to be really worried about work?

[CaptainObviousTwo]

I've been working at a new company in a junior role since early April. In that time I have taken sick leave on four different occasions. (5 days in total)

I came into work today feeling under the weather but just sucked it up, but very quickly deteriorated and ending up being sick. I only live ten mins from work but was too dizzy to drive so left my car there and was driven home. I was sick a few times, room is still a bit spinny and I really don't think I'd have been much good at work.

I missed a meeting last week as a dog that was living at my house (My Mum's whilst she was in hospital which is literally another thread in its own right) attacked my boyfriend and I had to take him to A+E.

This meeting is more of a "progress review" meeting for a project I'm leading with my team so inconvenient but not essential.

Problem is, that meeting is again this afternoon. I've spoken to our IT department and managed to get remote access to our conference call via my mobile and got a colleague to email me the spreadsheet I need to lead the meeting, I'll call in at 2 and take the meeting to try and minimise the disruption. I feel like death warmed up but fairly confident I can hold it together to not vomit during the half hour call.

I'm desperate to try and make amends for my repeated absence but feel like the damage has been done - I've been there for 4 months and been off sick as many times.

I've been told by several people, including my line manager, that my performance has been excellent but I'm sick with anxiety over having to take yet another day off.
They must think I'm taking the piss, or at the very least am a liability.

(I have passed my probation btw)

AIBU?

Right, I've not RTFT but I'm surprised at the lack of tolerance of some companies and HR people. I'm an employment lawyer and what sticks out to me is that the OP has anxiety. There's therefore a high chance of her being disabled under the Equality Act 2010. Her employer has a duty to make reasonable adjustments and not subject her to any unfavourable treatment for issues arising from her disability.

In practice this means that if her absences relate to her disability then 1. the company may need to adjust any sickness trigger (such as the Bradford factor referred to above) and 2. any disciplinary resulting from that absence may be discrimination arising from disability.

From the sounds of it the most recent absence may be linked to disability (if it relates to her medication). The others sound like normal sick days here and there. It doesn't sound out of the ordinary to me at all and if you were my employee, and not shit at your job, I wouldn't do much on the disciplinary front. For the record I'm a lawyer for companies not individuals so I'm not in the habit of siding with the employee.

OP - I'd consider disclosing your anxiety if you haven't already. It sounds like this episode, and your lack of meds, could be triggering.

You'd still be on probation with us and at best it would be extended, at worst you'd have been out at absence no 3. We use the Bradford scale.

In the vast majority of cases I've known, repeated absence early on has been a big red flag. Appreciate you may just have been unlucky but do anything you can to avoid any more until you've got some consistent attendance under your belt.

What happened to the dog?
Will behave to be put down?
How has your mum taken the news about the dog?

OP, I'm probably going to sound s bit harsh here, but I really think it's worth you revisiting your threads and thinking about what YOU can do to help yourself with your health.

You sound a little self congratulatory about your commitments- a job, 2 businesses, a degree. My question is, why take on so much? Is it for you, or so you can tell others about how clever you are? Think back to the cake saga- one of your businesses is cake making. You put yourself under massive pressure (even without a bereavement) to make and deliver a fairly plain (i.e. Replaceable) cake hundreds of miles away for an acquaintance which could only have made you a loss. Why on earth would you feel an obligation to keep that order? No wonder it feels like a FT business!

We probably won't ever have the full story of the dog and the boyfriend here, but you know it doesn't stack up, right? In which case, does the story stack up with your workmates? Probably not- sorry.

That same dog you KNEW you should never have agreed to having no in your new home, thus putting your tenancy in jeopardy. There are good kennels, this did not have to be an issue that put your home at risk.

My point? Well, no wonder you have anxiety. You bring pressure on yourself. This stuff may well be affecting performance at work, but it's definitely affecting your ability to be at work, and I would say it's probably affecting your health.

Get the meds sorted and cut out what you can until your attendance is sorted. There's no need to sit an exam in September, no reason to make and deliver cakes which lose you money. Yes, your employer has obligations to you if you have a disability, but equally you have an obligation not to exacerbate your condition. It's a bit like a diabetic refusing to regulate their diet, perhaps (crude analogy but you get my meaning).

OP, stop making excuses and start taking responsibility. Easier said than done, but you are not helping yourself and there is lots of scope here to lessen the pressure you are feeling.

Yes, sounds like runnng your own businesses in paralell are exacerbating your health issues and hence affecting the work you do as a paid employee.
Does your manager and HR know about these extra businesses ?

I had to complete a form stating the number of paid hours per week I did outside the job
and also state I would notify immediately if this changed.

More than a very few hours would mean they gave me a choice of quitting the job or dropping the outside hours.

It's logical, because adding extra working hours increases the load on body and mind, hence is likely to increases the number of sick days.
Also, outside paid commitments can mean timing clashes with the job

level75

From the sounds of it the employer hasnt been told she has anxiety nor has she said the absences were anxiety related. Also her forgetting to take medication for prolonged period, which impacts her work, is her own responsibility.

The businesses outside work may also be impacting the Op. An average of a day sick a month is certainly something most employers would be concerned about.