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Original poster

I've been disciplined for leaving work with an injury!?

85 replies

trackerbars · 18/10/2017 01:24

I'm fuming.

I don't know if I'm in the wrong though...

I work in a warehouse for canned soup and only went and dropped a packed box on my toe. I literally couldn't keep tears in and I'm not one to cry. I spoke to my manager who wanted to see it (fair enough) and I hadn't even looked at it at this point. It didn't look too bad. He said to take a break so I went on my break.

I put some ice on it and it started to swell, there was a bizarre lump on it and I couldn't wiggle it.

He said it's fine and just bruised Hmm and apparently had "seen enough in his time to know" and that even if it is broken, I can still work but he'll put me on a part where I get to just stand there. I did it for 30 mins and it wasn't helping, I could bare weight with a shoe on as it hurt and I said I'm going to have to go and put it up.

He said if it's broken you'll get away with walking out in a huffy voice

I was so sure it was I wasn't even worried about what might happen.

I got it looked at and it wasn't! They even said when I went in "should we even bother with an x ray" because they were so sure and after joked about what my bones must be made out off. I was happy but slightly worried about my manager.

I returned to work after a week (I had a doctors note) and I had a warning (official) for leaving work unauthorised?

What. The. Actual. Fuck.

I hate my job so much. This is literally the only job I got after about 100 interviews SadSadSad

OP posts:
flowery · 18/10/2017 05:45

" I had a warning (official) for leaving work unauthorised"

Your post doesn't make it clear whether you actually did leave work unauthorised or not?

How long have you worked there?

AJPTaylor · 18/10/2017 05:54

i have been involved in warehouse training/ops. Never has PPE been optional. In fact its disciplinary for not wearing toetecter boots.
Unfortunately in warehousing what should happen is well known. What does happen and is got away with due to the threat of job loss is terrible.

Weedsnseeds1 · 18/10/2017 06:00

It's a lost time accident and reportable under RIDDOR.
Your employer has a legal obligation to provide personal protective equipment.
Did you tell anyone you'd decided to leave the premises, if not, then that could be the issue, rather than the time off with a doctor's note.

makeourfuture · 18/10/2017 06:05

I like cracked's advice.

Monitor the injury. These things may be more complicated than they first appear.

PerfumeIsAMessage · 18/10/2017 06:12

All the boots/dismissal thing aren't relevant right now.
The OP was disciplined for leaving work that day at that time unauthorised.
That's the point which needs taking further at this juncture. Were you told (when you said you had to go) that you actually couldn't?
Hospital sounds awful too. First saying it probably wasn't worth an X ray then saying it was etc etc.

Justoneme · 18/10/2017 06:21

I don't think you have been treated fairly... but is it worth making a fuss? Would they make your life hard if you did?
Suck it up while licking your wounds....and apply for all the jobs you can.

Sorry to hear you are going through this x

WhatwouldAryado · 18/10/2017 06:24

Authorised? If you said you were leaving to treat an injury then surely It's self certified absence.
Their policy on workplace injury might be worth reviewing. As might a query about the "medical advice" your manager gave. Is that person a first aider? Was one asked to look?
If there is no PPE then the company need a to address this as it would have prevented an absence AND the manager alluded to these injuries being commonplace.

makeourfuture · 18/10/2017 06:29

All the boots/dismissal thing aren't relevant right now

This is a good point. But the reason for leaving is important. If a worker feels they need urgent medical care and are not allowed to seek it - it could have an impact.

The tort, if there is one, would seem pretty inconsequential in itself. But again we don't know if there was any permanent damage.

endoftether12 · 18/10/2017 06:57

Any workplace have a duty of care to their staff. You injured yourself while working in their workplace without having being provided with adequate personal protective equipment (if you have ordered it and it hasn't arrived, you should have been put on a job where the boots weren't necessary). After injuring yourself, of course you should have been allowed to go get it checked at the hospital.
I would be tempted getting a solicitors letter spelling this out to them.

scaryclown · 18/10/2017 06:58

You are in the right, your employers are not. There are a few people on this forum who think they are brilliant for being hard asses and that also think this is good management. They are wrong. They are dickheads and dickheads don't make good managers.

You are in a Job where standing and walking are core, and you have an injured swollen foot with possible broken bone. The correct response is to send you home pending investigation.

If you do a walking and carrying job with swollen damaged foot, you will be adjusting your walking, load carrying and posture to compensate which will risk increasing longer term muscular skeletal damage.

If the boss hasn't allowed for accident and sickness provision in an environment that clearly has regular muscular skeletal risk, then he's a fucking idiot, or the company are fucking idiots.

Walking out.. Fft they are just being total dicks and their egos and power shit is going to end up with fewer workers. Write to them saying you were advised by manager x to go home and self certified for a week, with a view to minimising long term damage and liability to the company. Express concern that accident records were not taken and no investigation has taken place and ask that this is arranged promptly when you return.

