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?

Lynney88:
I’m really sorry to hear about you.
I know of one disabled person who’s never had a day off sick or has ever been late seriously I’m not kidding!
He told me once that he really appreciates having the opportunity to work.

johnmartinday No answer to my question?

It's clear, to me, they will let you go.
Everyone can have a bad spout with sickness. BUT you have actually missed some vital training that was organised for you and by the sound of it more than once.

And no sympathy from me either, for your heavy periods.... I suffer from migraines sometimes 10+ days. I have arrangements with my employer because of the medication I am taking and the job I am doing. They are tolerant because there is an ongoing conversation about the limitations for me and we have found ways that won't impact the business massively.

Unfortunately if you have health issues, you need to have an open conversation from day 1.

OP there's no one so blind as those that will not see
Despite reading all the responses to your post yiu refuse to recognise that your behaviour and sickness levels are unacceptable
They will dismiss you
And should
Your attitude to your work responsibility and to your employer is terrible

Im sorry your periods aredifficult, but your absence rate is extremely high, as you now know.

The thing is, you have to start taking responsibility for it and being a bit more pro active. I have a chronic health condition. I've changed my car, my job, my medication, my social life and my diet, in an effort to stay in work. Sometimes, working isn't the easiest thing for people, but if I had done nothing, I would be signing on now. That may come in 5 years anyway, but I've tried.

It's no good just seeing your GP and being knocked back. You have to fight it. 2nd GP opinions, emails to practice managers, private appts to circumvent useless GPs. Etc. Explain to GP that your job is under threat because of absence, and push.

I wonder how many of the posters on here who claim to never have a sick day "work from home" regularly?

To quote a boss of mine " you at your desk or your death certificate on mine tomorrow"

I have never worked with anyone who took so much sick time and no employer I know would accept this level of sickness. Most people work through colds and period pains.

i had horrendous periods just before menopause. I used largest tampon available and two towels and changed every 45 mins but kept working. GP gave me transanemic acid which helped. You nèed to get yourself to GP for treatment. I am amazed you are still working there tbh.

@missguernsey
I've had one day off sick in two years, and as I work in a shop, I can't work from home. Believe it or not, there are those of us that feel some responsibility to our workmates and don't want to let them down with constant absences

10 days in 3 months could mean 40 days a year. That's quite a lot.

I've had one day off sick in two years

Through luck. I was sick for 5 days once, both ends. You really saying if you were that ill you'd still go to work? I don't think that's something to be proud of as you could pass it to your customers and equipment

here are those of us that feel some responsibility to our workmates

Believe it or not, there are also people who do feel responsibility for their workmates but who are too sick to come in.

Responsibility to your workmates also includes not coming in with a cold and decimating the department for the next three weeks as it goes around the team.

Five days off for you, vs 20 days off across ten people? A good manager will make the right choice.

I agree SpoonBender! Thank you to all those people who never take sick leave and shoulder on through colds and flu etc. I just love it when my husband or I catch it from you and pass it to our kids.

If you are sick Stay Home, you are not indispensable.

With regards to the period issues, why do we minimise or disregard the issues which can affect many women in this area? It can be a serious and extremely painful problem with additional complications such as endometriosis, pcos, cysts etc. Why should women who struggle with (non normal) issues not be entitled to the same concern a other illnesses? I'm sure by working age they would have consulted medical help and be doing what they can to treat cause/symptoms. To belittle someone for taking leave for 'period pain' (obviously not if its not serious and manageable with period pain meds) is uneducated and mean.

not coming in with a cold and decimating the department for the next three weeks as it goes around the team. Five days off for you, vs 20 days off across ten people? A good manager will make the right choice

A cold is contagious before you even have symptoms so they would still get it. But probably have the sense not to take five days out for something that can be managed with medication.

Why should women who struggle with (non normal) issues not be entitled to the same concern a other illnesses?

Ok but why should their employer accept a largely monthly absence from work?

I agree SpoonBender! Thank you to all those people who never take sick leave and shoulder on through colds and flu etc. I just love it when my husband or I catch it from you and pass it to our kids.

This is a joke right?

