occupational health record - panicking a bit

[fakeears]

I had 1 part-time job with a public sector employer. In the New Year, I took on a second part-time job, this time with the NHS. I love my two jobs, but unfort the public sector one is temp, so will soon need to look for new post.

Unfortunately I've had some time off sick - one day for the public sector, 4 in the NHS. They are separate incidents (was sent home by manager for flu; had an accident; two days for an operation). I am under investigation for ongoing symptoms and frankly panicking. Obviously I want to be honest, so would appreciate thoughts on:

If I applied for another role in NHS or the current public sector role, would I have to declare sickness in both jobs? This might sound strange, but I had read the form as 'ever been sick for 'us' (NHS or public sector role).

Occy Health have said if I have one more day's sickness, I'll find it hard to get an NHS interview (our Trust has a 'no more than 4 days' policy). So they suggest I take any further investigations/operations as annual leave. And even delay the investigations. Which I'm considering, though very worried about my health.

I should say that my two managers have great respect for my work and my conscientiousness - they trust my commitment - but that's kind of irrelevant.

Many thanks in advance

I'm sorry, your Trust has a policy of not interviewing candidates for jobs if they have more than 4 days off sick in a year? Seriously?!

Well that's a claim waiting to happen if that's really the case.

I don't know anything about NHS recruitment procedures or forms, so I can't help you with your specific query but I'm just astonished if that is Trust policy, I really am.

Relieved you are shocked - so am I.

I receive jobs via the nhs website. On all the person specs I've looked at so far, under physical requirements of the job it says:

Sickness absence should not
exceed more than four
occasions in the past 12
months of employment (or
previous employment).

I could pm you the link if you like (though appreciate you may have better ways of spending your time)

Come to think of it, I think this would exclude a large prop of population, surely?

Tbh I was also shocked at Occupational Health, since they 1) didn't seem to think this was unreasonable 2) were happy to suggest that I postpone investigations/take them as holiday

To my mind it reads 4 separate occasions. So you've had two.

Think it's quite shocking.

The Equality Act specifically prohibits asking health questions in recruitment unless it is genuinely to establish whether someone can carry out a "function that is intrinsic to the work", or to establish whether someone needs reasonable adjustments.

So if for example, the job required a lot of heavy lifting, it would be fine to ask whether someone has any condition which prohibits that and whether they required any reasonable adjustments to comply with those requirements.

But having a blanket rule that no one with more than 4 incidences of sickness absence (for whatever reason) in the last year would be in direct contravention of that section of the Equality Act and would also be indirect discrimination against disabled candidates who are more likely to have had absence, and women who have been pregnant recently and are more likely to have had absence.

It's also stupid from a recruitment point of view, because as you identify, it eliminates from the possible pool of candidates a large portion of the population.

Moreis, I've had 4 altogether - 1 in one job, 3 in the other -but all legitimate.

flowery, the job would be largely office based :-)

I'm really glad that you are shocked. I'm a good worker. I've had glowing personal reviews. I've just had bad luck with my health recently.

I don't think I will pursue opportunities with that Trust

I'm NHS and been told i can categorically not take annual leave if I'm sick or having surgery.

It's 4 occasions in 12 months (not days in a row)

Thanks, Chesty

So I think that you have been employed for 4 months and are heading for a stage one sickness absence procedure and you are part time ?
Is that what at your manager is getting at?
Writing it down like that sounds bad, but I wouldn't let it put you off applying for nhs jobs. To be fair recruiters don't see your sickness record, and your absences are easily explained 2 days for an op is not bad.