Dismissed from work.

[user1464187087]

Good evening,
Please be gentle with me.
I was dismissed from work a few months ago. I worked as a staff member for the police for nearly 26 years.
For many years I worked as a police 999 Call Handler and ended up sufferring with anxiety as a result. I took calls from people who comitted suicide, died in fatal house fires, people that witnessed fatal road traffic collisions and a hell of a lot more.
I was dismissed because of my sickness due to anxiety and feel it was unfair.
I was in a union and felt that they didn't help me.
Am I being unreasonable to think this is unfair?
I didn't have months off sick and had been back working full time for four months at the time of my dismissal.
I started working there when I was 17 and was dismissed when I was 42.
I can't seem to get over it.
Sorry for the long post.

This doesn’t sound fair at all. Did you leave the roll within the last three months? If so, you can take it to acas and potentially take it to court. I would fight this because it sounds like you gave pretty much your whole adult life for them just for them to treat you like absolute shit. Of course you’ll be traumatised from being in that job. I hope you get a resolution that you’re satisfied with.

Have you thought about making a SAR request?

I’m sure your employ did follow correct process, but it doesn’t read right to me from what you have shared. That isn’t me saying I think you’re making anything up, just I work in HR and what you have experienced doesn’t fit with best practice based on the information shared here.

How long is “a good few years”? You worked there for 25ish years, how long before your dismissal had you stopped working as a 999 call operator?

Can you not just apply for other similar roles if that’s what you enjoy? I think I would put my energy into my recovery and my future as I don’t think it will help you to keep dwelling on what’s gone before.

Sounds like they may have based their decision on what went on before. Maybe you have a case against them.

Experienced HR bod here, a few questions to consider:

• Were the absences documented clearly as work related anxiety?
• Were you signed off for any of these periods by your GP?
• Do you have a diagnosis of anxiety disorder or depression? Or treated medically for these e.g. antidepressants/anti anxiety medication and/or referred by GP for talking therapy/CBT.
• Did you request/were you offered any reasonable adjustments?
• Were you offered appropriate support within the role e.g. debriefing, buddying, mentoring
• Did you have a return to work meeting following each period of absence?
• Were you allowed a phased return following any periods of absence or offered reduced hours/redeployment?
• Were you given a structured plan of expectations of attendance at each stage AND details of support/training etc that could and would in place to help you achieve these?
• Did you have an occupational health assessment?
• Did the OH assessment report say you were or were not fit for work? Did OH provide indications of likelihood of future absences? Did it provide your employer with specific recommendations to support your attendance at work or sugestions for redeployment to an alternative role etc.

I would expect all of these to be done and every avenue exhausted before you were dismissed. Especially as they are following a graduated process with HR and your union was involved.

If your absences were clearly recorded as work related anxiety and an OH assessment wasn't carried out, you may have a case for unfair dismissal and disability discrimination, and potentially work injury if improper support in the role has caused disabling anxiety!

However you would need to get proper advice from an employment lawyer as to whether you have a case and what the next steps would be.

It is highly unlikely that you will be reinstated, (if you even wanted to go back after this!) but if you have been wrongfully dismissed and your anxiety could be considered a disability which hasnt been taken into account, you may be eligible for compensation etc.

However IF they have followed the processes to the letter, AND it has been determined by appropriate medical professionals that you are not fit for work in that role, then this should have been explicitly explained to you, compassionately, by HR and your union rep.

Another q is were you still in a probationary period in your new role or was it considered continuous employment? This MAY be relevan IF your appointment into that role was contingent on satisfactory record/recommendation/reference from your previous role.

Something has gone awry somewhere - whichever it is and I am so sorry you've been through such an awful experience.

Definitely seek legal advice and good luck x

Experienced HR bod here, a few questions to consider:

• Were the absences documented clearly as work related anxiety?
• Were you signed off for any of these periods by your GP?
• Do you have a diagnosis of anxiety disorder or depression? Or treated medically for these e.g. antidepressants/anti anxiety medication and/or referred by GP for talking therapy/CBT.
• Did you request/were you offered any reasonable adjustments?
• Were you offered appropriate support within the role e.g. debriefing, buddying, mentoring
• Did you have a return to work meeting following each period of absence?
• Were you allowed a phased return following any periods of absence or offered reduced hours/redeployment?
• Were you given a structured plan of expectations of attendance at each stage AND details of support/training etc that could and would in place to help you achieve these?
• Did you have an occupational health assessment?
• Did the OH assessment report say you were or were not fit for work? Did OH provide indications of likelihood of future absences? Did it provide your employer with specific recommendations to support your attendance at work or sugestions for redeployment to an alternative role etc.

I would expect all of these to be done and every avenue exhausted before you were dismissed. Especially as they are following a graduated process with HR and your union was involved.

If your absences were clearly recorded as work related anxiety and an OH assessment wasn't carried out, you may have a case for unfair dismissal and disability discrimination, and potentially work injury if improper support in the role has caused disabling anxiety!

However you would need to get proper advice from an employment lawyer as to whether you have a case and what the next steps would be.

It is highly unlikely that you will be reinstated, (if you even wanted to go back after this!) but if you have been wrongfully dismissed and your anxiety could be considered a disability which hasnt been taken into account, you may be eligible for compensation etc.

