Manager has refused my time off 'request'

[MyBossIsAPillock]

I emailed him 6 weeks ago to inform him that I won't be in next week and the week after. He's just told me that my request is rejected. He says it's half term so others have already booked the time off and I'm taking the piss even asking seeing as I've barely been in this year.

Things is, the reason I've been off so much is because I've had breast cancer. The reason I won't be in for the next 2 weeks is because I'll be having radiotherapy.

I told him it wasn't a request and that I wouldn't be in. He said that then it'll become a disciplinary matter. Fuckwit. I'm not worried, HR and senior management have been excellent throughout. But what a twattish way to treat someone going through hell.

Seriously? Try again. Go slowly.

Look after yourself OP, just let HR deal with him.

They haven’t before now, and he’s been there years

I mean yes I would usually contact my manager but for something like this, flag it up in advance
for instance I knew I was having an operation and it would be a min of 2 weeks off. As soon as I got the date I told my manager to give them more notice to organise cover rather than ring in on the day

Although you are in the right, do not make the mistake of thinking HR is your buddy.

HR is not your friend. HR exists solely to protect the company. Their name is literally "human resources."

You need to tell him he can't legally stop you from taking time off for cancer treatment, no matter what is going on in the workplace.

I’d let HR deal with the arsehole. Good luck.

Eh? I hope you don't work in HR. Or anywhere that requires a level of comprehension.

He is a pillock and a wassock OP, please do report him. Might I also add blithering fathead to the list of great insults?

I just don’t understand wouldn’t you just ring in sick on the day self cert then get a fit note

I would definitely be telling HR. This is totally unacceptable! You don’t need additional stress on top of what you’re already going through! Good luck with the treatment

Whilst he is in the wrong I think you could have communicated more clearly than ‘I won’t be in’. Are you expecting to get pay, or SSP for the 2 weeks?

Got to HR anyway.

Hope all the radiotherapy is as effective as it can be and has the desired result.

And that the company dismiss this man (well technically he is, I can think of other words) and always provides an honest reference so he is out of work for a very long time.

But you don't always get the sicknote until you have been off, as radiotherapy is variable on how it affects each patient. She has handled it the right way.

I suspect with everything she has going on, the last thing she wants to do is get embroiled in an argument with her boss, she just wants to start the radiotherapy and if upon her return he pushes it and starts a disciplinary, he will be the one in trouble, not her from what she has told us. She might just want to let it run its course until post treatment and then decide.

Wishing you all the best OP!

Did you return to work in the period?

She is not going on sick leave, she is having medical treatment that requires her absence from work for two weeks - that is not the same as sick leave. She informed her manager giving him ample time to cover her leave.

No, I was pretty much having treatment for the Seroma so that the radiotherapy could proceed as planned. Different circumstances require different plans.

Because she doesn’t need either. The hospital will certify her absence for the period and if she needs it, they will provide the employer with information on what to expect in the way of symptoms after radiotherapy is completed. They can be very unpleasant and don’t show up for a while after treatment is finished.

If you had not unfortunately had the Seroma, you would have waited 3 weeks max

To book in radiotherapy 6 weeks in advance is very unusual. To the extent i have never been aware of more than 3 week unless a condition such as yours meaning recovery necessary beforehand

Blimey op. Sounds like you’ve got your head screwed on. Hope HR give him a talking to

Yes, I understand that but that’s why I posted because there could have been a similar reason for OP.

Please say this is all in writing, OP. And speak to HR ASAP. Good luck.

You could do them for discrimination OP.

Time to put in a gruevence about him to HR. Has he put any of these comments about your time off in writing ? If so send them to HR as well. You are covered by the disability discrimination act.

Sadly some managers are like yours. I had an operation with a minimum 4 week recovery and they found cancer during it. Told work and a week later occupational health wanted to see me as I had been off too long ! I declined unless they were about to cure me.
All I got was ssp and they wouldn't pay the first 3 days of it. In the 5 years I had worked there i had never been off sick.
I was then hassled when I went back as there was a gap between operations and radiation. They threatened me in front of a large room of staff and customers with a disaplinary if I went off again. That time I loudly informed them that if they did I would sue them.

Hi op sorry your going through this I think you need to send his email to hr but in future just message saying off x dates treatment - don’t ask him. as I’ve got older I realise you don’t ask if you can go home sick you just do it. Hope your treatment works and glad your hr is supportive. Your boss is a total wanker with no brain cells. Like you can say to your oncologist sorry dr too many people off work can you rearrange my life saving treatment. Some people really do think work is more important than health.

My oncologist wrote me a sick note, I think it was for 3 months.