hours.

OP posts:
Otterloverfrenchielady · 27/06/2026 04:45

Silvercoconut · 27/06/2026 04:38

It was only last week😭 still waiting to hear. She works in a bookshop, it's a chain sort of like WH Smith. It is a part-time job, she's on a 12-hour contract, sometimes does 16 hours.

Edited

Assuming that she isn’t in probation then it will probably be a first written warning, they will have a internal policy and can’t just dismiss for sickness without following a process
If she is really concerned (although health first always!) you could ring acas, not sure if they open weekends.
worst case she might get a final written warning after all this

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GeminiGiggles · 27/06/2026 05:00

If its similar to the chain I work for it's something like 9 sicknesses in a rolling year for dismissal there's just lots of investigations and warnings on the way.

But ultimately she can't help r change what has happened and stress only interferes with illness so best to compartmentalise it for now.

joyava · 27/06/2026 05:08

Im so disappointed to hear that a national brand bookstore would take such a heavy handed approach over medically diagnosed illnesses. When I was involved in developing these policies, they were aimed squarely at those taking leave for undiagnosed illnesses (usually a hangover on Friday or Monday).
I’m so sorry that your daughter is being put through this when she is obviously not well. Is she a member of a union who could support her.

SquirrelGG · 27/06/2026 05:33

Why are UK workplaces so terrible when it comes to sickness? Here we are entitled to 10 days paid sick leave each year and they carry over to the following year, up to 20 days.

If someone is genuinely ill, as OP's daughter is, they shouldn't have to worry about their job.

Ownedbyabeagle · 27/06/2026 05:59

That's awful that she's had a disciplinary over 3 days of genuine illness. She needs treatment so that is the priority at the moment. She will have a discharge letter she can show her employer to prove it was genuine. As above I would get advice from ACAS as that seems excessive to me. Fellow TN sufferer so she has my sympathies.

Original poster
Silvercoconut · 27/06/2026 06:04

Thank you so much for all your replies.
I'm just gone to drop off a battery pack and some bits, she is close to tears with anxiety over her job. Obviously I have told her not to worry, pointless fretting over this, can't change a thing, she needs intravenous antibiotics and that is that. Nothing to be done.

OP posts:
CaribbeanChaos · 27/06/2026 06:23

How old is your daughter? I wonder if she has been tarnished with the same brush (policy) as others who have used sickness as an excuse when not genuinely ill.

Ultimately, she’s unwell and needs treatment. It can’t be helped. As long as she notifies the manager at the earliest opportunity, she can’t do anymore.

Londonrach1 · 27/06/2026 06:40

Your poor daughter. Sounds like a horrible place to work if they treating their staff like this. Can your daughter find another job

rwalker · 27/06/2026 06:45

The thing is sickness policy is never about if it’s genuine or not
it’s about a level of absence that can affect the running of the business
if she’s off again that will be 4 absences in 9 months which tbf is a lot

and I say this as someone who ended up in stage 3 of a sick policy

Overtheatlantic · 27/06/2026 06:48

SquirrelGG · 27/06/2026 05:33

Why are UK workplaces so terrible when it comes to sickness? Here we are entitled to 10 days paid sick leave each year and they carry over to the following year, up to 20 days.

If someone is genuinely ill, as OP's daughter is, they shouldn't have to worry about their job.

Eh? Where is “here”? Anyway, the OP’s daughter is just getting warnings not dismissal. I think it’s more to do with the retail industry; in my HE role we can self-certify for up to a week.

Bonsaibaby · 27/06/2026 06:51

I have to do these meetings and it’s just an automated trigger point but you have to do them and write them up. She will probably go onto stage 2 just due to procedure but as a previous poster said it’s all meetings and paperwork for a long time. I just hope her manager is reassuring and understanding about it.

Mullaghanish · 27/06/2026 06:53

That’s shocking! Take photos of the arm? Ask nurse to write a note on hospital paper proving why she was there?

Rocknrollstar · 27/06/2026 06:55

Silvercoconut · 27/06/2026 06:04

Thank you so much for all your replies.
I'm just gone to drop off a battery pack and some bits, she is close to tears with anxiety over her job. Obviously I have told her not to worry, pointless fretting over this, can't change a thing, she needs intravenous antibiotics and that is that. Nothing to be done.

get a discharge letter from the hospital.

lessglittermoremud · 27/06/2026 06:59

How old is your daughter? She has cases of provable genuine illnesses, tell her not to worry and that it’s better to start looking for another job than neglect her health.
Im surprised such a small amount has triggered a disciplinary process, where I work it would have to be 10 in a 12 month period to be questioned.