However IF they have followed the processes to the letter, AND it has been determined by appropriate medical professionals that you are not fit for work in that role, then this should have been explicitly explained to you, compassionately, by HR and your union rep.

Another q is were you still in a probationary period in your new role or was it considered continuous employment? This MAY be relevan IF your appointment into that role was contingent on satisfactory record/recommendation/reference from your previous role.

Something has gone awry somewhere - whichever it is and I am so sorry you've been through such an awful experience.

Definitely seek legal advice and good luck x

When this happened is also a key question as the time limits for bringing employment claims are both limited and strictly applied.

Do you have Legal Cover on your house insurance? I was in your position and did. I had a 51% chance (or higher) of winning an unfair dismissal case, so they took it on, I think in the end it cost me around £100.

Note: cover has to pre-exist dismissal.

I won.

Sounds like a capability issue. If someone is not able to do the job anymore for whatever reason then employers can let them go.

Unfortunately you'd probably heard and absorbed too much to function anymore. The only thing I wonder is if you could sue them for failing in their duty of care towards you.

This is what I wanted to say.

I have no knowledge of employment law but morally this feels so wrong. I feel you were let down.

As a society we need to look after those who experience terrible things to look after us all.

Thank you. You are truly awesome. Xxx

Be proud of all you have done, all those you have helped and then be kind to yourself with the same compassion and patience that you, showed to others when they called for help and spoke with you. Be grateful that you no longer have to work in an environment which puts your mental health at risk every day, and rejoice in the fact that you are now free from the traumas which you were continually exposed too. Maybe you could reframe the dismissal. You could have quit a long time ago but you didn’t, and maybe you should have done to protect yourself. Be thankful the police recognised it was no longer the right job for you, and dismissed you to release you from the ongoing trauma you were experiencing as you would have continued to expose yourself to that if they hadn’t.

I thought this research may help you be kind to yourself

Police officers are exposed to a high volume of traumatic events, with estimates ranging from 400 to 600 over an average career, compared to only 3-4 for the general population.
Approximately 90-95% of officers report exposure to such events, resulting in PTSD rates nearly five times higher than the general public.
These traumatic experiences, including violence and accidents, often lead to higher rates of mental health difficulties, including depression and anxiety.
Unlike single-event trauma, policing causes a "dripping tap effect" of daily, minor, and major incidents that accumulate over time.

I am sorry this happened to you.

Before the 4 months, were you performing well? No absence?

I worked for the police and suffered anxiety and a breakdown.. if you are visiting occupational health and explaining the reasons why you’re anxious, providing doctors notes and fully co operating they should be putting things in place to ease your anxiety, for example re deployment. Unison didn’t do a fat lot for me tbh..
have you had a phased return? Been offered psychological help at all? If not I would be going back to the union rep to see if they can fight your corner in that respect..

OP I think what would help everyone understands is if you explain your absence a bit more. You've explained you'd been back working FT for 4 months when dismissed but what had happened before that? How much absence had you had, was it in a continuous block as signed off by your GP as unfit for work, or were you taking a lot of ad hoc days?

OP everyone has jumped into you taking action in some way against the dismissal but this doesn’t seem either the obvious or right course of action, particularly for your anxiety.
my sister resigned from the police after 30 years. Also started as a call handler ended up working in CSA (all admin) she left due to the stress but had counselling at various stages provided by her force.

its a really difficult one. They are very hard jobs but there isn’t the money or culture to genuinely support mental wellbeing.

what are you doing for your health, are you having counselling now? Medication?

do you have a new job?

wishing you healing x

I feel for you.
Generally these threads are full of people paid to be off sick for years and never get actually dismissed.
I would feel aggrieved in your shoes . Could you join some sort of support group if fighting your case feels too much? Although it sounds like you should have a case as you don’t appear to have done anything wrong.

Another (senior) HR bod here.

Did you appeal the dismissal? How long ago is “a few months” as you may well be out of time for a tribunal claim (3 months minus 1 day from the dismissal).

I am really sorry this happened to you... @Endoadnowarrior has asked some pertinent questions which I am sure will help, get some advice and see if you have a claim against the force.

I hope you are getting support irl and can take the opportunity to rest and reset considering your options going forward

As someone who suffered burn out and compassion fatigue and ended up leaving a job I loved. I would encourage you to focus on your future. You will have incredible transferable skills that many other roles would love.
I have moments where I am angry that I was treated badly, but ultimately the management is still in place so it could have ended up being ground hog day. I have taken my skills to other organisations who really value them and generally am much happier for it.

Sounds like it was no longer the job for you. Take it as an opportunity to move on to something that better suits you now. There are plenty of less stressful jobs around that would use your skills in call
handling.

How long ago (exactly) were you dismissed? You only have three months less a day to claim unfair dismissal. You can start that process yourself online today by completing a simple Early Conciliation form online with ACAS. If it was longer ago than that you have no recourse.

Did you appeal your dismissal?

How much time did you have off in the 12 months before you returned to work?

Did you union consider of the anxiety was a result of a work related injury? If the anxiety was directly caused by the work then surely there was a different approach available?

You had burnout so it was the right thing for you, the universe has saved you, take a break and decide what you really want to do, look after you for once and not everyone else, well done on your years of service