Signed off work.

[BellaFreckle1]

Hi ladies,

I've just been signed off work with depression and anxiety. I have a 2 week sick line. I'm 22, working in Finance and I'm the youngest in the office by a mile. I've been taking Sertraline since August and the initial side effects were really bad, I took 2 days off work at the time but in hindsight I needed more time off. I've now been prescribed Propranolol 3X daily. My manager and supervisor are aware.

My team is small, there are 4 of us including the manager and supervisor. Although we are in a big office, the office is split into teams. My manager has not been supportive and has been piling the pressure on me along with my supervisor. My manager is a 47 yr old misogynistic male and my supervisor is a 47 yr old power hungry, egomaniac female (she threw me under the bus to get her fake supervisor promotion a few months back). I get the impression that they think my depression and anxiety are an excuse to not want to work despite this being the first time I've ever had a sick line in my life (bar Shingles when I was 9!!!) I left school at 15 and have been in full time work ever since. I have no qualifications but somehow managed to work my way into a pretty decent job. I am also about to start an OU degree in Forensic Psychology. The last thing I want is to sit around watching daytime TV and having no routine but at the minute, that's exactly what I need. It's been a really tough year for me, my mum has addiction issues and was in prison for a few months, my dad isn't around (he died when I was 6) and my mental health has been really poor.

So, now that you've got some background ... I emailed my manager yesterday to let him know I've been signed off etc. and I even apologised for having to do this but explained I had no choice. I also copied in our director who is my managers senior, the director emailed me back today from his family holiday to wish me well and to thank me for letting them know. My manager didn't email me and instead text me with no mention of how I'm doing but instead wanted to know my PC login details to access my PC (this is against our company policy) and he also was piling the pressure on for me to complete a work task from home. I accept the work task should have been done but I have been signed off??!!! Surely I should not be expected to work from home when I am off sick? I have been really stressed out about this all day. Work has been a massive part of my anxiety over the past couple of months and I really just need a break from the stress. Am I being unreasonable or am I correct in thinking its unacceptable for my manager to contact me requesting work be completed from home while i'm signed off for mental health related issues?

[treezylover]

It is completely unacceptable and I would be forwarding it to the supportive senior management guy. I’ve been signed off for several weeks now and as much as I hate it and have apologised profusely to my boss, they have been nothing but supportive. You need the time for your health, don’t allow this idiot to make you feel guilty about it.

[treezylover]

Also definitely don’t allow him to push you into breaking company policy re passwords etc, he sounds like a shocker!

[BellaFreckle1]

Hi Treezylover,

Thanks for your reply.

My only concern is that on Friday, I asked my manager to let me go home and work from there. He allowed this but when I got home and took my afternoon medication, I felt really lethargic and yucky. I've still not been able to finish the task I was supposed to get done so I feel as though I should be finishing it because I should have done it on Friday before being signed off (I was signed off on Friday afternoon when I turned up at my GP's surgery for a sick line)

I told my boss I'd have it done today but I physically cant do it. I am absolutely exhausted. The task was supposed to be completed today by lunch and I still have a good 8 hours minimum left. I cant do it and I don't know what to do.

[BellaFreckle1]

I'm my own worst enemy. Sometimes I don't know how to say no and I've really shot myself in the foot this time because there are a good 40 people relying on their wages hitting their accounts and I cant make their payslips.

[Eilaianne]

Pop on your out of office, directing people to alternative sources of help, and explain in it that you're unavailable and their message has not been read.

Then log off. stop checking emails. only log back on/comm with work when you need to inform them of your return.

step away and recuperate.

[Eilaianne]

there are a good 40 people relying on their wages hitting their accounts and I cant make their payslips.

Then this is a wakeup call for them to instill better business processes!

What if you'd been hit by a bus and were in a coma?
Surely they have a plan for business to continue?
What if you were on holiday, or an unexpected childcare issue requiring a day or two of parental leave?
etc.

Their business robustness cannot rely on you being available, healthy, and with working PC & internet access in order for people to be paid.

