Return to teaching

[Wolfiefan]

I am hoping to return to my job after a long period of absence due to stress/depression/anxiety. There has been mention of an "interview" on my return.
Does anyone have any experience of this? What should I expect?

Needless to say I'm anxious.
Shameless bump!

Hi any absence of a reasonable length in any job usually has an official "return to work interview" - no idea what it is in teaching but in some jobs it is a face to face meeting with a manager to check they are doing everything to assist a phased return, to ask questions on both sides. It is meeting to check you can have the job, if you have the job but been off ill. As occupational health will have been involved on behalf of employer and cleared a person for return or should have.

Never seen occupational health. I was told I would need to refer myself but no one actually ever told me how!

Oh how strange. In my job I had 4 weeks signed off with depression on my note and work referred me. Most helpful as work were not making it easy for me and they really made work reduce their pressure on me, reduced duties, ensured no one at work made it difficult to return and liaised with work about my based return - as work were pushing for me to do more than OH said. Why not phone up school secretary and ask for contact details for self referral?

I've had one in the past. It was fine. They asked what they could do to support me on my return. Sometimes you can get a phased (part time or reduced duties) return - but beware, when you're signed off the sick you are declaring you are fit to do every part of your job.

Occupational Health in teaching, I was told by my headteacher in one or our less pleasant meetings, is the school's way of gaining evidence in case they need to dismiss you for incompetence. Anxiety is a disability which is sufficient to prevent a teacher from being able to do the job properly (you can tell, I've been all through this).

I fought them for years. Years. But the last five years they put real effort into making it impossible for me to do my job, so I've resigned. No job from 1 September, and until then, off sick.

You need to get the union onside now, before you return. Maybe everything will go well. But if your school is like mine (or is mine, even, as we are anonymous here) you'll need an advocate in due course. I didn't have one. Other events in my life went tits up and I stopped fighting.

Good luck. I got seventeen years pay for seventeen years work, and it was better than I'd have earned in a shop or office. They beat me in the end, but I finished paying for my daughter's education, paid for her wedding, and hopefully will very soon have paid off my mortgage. I'm only bitter if pressed. :)