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?

That’s a ridiculous number of days off for a heavy period and a cold. If I was your manager I would do everything I could to get rid of you. I am supportive of genuine illnesses.

Did you know that you were going to miss important training when you called in sick with a cold?

Can you answer some of the questions you've been asked?

Are you private or public sector?

Have you read your organisation sickness policy? What does it say?

Do you have a medical condition that means your periods are bad? If so, have you spoken to your workplace about this? If not, what have you done to manage your period?

I started a full time job in January 2017

One day off sick in three years

I get awful periods so take ibrurofen to make the bleeding lighter

I agree you are going to fail your probation. A week for a cold is simply ridiculous.

I think they did effectively give you a warning when they extended your probation in January, and you took five days for a cold after that. I'm afraid that having your employment terminated is a real possibility.

A whole work week off sick with a "heavy cold" while you're on probation and can't demonstrate core competencies? I would be asking HR about getting rid of you, that's for sure.

Ten and 4 episodes in 4 months is taking the piss. I very much doubt your probation will be extended

Under the circumstances of having problem periods every month since you started, I think you should have gone in with the very bad cold. Yes you would have risked infecting others, but at least you wouldn’t have risked losing your job. Let them be the ones to send you home if they are concerned about it, but you should have gone in.

Costs a lot to train a new employee so maybe they’ll keep you on anyway because of that

They're very foolish if they do - IME absence records like this rarely improve, especially when the probation extension was quickly followed by a whole week off for a cold

In all honesty I'm surprised OP's still there

It's a lot of time off but at our place sickness absence is dealt with separately to performance. Isn't that the case with everyone?

So where I work your probationary period would be reviewed in terms of have you met your targets and if not do you have a strategy to address this eg additional training.

But you would also, at our place, have had a meeting with your line manager each time you returned from sick leave, and after three instances of sick leave in a year there would be a review of your attendance where they would flag up to you whether it was considered problematic )eg if there's an underlying condition that you're taking steps to deal with, it might not be a problem, or if it was three instances of related sick leave eg you took a day off for a cold, then another day four days later when you lost your voice, then another week when you developed pneumonia sort of thing - again, that would be less of an issue.

So they could let you go for unsatisfactory attendance but that would be separate from any performance issues and a discussion regarding that wouldn't take place at your probationary review meeting.

4 instances totalling 10 days absence in 4 months is a lot. Repeated instances are hard to manage for a company.

The extension of probation in January was effectively your first warning. Did you speak to your manager on your return to work this week? I'd expect them to extend probation again as a minimum, and this to be a final warning - one more absence in x months and your employment is terminated.

But they are within their rights to simply terminate your contract immediately and pay you a week's notice.

5 days off for a cold! ... I took less time off with appendicitis!

I think I’ve had ten days off in the last five years!

Taking so much time off for heavy periods is pretty bad, surely you can just double up on sanitary protection and take strong painkillers?

My ex flatmate was dismissed during his probation for shite attendance and no, they don’t have to give you a warning.

If you are taking that many days whilst on probation, are you planning on actually going to work at all if you pass it?

A company cannot seriously consider employing you with an abysmal record, or it means every one of your colleague should feel the need to take a week off a month too, it's only fair.

People are on their best behaviour during probation! You are sending the message that you fully intend on working part-time.

They can let you go for any reason at all in the probation period unfortunately. They don't have to give you a reason or a warning.

Agree with 1Morewineplease. I think that the company you work for have been pretty lenient so far and you really do need to address why a heavy or bad period is preventing you from working.
My niece went through a probationary period and was told that she could have one day off for her grandmother’s funeral but any more time than that one day would invalidate all her training and she would be out. You have to show your commitment if you want this job.

Are you private or public sector?

It's private, quite a small place so not sure they have a written sickness policy in terms of absences allowed, I have been paid but it is discretionary and one seems to be off sick much. I didn't realise a couple of days each month was too bad.

I work hard when I'm there and often stay late etc.

A couple of days a month IS bad

10 days since October? Yes I’d be worried you’d be sacked, you haven’t been there for two years so unfortunately I don’t think you have a leg to stand on. Maybe try not taking so much time off in future? You should still be able to cope going in with a cold...

Sorry OP but I think they will let you go.

That is a lot of absence, especially for period pains and a cold. My periods can be very painful and heavy but I take painkillers, use tampons for heavy flow (and always have some in my bag), have warm drinks and plod on.

A bad cold - one or two days when it's at its worst- no problem. A full working week takes the biscuit.

I teach but hold a senior position and when someone is off sick, it falls to me (and one or two other colleagues) to sort out the cover work etc. If it's a genuine reason we are nothing but sympathetic and don't mind doing it. Sorry, but if you worked in my department, I'd be mightily pissed off by now because it creates a lot of extra work!

I think you should prepare yourself for being given the heave-ho. That's a pattern of sickness that has become worse since you were told it was a problem.

What was your attendance like in your previous job?

Also, my own employer would be unlikely to keep someone on who still wasn't meeting targets after a probation extension, particularly if they'd arranged extra training which the employee then failed to attend.

So, yes, you'd be out using performance criteria, and at the very least have received a verbal warning recorded on file for 12 months using attendance criteria but actually, given that you haven't passed and are unlikely to pass the probationary period that warning would likely be escalated to dismissal.

I didn't realise a couple of days each month was too bad.

I hope you are trolling us now OP....

I didn't realise a couple of days each month was too bad.

Seriously?

There are generally between 20 and 25 working days per month and you think having 2 of those off on each month is just fine?

How would you feel if they thought paying you about 10% less each month was just fine too?

Have you had many jobs before this OP?