It's not your problem to solve - that's a management problem.

[treezylover]

Exactly what the pps have said- shit happens. Thank goodness you didn’t, but you could have been in a terrible accident on Friday- they should have a way to protect their business in all eventualities. That sounds like it’s above your pay grade to resolve, someone else gets paid more than you, to sort out shit like this when it happens. Sadly workers are replaceable but your health is not, and no job is worth ruining it over.

[Mouikey]

Do not give him your log in details or password. If you can get a copy of the text printed with telephone number do so. If it is against company policy you could be taken for gross misconduct.

Please also remember if you are in the uk and have been signed off (ie a fit to work certificate), it is unlikely that you will be insured for any work you do. Take care of yourself - thisnis the priority

[MereDintofPandiculation]

They'll have to sort it out, won't they? If they don't have a back-up plan, they are really lacking as a company.They'd have had to sort out something if you were unconscious in hospital, for example.

As others have said, don't do anything against company policy (unless you have specific authorisation in writing from someone senior to the person who's asking.) IT breaches are usually "gross misconduct" = instant dismissal, and they would probably throw "poor attendance record" into the mix as well.

Has your GP put anything on the certificate to say that at least part of your condition is work related (assuming that's true)?

[BellaFreckle1]

Thanks for your responses ladies.

You are absolutely correct, this is well above my pay grade. I am still on the entry level salary despite my role being a promotion 2 years ago!

My manager has only been with us for 1 year and the fake supervisor and him are so up one anothers backside. I didn't give my manager my login details, I told him it was against company policy.

[BellaFreckle1]

Yes, I haven't saw the sick line yet but the receptionist told me it's for depression plus work related stress.

[Silvercatowner]

Sharing a password is a sackable offence where I work.

[BellaFreckle1]

Hi Silvercatowner,

It's the same where I work. We are not allowed under any circumstances to provide our password to anyone, especially off the back of a text message! This thread has given me the boost I needed to email my team and tell them I will not be doing any work from home.

[Pissedoffdotcom]

I could have written your post but in respect of my DP. They shouldn't be harassing you, signed off is signed off. That means no work from home, no work contact. They can 'keep in touch' from a welfare point that is it.

We had to get ACAS & the union involved with our issue. Bastards

[RainbowsArePretty]

Get well, be honest about what us outstanding but do not break any procedures such as share passwords.

[MereDintofPandiculation]

I didn't give my manager my login details, I told him it was against company policy. Well done!

In my experience HR take seriously "work related stress" on a sick note, and are quite careful not to do anything that could look bad in an Industrial Tribunal.

[BellaFreckle1]

Thank you. I hope the work now leave me be and let me have the time I need to de-stress and feel better.

The company should really have a back up plan in place!!

[Pissedoffdotcom]

My DP had a HR meeting & initially they 'subtly' applied pressure to come back to work. Sadly some companies suck

[MaintainTheMolehill]

None of that matters just now op. Send the email saying you can't and won't be working from home then put your out of office on. It sounds like with you off someone is going to stick out as being incompetent.
Once you feel a bit better you can deal with this.

[BellaFreckle1]

I shouldn't have told him i'd have the information over to him today, I hate saying I cant do something and I've let them down now. He shouldn't have pressured me for it though.

[letsgetreadytosamba]

Good response to him OP but pull the thread as it’s very identifying and you don’t want them to see it.

I would phone (anywhere I’ve worked has insisted on a phone call) and explain you’re unwell and can’t complete the wages etc. They’ll cope. Keep your chin up.

[letsgetreadytosamba]

(Or at least the screen dump, you don’t want this used against you further down the line).

You’re absolutely right on the passwords. If you give it out you have no control over what is done with it and literally anyone could do anything in your name. So don’t be tempted. Your response about copying in is perfect.

[letsgetreadytosamba]

Also (sorry) you’ve not let anyone down. They’ve let you down by a)letting it get to this point and b) putting you in this position with passwords etc

[madmum5811]

You need to be looking for another job, in your own time when you start to feel better. This job is pulling you down.