OH phonecall for provisional job

[Vanillalime]

Hi there,

I was made redundant last summer but I have a provisional job offer with the civil service & am due to receive a call from Occupational Health.

Basically, I filled out the health questionnaire when I applied for the job & I ticked the box to say I had suffered from stress & had been signed off work.

Obviously this has triggered the follow up call from an outside OH agency to ask questions about my sickness.

The reason i was signed off work was due to work related stress as a result of bullying from my manager. This was December 2014 for a 4 week absence. However, I feel like I don't want to tell OH that this is the reason. I would rather say it was due to the stress of the impeding redundancy as I feel that it is less embarrassing.

My husband says to just tell the truth. He thinks that if I say I was stressed because of the redundancy then that would maybe raise questions about whether I am able to cope with stressful situations in this new role.

I have never spoken to OH before & my stomach is in knots about what they will ask. I have been having stomach cramps just writing this!! :(
What sort of questions will they ask & what answers do I give?

Thanks x

Whatever they ask, tell them. You have nothing to be ashamed of.

You don't have to give consent for them to contact your GP or have access to your medical records; you can tick the 'No' box there. They will therefore go on what you tell them.

I was terrified of going to OH, but in my experience and in other cases I know, they were very much on the side of the employee and it wasn't unpleasant at all.

And ask to see the report before it gets sent. That made me feel more in control.

Thanks clonakiltylil.

I phoned the OH company back today and they have booked me in for a preemployment medical check next week.

I've had a good think about it & I think honesty is the best policy. It's just the actual questions that Im feeling anxious about now. I keep googling looking for a list of questions but there are none to be found, making me feel even more scared!!

I know I'll feel fine after the call, it's just the waiting & overthinking :(

I'm an OH nurse sitting at home calling people similar to you!

Nothing to worry about at all. You have a single occasion of stress due to a particular incident.

It won't impact on your future job at all. The OH person should submit a fitness certificate saying that you fit to do the job.

Thanks Bombaybunty.

That's made me feel a bit better about things :)

I definitely am fit to do the job. Since being made redundant, I feel like my old self again & I suppose my fear is that dredging up the past will make me feel worse again. I hate the fact that my boss made me feel this way & that he is still somehow managing to impact my life.

I'm glad I have nothing to worry about.

Hi,

Just wanted to update this thread I case it may help someone in the future.

I received my phonecall from Occupational Health today. As previous posters had said, it was really nothing to worry about. The lady asked me the reason for my absence from work & I was honest & said I had been off with work related stress due to bullying from my manager. She asked if he was the reason I had left the job & I said no. She asked if I had been prescribed medication & I said yes & told her the medication.

She then said that she would let my new job know that I was fit for work & to take care.

The whole thing lasted about 3 minutes.

Fingers crossed I get a start date soon x

So pleased for you, glad it went well.
Occupational health nurses are quite nice really! I speak to so many people who are terrified of us!!!