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?

Doctors DO NOT give out precautionary antibiotics, due to the risk of them becoming ineffective in the population (which is already happening). Unless you have CPD or some other chronic low immunity condition that just cannot be true.

Flu - with a heavy cold you will also have temperature, weakness, aches and pains. Most people will only have genuine flu once or twice in their lifetime.

Is it possible that your attitude to illness is learned behaviour from your family? Do they tend to talk about being ill a lot, over-exaggerate symptoms , take to their beds, see doctors frequently, yet never have much of a diagnosis and recover?

5 for a cold is taking the piss. 10 days in 3 months is crazy. We would have got rid of you sorry OP.

@AbsentmindedWoman as someone in the thick of perimenopause I hear you. Telling me "it's normal and every woman at your time of life has this" doesn't cut it. That doesn't do anything to solve the problem.

So not only have you got a new job and a shocking sickness record before you have passed probation but you are thinking of trying to conceive??! 🤦‍♀️

This is not my first job, I was at my previous place for 2 years. I was off sick most months due to my periods there too, they let me work from home in those days, but my current employer haven't offered this (not sure it would work in my new job) My current employer got the reference with my sickness records and I did state low iron an heavy periods on my medical assessment so they are aware.

Taking 5 days off for a cold when you’d already had your probationary period extended for excess absence was taking the piss!
The very fact that you say they don’t seem “very “supportive of sickness” suggests you don’t see this as a particular issue and the trend would likely continue we’re you made permanent. What sort of support would you require, exactly?
I’d imagine they’re thinking much the same thing.

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

You would have been gone from my employers by now during probationary period. Outside of probationary period just three incidences if sickness in three months would have an HR meeting and possible OH involvement.

At my current place around five years, one and a half days off sick! I work with people who I’ve never known take a day off sick!

The cold was very heavy, I could hardly get out of bed for the first few days and I had a very high fever, it could have been the flu actually, I told my employer flu symptoms. Went to doctor twice and he sad some kind of cold/viral infection, but gave me precautionary antibiotics as I was feeling so unwell.

You couldn't get out of bed but went to the doctor twice? I

That's a huge amount of sickness in such a short time. My Dad worked for 51 years and had less time than that off.

You saw the doctor twice for a cold wow!

DH and I are thinking of TTC soon so that wouldn't work

How will you care for a baby if your periods go back to how they were? if youre sick that often who will look after the baby when you are sick? I think youre in for a huge shock to be honest....

So in my old job I would usually only take one day sick a month, then work from home the next day

Wow I don't think I've ever had that many days off sick in years, let alone months.
I wouldn't keep you on op, sorry.
Have your periods always been an issue? Have you sought medical help for them?
Is this your first job?

I’d be worried about one absence in the probation period let alone 10 days! That really is a lot, you should be trying to come in no matter what to prove yourself during this time.

How will you care for a baby if your periods go back to how they were?

I have a very supportive family, my mum will be able to help. She helps a lot during my periods anyway.

So in my old job I would usually only take one day sick a month

That's still really awful.

3 bouts of sickness a year in my job and you're on a management action plan.

There is no “only” about one day sick a month. It’s still a huge amount.

The only thing they have said is that they think I'll pass after the extension

But unfortunately you then took a whiole week off, missing important training they'd put in place to help make up for your other absences

If 2 days a month is "not that bad" and a whole week was ignored in passing your probation, I'm afraid it's very obvious that it would soon become a week a month ... and any sensible employer will recognise this and act accordingly

Flu lasts a good couple of weeks , not 5 days. You don't have antibiotics for a virus.

@Twillow my GP surgery certainly gives a script you can use or not due to pressure on surgery appointments. Probably because they know that antibiotic resistance is largely due to large scale antibiotic use in contemporary farming eg being routinely added to cattle feeds rather than a 50 year old woman with a sore throat taking penicillin for seven days when she might not need to but if she does it means taking up two scarce appointments rather than one.

Oh OP... I hate to tell you this but I think you have every right to be worried.

I sympathise - heavy colds and period issues are absolutely shit. But you've just said you used to take a sick day a month. Imagine how much that impacts your colleagues and management.

Wishing you all the luck in the world - but please bear in mind employers can get rid of any employee who have less than two years of service for no real reason. Sorry x

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

I've just been thinking about it and in 25 years of working the only time I missed 10 days of work in an entire YEAR was this past holiday season when I had the flu and pneumonia. And just my luck I was scheduled to be off for vacation on 5 of those days so I only called out for 5.

I think you have got so used to taking time off each month that you have become to accept that as your working month.

I have a very supportive family, my mum will be able to help. She helps a lot during my periods anyway

Thats good. I hope your mum is on stand by every single month then....

That’s twice the sick leave that I’ve had in 12 years... way too much, 5 day’s for a cold??