To think I will be dismissed for sickness record?

[nojob]

I started a new job last October with 3 month probation. I was told in January that my probation was to be extended for 2 months 'due to absence' as I'm not fully trained up yet and haven't been able to demonstrate I can meet the required standard. They said they are confident that I should meet the required standard by the end of February.

I have been off sick for 10 days in total (2 days in November, 2 days in December, 1 day in January all due to very bad periods and 5 days last week due to a heavy cold.). Can they decide not to pass my probation even if my performance is ok? They haven't said anything yet but I get the vibe that they are not very supportive of sickness. I missed some important training when I was off last week. Should I be worried?

I agree with you @WeBuiltThisBuffetOnSausageRoll. In fact, the next time there’s one of the disgusting benefits bashing threads about lazy “disabled” people who sit on their arse all day and claim PIP and ESA, I will point all the posters in the direction of this thread.

Honestly, if some of you could hear yourselves. It makes me sick how ableist and privileged the majority of people are. I would love to be able to work, but thanks to people like all of you, I’m unable to due to a condition whereby I’m sometimes physically unable to get out of bed in the morning. Sometimes my hands don’t work. Sometimes my speech is unintelligible. Sometimes my brain doesn’t make the right connections. Sometimes I’m perfectly “normal”. I have no way of knowing in advance what sort of day it’s going to be, but thanks to the majority of employers holding the nasty attitudes displayed on this thread, I will never be able to work again. You can say it’s not the same situation, but it’s exactly the same. It’s the attitude towards anyone who isn’t 100% physically and mentally perfect in every way, and it makes me sick.

If you take 2 days a month off that's 24 days sick, then add your annual leave, say 20 days minimum that's 44 days off a year - almost 9 weeks. That's not including any other 5 days for a cold sickness. That's 2 months of leave a year.

Funny how your periods happen in the week and never over the weekend/bank holidays etc. If you can predict when your periods start (say every 4th monday) then perhaps you can consider taking annual leave so your employer knows when to expect you off work.

Ah mumsnet and their inherent hypocrisy. In the flu threads there's always a ton of "if you can look at your phone then it's clearly just a cold even though you can't get out of bed for 5 days" OP here says a heavy cold with high fever and not able to get out of bed for days and she's pathetic for not going to work despite clearly having had the flu! Only here can you reach that level of obstinate dickishness.

Be honest with your employer OP over your period problems, show that you're trying your best to overcome them with your doctor and just keep working hard when you can make it in. I hope it works out for the best for you.

I have no way of knowing in advance what sort of day it’s going to be, but thanks to the majority of employers holding the nasty attitudes displayed on this thread, I will never be able to work again

I feel for you, but employment is not a right. That’s why we have various government schemes for help.

But this is not the case with OP who seems physically able to work

@gingersausage the difference is, you are disabled. That is quite different from taken 2 days per month off for granted and doing nothing about it. i would assume you have done all you could to get your symptoms under control, and it just isn’t going to get any better. i have colleagues with similar disabilities, and that is fine. We take over their work as they can’t help it (and many are part time as well and work when they can). The op on the other hand is at the same time so anemic that she faints, but is ttc at the same time? no way

Damntheman she did in fact get out of bed. She also claims she was given precautionary antibiotics for a virus?

I know someone like the OP. She then decided it was easier for her not to work after she got married (she doesn't have kids) so just carried on studying various courses at home. Her DH supports her doing this so it's worked out ok.

Gingersausages

This thread is not about people with disabilities nor is it calling people with disabilities lazy. No one one this thread has been nasty.
The op is not dealing with her sicknesses well at all and it's creating a real issue at work. She could manage it better but seems to be taking the easy way out, that is the problem.
No one likes a piss taker
your circumstances seem very different and you seem to be managing your issues the best you can. Big difference.

I’ve never heard of “precautionary medicine”, is that a thing? And I certainly don’t believe any doctor prescribed antibiotics for a virus.

OP, I know you have been to the doctor countless times about your periods, but you really do need to push to get this sorted - whether or not you are working.

It sounds like iron tablets aren't really doing the job - there are different options available. I've been on ferrous sulphate and ferrous fumarate at different times, but there are liquid preparations and injections. Iron tablets can be hard on the digestive system and not everyone tolerates the tablets.

Having periods and anaemia to the point you faint is not normal. If you have a GP who seems to think you should just put up with bad periods and take the iron tablets, then I would see another GP and push for more investigations and tests, referral to gynaecology.

If it's a chronic condition and the empower is aware, then it can be possible to work with and make reasonable adjustments. This is admittedly easier with a large company like my own employer than smaller organisations - but if someone is off regularly every month, that is easier to plan for than more random patterns.

For those who think being off for five days with a cold is ridiculous - my German colleagues don't have self-certification and have to be signed off by a doctor it seems quite normal for them to go to the doctor in Monday and be signed off for the rest of the week even when it's just a cold. To be fair, the rest of us do tend to roll our eyes at that, but it also illustrates there are cultural differences in attitudes to illness.

