Off sick and manager wants to have a catchup?

[Applerumbles]

I’ve been off sick from work with MH issues for well over a year.
My line manager has just emailed to ask tor a catchup call to see how I am and what they can do to support me.
I can’t face talking to him (or anyone really) so would it be ok to say that I’m not well enough for a call and that I am still getting medical treatment for my illness?
Im not sure he should be contacting me if I am off sick and providing fitnotes?

I’ve just looked at the policy my employer has. They definitely don’t pay out if you no longer work for the company. It stops when you resign, or are dismissed, or if you retire. That makes sense to me as, if a policy covered all employees right up until they retired even if they were no longer employed by me, that would be a very expensive policy. In theory you could start working for a company when you were 18, go off sick when you were 21, and be paid by them for another 50 years I suspect the policy ends on termination, or has a term limit. I also suspect OP knows that and this is why they don’t want to engage.

The implication seems to be the employer should just be taking a back seat, this is no skin of their nose, she’s being paid by an insurance company. That isn’t a fair reflection of the situation. The employer can’t just have someone long term sick on the books and do absolutely nothing about it. I’ll bet their insurance premiums have risen too.

Yes you do need to tell your employer why you're off work. Presumably they know though as you've been sending in sick notes?

You’ve done all she suggested then?

Yes income protection insurance policies exist that pay up to retirement and they are expensive

sorry that you’ve been struggling for so long OP. Definitely speak with your Union Rep. Occupational Health in my limited experience are just medics who assess and will be aware so hopefully be patient with you. Are you under Adult Mental Health Health services with the Local Authority? If you are so unwell that verbal communication is distressing then you absolutely need to have an advocate. Obviously not knowing your persons circumstances and the involvement you’ve had from mental health teams it’s difficult but you don’t have to do this alone. Having said that depending on where you are in the uk (assuming you’re in the Uk) mental health services and demands differ on location. Do you have support from family or friends who could help you look into options for advocacy?

If the OP had cancer no one on here would
be interrogating whether she’d had chemo

No, but there would be reasonable assumptions made that someone with cancer had engaged fully with their treatment

mental illness is different - often the illness creates solutions that maintain the illness and are a barrier to feeling better -

@2024onwardsandup

So people are not allowed to be solution focused because it doesn’t align with your views and experiences of MH?

Indeed they can ask the questions- it is ok you know?!

They are being helpful yet through your own perception you cannot see that

What are you talking about??

I think you just need to know where you stand re: this insurance income you are receiving. You say your company don’t offer ill health retirement? But even with IHR, you have to apply. You will need your GP to share medical records, OH will assign an independent medical practitioner to look over them
and your psychiatrist will likely need to input information too. Then you are either accepted or declined.

Often there are one of three tiers to be awarded for IHR( particularly in the NHS and Education. Tier one pays your pension pot as if you had worked until 67 ( or what ever your retirement age is). This income protection, it won’t be free money until you retire. There has to be stipulations surely? Otherwise, it makes the whole system very unfair. Some just carry on getting paid, no questions asked. Whilst others ( me included ) are subjected to 3 weekly phone call catch ups and regular contact with HR and union rep. But to me, that feels right because how else will I be guided into the IHR process and draw a line under my LTA?

I’m too scared to engage with NHS MH services after traumatic experiences being sectioned and medicated against my will in the past. Thankfully I have very supportive private psychiatrist and therapist now which I am very grateful for.

The OP is entitled to be paid until retirement if she is too sick to work because that is that the insurance policy the employer paid for covers

@2024onwardsandup

you haven’t actually seen the policy so you don’t know what the small print says - be wise not to make assumptions on this

I’m aware nhs mental health services can be lacking and inpatient stays …. Very tough / awful

good to hear you’ve sourced good private care - that will be costing u a fortune - so make sure u are jumping through those bureaucratic hoops to keep getting your insurance payments !!

@Quitelikeit agree. There is ALWAYS small print to be read.

I have company private medical insurance too, thankfully so it isn’t costing me anything at the moment.

That’s another thing potentially to ask about if you haven’t already - how long does that continue if you aren’t actively at work.

@Applerumbles if your private company insurance pays for limitless therapy and psychiatrist I am surprised that when you were admitted to a ward that you did not use your policy cover?

As these work place policies do include psych hospital admission too where they include psychiatric cover?

My most recent inpatient stay was on a private ward but I have been on NHS wards in the past

I know that.

You are able to communicate well on this thread so just do the same with your employer.

Texting on an anonymous forum is completely different to speaking about my MH with a manager I have never spoken to before.

Try not to worry about your manager. Don't listen to what other people have said about them. It doesn't matter that you've never met them as I imagine any meeting in person will not just be the two of you. Why have you not met them. Are they new to the role. They will not go into details about your health. It might just be a simple catch up to ask how you are and go through any help and options they can offer.

Have you seen your employers occupational health services? They absolutely should have sent you here. They write a report and send to your employer so you almost have a second opinion and a written confirmation of any reasonable adjustments to enable you to return to work when you are ready. There are occasions when you can be medically discharged from your employer but they would need to follow the supporting attendance process. Have you been through this as given the amount of time off, you absolutely should have. They are unable to employ someone on a permanent basis to cover your position, this is detrimental to them so it's wise to engage with them on a very low level. You could even do the OCC health report and say that you'd prefer communication in writing. I have had to contact the police on several occasions for employees who have absolutely disengaged from any communication with the company. They may do a self and we'll check if they cannot contact you or your next of kin. I absolutely appreciate that you don't want to speak to them but it's far better to be clear about what you can and can't cope with. Even if it's an email check in. I've never in my 20 years of HR heard of anyone being off longer than a year or so with all the benefits for years and years. It's just not practical.

EA should also have employee assistance programmes you can access.