I worked for asda and when something comes in in writing al the hard ass managers start behaving like whipped little boys

LazyDailyMailJournos · 18/10/2017 07:18

Oh ignore the I lost a limb but still dragged myself in on a bloody stump brigade.

It's about being safe to work - and also ensuring that you can safely exit the building in an evacuation. If you couldn't put weight on your foot and were in pain, then you should not have been standing. I would not want someone on crutches in a warehouse situation, because it is simply not safe.

As PP have said this is a RIDDOR reportable accident and you have a Dr's note for the week. They - if you forgive the pun - don't have a leg to stand on. Do you have home insurance? If so check and see if it includes legal cover? If it does then give the helpline a ring - they are free to use and you can get some advice on what to say and do next.

Crumbs1 · 18/10/2017 07:25

I’m mixed. You should be required to wear boots as this is a known risk and they failed in their duty to ensure your safety. However, employees also have a duty to ensure their own safety.
Your boots hadn’t arrived. Had you only recently started work in this environment? If not, why were your boots not ordered sooner?

That said it is a non broken toe and a week off does sound excessive. Given the circumstances I might not take action but I’d be watching your absence and work ethic very carefully.

scaryclown · 18/10/2017 07:38

This reply has been deleted

Message deleted by MNHQ. Here's a link to our Talk Guidelines.

TheMaddHugger · 18/10/2017 07:41

(((((((Hugs)))))))) OP.

I've had soft injuries that felt way worse than the broken foot

whiskyowl · 18/10/2017 07:42

God, I hate these threads. There are always a bunch of posters who turn up and sneeringly say "Oh, I wouldn't have left work for THAT, in fact, I once worked an entire shift after being decapitated and I was fine". Or "I once stubbed my toe on the end of the bed and I was fine after 2 minutes". FFS, you're not walking in the OP's shoes (pardon the pun) so you have no idea how bad the injury was or what treatment was needed.

OP: this sounds shit. Are you in a union? If not, I'd join, pronto.

Bruceishavingfish · 18/10/2017 07:42

If the Op left work without telling anyone and/or didnt contact them telling them she had a sick note, thats why its gone doen as unauthorised.

The other stuff needs sorting. But until the Op clarifies why its 'unauthorised', its a very difficult one to judge.

LazyDailyMailJournos · 18/10/2017 07:47

Crumbs my experience of managing people is that if you look after them, and treat them like human beings instead of little numbers on an operations spreadsheet, then the work ethic takes care of itself because people feel valued and are motivated to give their best in return.

Raraolala · 18/10/2017 07:48

You know, if her doctor gives her a note for a week I think we can say she needed it. Unless you think you know more than her gp. In my job I wouldn’t need a week, cause I sit at a desk all day. It’s a totally different scenario working in a warehouse. I would challenge it because you asked to leave and the doctors note is proof you weren’t just skipping off for the day.

Etymology23 · 18/10/2017 07:48

I have never been in a warehouse where they weren't expecting steelies. I've sometimes worn non-steelies that look like steelies and no one has asked but I strongly suspect they have failed in their duty of care.

That, however, is a separate problem from the unauthorised absence - did you inform them you were leaving, clock out etc?

MrLovebucket · 18/10/2017 07:54

Toe injuries are incredibly painful due to bodyweight so I can sympathise with you.

You had a medical certificate so your doctor clearly felt you were unfit for work. A week might seem excessive to some for a minor injury but due to the nature of your job I can understand why the GP signed you off.

The only issue is whether you kept your employers fully informed of how long you'd be absent and if you got their permission to leave on the day in question.

JaneEyre70 · 18/10/2017 07:56

Ring ACAS and get some proper advice on it. I would also make it clear that you weren't provided with the right shoes to wear to stop this happening in the first place. Unless you didn't make it clear to someone that you were leaving the building, I can't see the issue.

AppleKatie · 18/10/2017 07:56

it doesn't matter whether or not you would have taken a week off, her Dr wrote her a note AND she isn't being disciplined for that anyway

It's the leaving work without permission bit she is being disciplined for. OP if you told your manager you were leaving because of workplace injury and wanting to get medical advice I think it's outrageous that they should seek to prevent or punish you for that. Are you in a union?

SonicBoomBoom · 18/10/2017 07:58

Tell HR that you discussed going to hospital with your manager, but he wanted you to keep working, but your foot was swelling and you couldn't stand.

Do you have any photos of the swollen foot?

TinklyLittleLaugh · 18/10/2017 08:00

And this is why we need unions and a strong health and safety culture. You shouldn't even have been doing that job without the right safety gear. They are at fault. To allow to be injured and to penalise you on top of that is bloody disgraceful.

You have my sympathy OP and I hope you manage to find work in a better company soon.

WitchesHatRim · 18/10/2017 08:07

The only think you are being disciplined for is the leaving work unauthorised. So did you tell anyone you were leaving?

The rest is red herring and has no relevance.

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