that it's unfair to lose my job because of covid?

[radickle]

namechanged

I got a new job 10 months ago and I admit that my health has sadly really not been fair to me. Just want to say, I've never had an issue with sickness in the past and I feel it's really a case of being very unlucky.

Was off with covid at the very start of getting my job (the first month) 2 months later I got the sickness bug (that was bringing a lot of us down with it at work) and had to obviously go off. About a month after that I had to have an emergency dental appointment. There was also 2 more sicknesses after that involving an eye injury (first one) and then the second one was because it got infected. I had a meeting about attendance concern during that time.

I've just got covid again and called my manager and said to him that ill obviously come in but I know it's policy not to and he said I can't be in for a week and didn't say much else but then got a later phone call to tell me to expect to not be back in the role and a meeting will be made when I'm better... im confident I'm losing my job.

I'm rather heartbroken because I genuinely like my role and work hard and it was a job in the field I wanted and had looked for for ages. It's obviously a very competitive role though and obviously they will have a line up of people wanting it.

I haven't been particularly unwell with covid so far and I'd have gone to work but it's the company saying I can't, which is why it feels particularly harsh. I know my sickness record wasn't great but there would never have been this sickness if their policy allowed me to come in...

Senior manager here, who has to deal with staff absence a lot.

It all sounds very dramatic, OP (so many absences that you couldn't work through or take leave for?!) and you're also being very defensive.

If you were in my team and I was convinced these absences were genuinely bad luck - and you were otherwise a diligent and motivated member of staff - you'd keep your job but with absence monitoring and extra support in place.

If I thought you were taking the piss then you'd be managed out.

I think you were mad to test if you felt well enough to go to work. You know the risk and it's not really a trooper of an attitude! Feels like you were desperate for some paid leave.

Genuine question - what do you expect her to do?

It is completely fair. Employers are entitled to expect their workers to come to work. I would have fired OP a long time ago. She has very understanding employers.

First time I had covid (obvs couldn't be in) second time I had a D&V bug, not sure how I could be in if I'm throwing up and shitting every 30 mins, if it was even that amount of time. The eye injury, I couldn't work through, no. I work in a high risk chemical environment and after being checked had drops that made my vision bad. The infection I had eye cream every couple of hours, again, how can I work in such environment? Then this covid. The dental appointment was put down as medical appointment and unpaid (just looked at the thing online). Then obviously this covid. I can't work from home. This isn't me trying to get some paid time off at all... I genuinely couldn't work.

I tested because they asked us to as 3 people had gone down with it, not because I out the blue thought oh yeah let's test to see if I could possibly have covid even tho I feel ok. They asked. Surely would have been worse I didn't and then went in and gave it to everyone I work closely with?

You don't know whether you are going to be let go or offered support.

That is a lot of unavoidable emergencies and sicknesses in such a short period. As a manager, it is difficult because sickness cover is not something that can be planned for, nor the duration certain. If it is so easy for someone to cover for you, then the company does not need you in the role. If it is not easy to cover for you, then you have just made the manager's job quite impossible and disrupted your colleagues. I can sympathise with a manager who wants to cut losses at this point as they do not have a good track record to compare against. They would pay you your notice period and request that you not come back into work before unfair dismissal rights kick in.

Is there a chance you’ve not been believed about the positive covid test and due to your run of bad luck there’s a thought you’re swinging it?

In my workplace when covid was at its height there were a few who took the absolute mick with “positive” tests

If you were my employee, truly I wouldn’t believe you. There are not many adults that suffer from minor ailments that require a few days off six times in ten months. I would absolutely terminate your employment with this appalling track record. Take a learning and maybe better assess your need for sick days in the future.

I understand it is not your fault. If the company lets you go (you don't know yet), they are not firing you for misconduct. They will be paying you your notice period which is your contractual due. It is a no fault parting of ways.

Yes, 6 separate absences in 10 months is wholly unreasonable from for an employer's perspective. Surely you can see this? I work in the public sector, and I would have triggered a sickness absence review upon the 3rd bout of sickness.

Better assess my need for sick days? @Aprilx what are you talking about. Tell me how I could work through those? I've literally just outlined why I couldn't.

This is awful! I don’t get the feeling things are the same here (Ireland). I know my boss would not be like this. I’m sorry!

The bottom line is either the company dismiss you for excessive sickness or they don't. The opinions of folk on here don't matter, only your employers' and unfortunately you do not have protection against unfair dismissal until 2 years service. Unless discriminating, they are able to let you go.

Where I work third absence is verbal warning 4th written warning 5th dismissal they have been very tolerant of you. You have a return to work after each absence and agree to certain commitments so for D & v that might be better hygiene, eye infection cleaning lenses properly maintaining a healthy weight drinking in moderation etc. It's different if you have cancer are pregnant etc. We used the Bradford Factor.

My company uses the Bradford factor too.

If they are going to sack me, would I have had a written/verbal, etc. warning? I've had none apart from the meeting I had which is when they basically just told me that we are aware there's been multiple sicknesses and he had to just fill out a form about it but that was it

I work in a high risk chemical environment and after being checked had drops that made my vision bad.

Do you mean the drops that dilate your pupils? That only affects very close-up details like reading small words and the effect wears off within 2-3 hours. Factoring in the time spent after the drops were administered, there is a max time frame of 1-2 hours where you may have problems reading very small writing or labels. It does not affect spatial perception at all so the risk of handling chemicals or doing any physical work is minimal. Most people would be expected to be back at work the same day.

Similarly, applying antibiotic cream every few hours is something that can be reasonably expected in a work environment. You go to the bathroom, wash your hands and apply the cream. The employer was probably not pleased for this reason and covid was just their excuse.

I think there's a lot not being mentioned in this thread, such as exactly how much time was taken off for each absence.

Did you offer to take annual leave any of those times?

We’ve all worked with someone who’s off sick every five minutes though haven’t we?

And when someone starts a job and immediately starts going off sick every couple of weeks it’s not unreasonable to think that that’s probably the kind of employee they’ve always been.

Many employers ask for rate of sickness at reference stage and most employers with any sense wouldn’t touch someone who had been off sick six times in a year with a barge pole

I couldn't see out of my eyes properly for some hours, yes. I had the injury before work and by the time I was seen and got home and could see, my shift was over.

The cream for the infection, I genuinely couldn't see after it was put in either? For a good 30 mins. So every 2 hours I then had 30 minutes of poor vision.

D and V I was off for 3 days...

Eye injury was 1 but the infection was 3 because that's how long I had the cream for.

Sick every couple of weeks? guess maths isn't your strong point

Obviously it’s harsh and unlucky, but she’s also unlikely to be protected under disability discrimination provisions for absence for those reasons.

sorry OP, you’d have been better not testing as it seems you’re being punished for doing the right thing, but equally I can see it’s a lot of absence during a time most employees would be trying to be as reliable as they could x

3 days off for an eye infection? Surely you could have just explained about the cream and worked anyway, you would have only lost 1/4 of the time instead of the whole time? I would have been annoyed about that if I were your employer.

OP I feel for you. You've just been incredibly unlucky and I don't think this is fair! As a parent of small kids I seem to get everything under the sun, and it's only because I have previously had a job where I've been able to work from home that my sickness record didn't look worse. Now I am self employed which is much easier.

You need to try and convince them that you are committed to the job and this is just a case of misfortune over this time period. I can't believe the people saying you should have trooped on and gone in with covid or vomiting!!