Scared I am about to lose my job

[TheOddSockMobster]

My employer "allows" us to have a certain number of days off a sick leave each year, after which you have a formal meeting to discuss your absences. I have been really unwell (several intensive care admissions), and I had this meeting six weeks ago. I was told that if I have another day off before the end of this week I will, most likely, be dismissed.

I had four epileptic seizures today, the second one was whilst I was going to work. My epilepsy is normally really, really well controlled, and I normally only have seizures at night when it isn't well controlled (several years ago it wasn't). Today was totally abnormal in every respect.

However, I recently had to change GP, my notes hadn't been received by the new GP surgery and so my prescription couldn't be written. My old GP surgery have for the last two weeks either told me I am lying, put the phone down on me, or assured me (and two other doctors) that they would fax through the medication list immediately It's not happened and today was day four without any medication.

What the hell can I do? Can someone please offer me some advice? I bloody love my job and I don't want to be dismissed.

Unfortunately i'm reminded of the line we always hear in crime dramas..

"You do not have to say anything. But it may harm your defence if you do not mention when questioned something which you later rely on in court. Anything you do say may be given in evidence."

I suppose what i am trying to say here is that i believe it has parallels in the world of work and you cannot claim support/consideration/mitigation for a condition or disability if its not been previously declared

Could be totally wrong though

OP

Did occupational health make any recommendations regarding your sick leave and the employer's policy? If they didn't, I would be pushing for another assessment in your meeting. Explain that a reasonable adjustment seems appropriate, particularly considering the hospital stays.

Good luck, OP. It's so unfair that a policy that was probably designed to catch out people taking lots of unofficial long weekends by ringing in sick with a mild cold or pretending to be ill when they actually have a hangover should be used against people with serious health problems.

I know it's a problem for employers to have staff needing time off, but almost everybody will need a helping hand at some point in their working life. If employers didn't work hand to mouth with the minimum number of staff they think they can get away with, this would be less of an issue.

I wish people wouldn't make such ridiculous claims in here sometimes.

Disability doesn't mean you are immune from disciplinary action. Yes a company should seek to make reasonable adjustments, but that typically doesn't mean there are changes that can be accommodated.

Did occupational health make any recommendations regarding your sick leave and the employer's policy

No because supposedly in the referral my employer didn't ask for that (they say they did, it does look to me like they requested advice); I did ask to discuss reasonable adjustments and a line was added to the letter stating I had had "necessary" hospital admissions.

I didn't even have the illness that has caused most of the absences when I started, so I couldn't have declared it - I told them as soon as I was diagnosed.

The last time I had a day off work was in 2015 (before I started with this employer).

I have already said I would want an occupational health referral again, two weeks ago. Haven't got it yet, but I have written a list of things to discuss (again), including the policy on absences.

OP you need to make an emergency on the day appointment tomorrow and tell your GP that you need medication immediately. A pp is right that there are certain conditions and drugs that doctors known full well can't go without medication. You explain that due to lack of medication you have had fits and your job is on the line, they need to sort this out.

Take your current medication with you so they can see the doseage etc. They should give you a prescription tomorrow even if if they want to review it once (if) they get your notes.

@shanbu - I now have the medication, A and E have prescribed it and the GP has given me the prescription for when the A and E tablets run out.

Old GP did fax through my medication summary to the new GP. Obviously, there has been a massive cock up somewhere - the new GP surgery have already apologised to me (they were really, really wonderful today). Old GP were still saying it wasn't their fault but that they have now faxed through the medication summary which people have been trying to get them to do for two weeks!

OP, if you are already registered with the new surgery they should have all the information they require to issue you with your medication. The records are all held electronically and what should happen is that the records are requested by your new surgery and pulled down off the spine. This is done very quickly and while the format might have to be adjusted manually if different systems are used, the new surgery should be able to see everything and your previous surgery will no longer have access.

You are being fobbed off, especially if you've moved fairly locally - all the surgeries in the ccg area for example will more than likely be using the same system.

Cross posted. Thank goodness for that!

You definitely need to speak to OH as you know yourself even though your back on the meds it'll take a few days at least to get back in system and for epilepsy to be as controlled as it was before.

@youarenotkiddingme Yeah. Good point actually. I realised (and have been reminded) it's going to take a few days to get my levels back up. I'm still shaking and it's now been 10 hoursish since my last one...

They won't dismiss for a medical condition. They will dismiss for poor attendance. Epilepsy will be a protected characteristic under the EA (substantial long term negative effect) but the OP says only one absence was because of the epilepsy.

Best to explain circumstances re lack of medication etc and emphasise that you'll strive to improve attendance in future.

In regards to talking to your boss, apologise about missing work but honestly just tell them what had happened. You sound like you had an awful time, and once they realise that you were admitted to A&E they will be more understanding. Did you call the sick line and make them aware ASAP that you can’t come in? Or were they expecting you and it went down as an unauthorised absence?

If possible, can you get your new GP to write a letter? See if they are nice enough to confirm your condition, what happened on the day and your lack of medication which would have led you to being unfit for work as you were admitted to A&E etc. I would hope that your gp would help you out here as due to an admin fuck up, you became quite ill and now your job is at risk. (Suggesting this as my gp has always been okay with writing a letter)

Your boss will mainly be interested on how you inform them going forwards, and how you plan on improving your attendance