RubyPowderPuff · 27/06/2026 07:09

Mullaghanish · 27/06/2026 06:53

That’s shocking! Take photos of the arm? Ask nurse to write a note on hospital paper proving why she was there?

That would be pointless. These policies don't care about reason, just the amount of incidents/ days. I got a first warning & disciplinary for being 5 weeks off with illness, certified by my GP from day one. Nothing before or since.... I tried to overturn it, but because it's written on a piece of paper, it's set in stone.

OP she just needs to accept that she's on Stage 2 for sickness and really study the sickness policies so she knows what could happen in the future.

Flossingisforteeth · 27/06/2026 07:17

It will be an automated 'trigger point' for absense, not a reflection of your DD. A meeting moving up a level may actually work in your daughter's favour as her workplace as OH involvment can help by suggesting reasonable adjusments are made so she doesn't have to go through this work worry in future. Moving forward, consider joining a union. For now, prioritise health, and make sure you rest while she is.

PlantGrowLove · 27/06/2026 07:19

It’s a horrible situation and petty employer.
I once had to have a long return to work interview.
I had broken a bone in my foot, and was off for one day, as I’d needed to get a cast fitted, and was hours in the hospital.

It’s not exactly a supportive employment situation, making someone cry over the anxiety of being pretty ill.

lordbaddingham · 27/06/2026 07:21

If she only works 12 hours a week then in proportion to a full time job it is a high level of absence. It's just really unlucky that she was ill on her working days and not when she was off. But none of it could be helped so it is what it is. I hope she keeps her job.

G5000 · 27/06/2026 07:23

SquirrelGG · 27/06/2026 05:33

Why are UK workplaces so terrible when it comes to sickness? Here we are entitled to 10 days paid sick leave each year and they carry over to the following year, up to 20 days.

If someone is genuinely ill, as OP's daughter is, they shouldn't have to worry about their job.

I find 'entitled to 10 days' terrible - it's not like you choose to be sick! Here (continental europe) I take as many sick days as I need and of course you can't give someone a disciplinary when they have been ill.

IStillHearTheWaves · 27/06/2026 07:27

SquirrelGG · 27/06/2026 05:33

Why are UK workplaces so terrible when it comes to sickness? Here we are entitled to 10 days paid sick leave each year and they carry over to the following year, up to 20 days.

If someone is genuinely ill, as OP's daughter is, they shouldn't have to worry about their job.

Because a percentage of peolple take the piss and see it as additional holiday. Everyone is then treated like the suspect few.

Sometimes these things happen, what can you do? If there are medical reasons (and in your daughter's case there are), I'd assume it would be looked into and that's it.

bumblingbovine49 · 27/06/2026 07:28

rwalker · 27/06/2026 06:45

The thing is sickness policy is never about if it’s genuine or not
it’s about a level of absence that can affect the running of the business
if she’s off again that will be 4 absences in 9 months which tbf is a lot

and I say this as someone who ended up in stage 3 of a sick policy

But it absolutely should be about if it is genuine or at least it should mostly be about that, certainly when only looking at a rollimg 12 month period

As someone who has worked for.40 years, I can tell you some of those years I had bad luck and took sick leave for a variety of things as the ops daughter has, usually just bad luck in a particular year. Then for many years I had no sick.leave at all because that is life.

Work places who treat staff like this with no humanity are toxic

UniquePinkSwan · 27/06/2026 07:29

lessglittermoremud · 27/06/2026 06:59

How old is your daughter? She has cases of provable genuine illnesses, tell her not to worry and that it’s better to start looking for another job than neglect her health.
Im surprised such a small amount has triggered a disciplinary process, where I work it would have to be 10 in a 12 month period to be questioned.

You obviously don’t work in a low paying job. This is normal for that

StrictlyAFemaleFemale · 27/06/2026 07:31

But isn't the NHS the same? Either way it's absolutely nuts. I have once had a "care meeting" (can't think of a better way to translate) with my line manager when I'd had 3 sicknesses in 6 months, but it was clear that they were normal illnesses and that there was nothing dodgy going on. Same procedure, completely different emphasis.