Damntheeman But OP went to the doctors twice with her heavy cold that was maybe flu?

I started a new job with a horrible cold, my nose dripped so fast it dripped on my keyboard and I was struggling to get my typing work done as I needed to mop it so much. No chance of working from home as it was covering reception with secretarial duties. It was utterly hellish but I couldn't have rung in sick on my first day and nobody suggested I should have kept my germs to myself at home.

I spent the first six months of that job on probation and genuinely worried that they wouldn't keep me on. I saw that job as a lifeline that had been thrown to me that I wouldn't have survived without - such was the ghastliness of long term unemployment.

I can't imagine how you can't think you were taking the piss with your absences, but clearly you don't view your job as important. So why are you bothered that they might sack you?

Also, the best way to raise your iron levels is through improved diet: green leafy vegetables, red meat and pulses are all rich sources of iron in its best, most easily digestible form. I'd only take iron supplements as a last resort as a diet rich in iron is far better. And drink orange juice with meals, ascorbic acid (Vit C) helps iron be absorbed more efficiently. (I also went on the pill to help with my heavy and painful periods, I wished I'd done it far sooner and saved myself years of suffering.)

So I've now read the policies and it turns out that they do have an absence policy which applies to all including those on probation. It looks like they haven't followed this as I should have had a formal absence meeting after 3 absences and/or 10 days. They say this is to discuss and try to find ways to improve the absences. Also they can offer me an independent medical assessment...not of this has happened yet. Is that a good sign. Should I ask for the review meeting in case it's an oversight?

They also have a disciplinary procedure which applies to all staff and has 4 stages (other than for gross misconduct which can be instant) that you have to go through before dismissal (and I can appeal at each stage)...so hopefully I'm not there yet.

@nojob In your situation I would probably try and be proactive and actually broach the issue with management/HR about getting a referral to occupational health. If your GP has records of ongoing issues and you have previously been able to work round this in other jobs, they will be looking to help. If your monthly cycles are regularl ish and an issue every month, you probably have a gut feel in when your issues may reoccur. Is there a way you can do compressed hours so you don't have to be in the office those few days a month? Can you work from home etc? If you have been there a number of months and are not too far away from being fully trained they would probably appreciate the upfront approach and opportunity to resolve rather than lose you and have to advertise the role and train someone new

I don’t think I would be pushing my employers to follow the formal process, I don’t think that would end well for you!

Concentrate on improving your attendance and performance.

Unfortunately we seem to see this attitude from younger employees at our place. Schools insist on kids not being in school at the hint of being 'off colour' those kids are now entering the workplace. It isn't until they wise up to differing attitudes in the workplace that they start to knuckle down..if they last that long that is.

In OPs case I get the issue over periods, I have a woman working for me with horrendous problems but she deals with it best she can. She has worked for the company for 7 years so has protections that the OP doesn't.

The OP has said she is considering TTC, so even if she passes probation she will then be likely (gynae problems not withstanding) going off on maternity. I would not be impressed with this employee. All the hard won advances women have made in employment rights get abused by a few with entitled attitudes.

I think it fits with the policy? You had three periods of absence and were then told them at probation would be extended because if it. Was that at a meeting?

Employers do not have to stick to the stage 4 absence process in probation.

Funny how you have all of a sudden found it

They also have a disciplinary procedure which applies to all staff and has 4 stages (other than for gross misconduct which can be instant) that you have to go through before dismissal (and I can appeal at each stage)...so hopefully I'm not there yet.

Except you're on probation. employed less than 2 years so they can just dismiss you anyway!

What do you want to happen?

Sounds like you wish ....

To stay there and be able to keep having off as much time as you like, and then attempt a tribunal for unfair dismissal?

If you were my employee I would finish you. That is a terrible sickness record. Given 3 periods were due to your period I would assume you were going to be off every month which is unacceptable quite frankly. Then to take a week off for a cold when you know you have a poor sickness record is just insane.

You have had more sickness than I have taken in about 8 years.

It is not a good sign that you seem to have discovered a flaw in the process, op. How exactly do you imagine they’re going to find a way to improve your absences, short of advising you to get your arse into work?!
You’re missing the whole bloody point; you are on probation and can be dismissed at any time. The disciplinary process doesn’t apply to you.
If you invested half the energy you seem to be applying to find ways to circumvent the system in actually doing the training and getting in with your job, you might be an employee they’d want to keep.
Right now, I’d show you the door with all possible speed and feel nothing but mild amusement if you started spouting company policy at me.
You have some growing up to do before you’re ready to be in the workplace at all.

You are on probation. Stop looking for loopholes and pull your socks up.

@74NewStreet it is for me but I need antibiotics urgently if I have an infection so I have an emergency course at home. Not for viral though

Periods aside you need to improve your immune system

During probation they don't have to stick to any absence policy. They can get rid of you for any reason so long as it's not discriminatory. Having periods is not a protected characteristic!