Kids pick up EVERYTHING going at school and are sick far more often than adults

An adult is more likely to catch something from a child

I've had tummy bugs off my niece because my sister ignored the 48 hour vomiting rule and brought her to see me barely a day later. I'd never had one for years before.

I'm currently nursing a chest infection I've had for over a month because again my niece will insist on sitting in my lap, sneezing and coughing over me and her shouldn't have brought her when she was like that.

Let's all put our employers at an inconvenience and think of someone elses pesky kids who pick up everything at school anyway

The variety of posts here is quite surprising.

However - 2 observations:

1. it is an excessive amount of sickness relative to the days employed so far

2. despite what one poster (John Martin?) says you can be dismissed no procedure at any time in your first 2 years.
   The only redress you could possibly have would be in the case of provable discrimination ( e.g race / sex / disability).

Contact ACAS if you don't believe the many many posters telling you the same thing

So, if you consider this objectively, what you need to think about is whether a business has acted reasonably which would be the test at ET. So far, you have been absent for the equivalent of 0.6 days for every week that you have worked (assuming beginning of October & 5 d/p/w). That's more or less another allocation of annual leave. Whilst they may only be paying SSP, that's still £94.25 per week and all of your periods of sick will be linked, so only the first 3 days at the very beginning would have been unpaid.

Now, you could claim that you are protected by the equality act as it is a condition limited to women. If it is diagnosed as specific condition (e.g. endometriosis) you might be protected in terms of disability discrimination. It sounds as though this is not the case though.

Regardless of this, it would appear that you are not able to provide reliable service and therefore a capability route could be followed anyway in order to dismiss you. This isn't about whether they consider your absence, this is whether they can sustain your absence as a company. Whilst you're off, they still have to pay SSP, NIC's, Insurance. You still accrue holiday pay and they either have to pay extra for someone else to do your work or lean on someone else, meaning that it is more likely that they will become ill. I think, maybe you need to consider whether this is the right job for you and maybe consider something part time with flexibility to alternate your days if you can't come in.

Should say 'consider your absence genuine'

@ nicknacky. I’m not at HR. Wasn’t evading your question, I missed your post. That’s all.

There are people who go off sick once or twice over a two to three or even a four year period. I’ve seen it with my own eyes. There are a lot of people who are very considerate about their co workers and very responsible towards their jobs. I even know of a disabled person who’s never been off sick even when he had a bad cold and when he had doctor's appointment he would arrange it with the boss to make up the time later even when he was told it wasn’t necessary. Seriously!

Get yourself checked for your anaemia. Fully. I remember getting one of my first full time job replacing a lady with pernicious anaemia. She was out of work for two years. In and out of hospital. Very dangerous stuff.

Having a child in your circumstances ? I do not think it is wise, not financially (you can barely get by right now, you need two salaries) nor from a health point of view (you have not been fully investigated).

Get your period fixed. In RL people have to manage the scale of pain, the out of this world amount of blood loss and manage a life, ie work, take care of kids and perhaps also elderly relatives.
You ought to yourself to have a good quality of life, this one is all you have.

Forget this job IMHO, but get yourself fixed before you move on to the next : take care of yourself for the long run, don't try to patch things up and get the quick fix. Does not look good, quite frankly does not feel good, does it ?
You are an adult, learn from your mistakes.
Also : your Mom's purpose in life is not to be around you when you are sick. You are an adult now.
Sorry to tell you that there are worse emotional and physical pain than period pain out there. None of us get a pass.
Note : You will not be able to take "time off" when you have kids.

I have worked and work with severely disabled people - highly skilled - holding on to their job no matter what. You would not want to have their disabilities, don't come up here or anywhere else for that matter, one way or another even remotely trying to hold on to THEIR rights. You did not handle your peculiar situation well. This will not go down well. PERIOD.

There is a balance between a duty of care that the employer has for staff, and staff’s ability to do the job for the employer. Companies have a sickness policy to explain this balance. The employer is not your mum who will look after you and love you, no matter what you do. I’ve known people be eventually dismissed from their jobs after long-term serious health problems and disability because in the end they are no longer capable of doing the job, even after adjustments are made. It is very sad but it does happen.