work

[rayb]

can anyone advise.
ive just been turned down for a job as a ta(I'm a qualified sen hlta) because over the past 2 years ive had 12 weeks off according to my references. 8 weeks of that I had a finger amputation, 2 weeks when my father took his own life and the rest was when my son was sick.
is this fair? I explained the reasons for me absences but was still turned down, despite being the best person for the job. can I take this further?

They are all significant issues of which anyone would take time off. However I doubt you have any recourse to take it further. If they struggled to fill the job then they may have looked differently at this but if not then they won't. Sorry for your loss op

Their reason for deciding not to offer you the job was not discriminatory from what you've describe so you would not have anything to use as rationale to challenge their decision.

It would be worth asking them for interview feedback as there could be aspects of your performance you aren't aware are weak points. Given the severity of your absences, there is a possibility their decision not to hire you wasn't just about attendance. They may not be convinced about your fit, and the absenteeism just double underlined their decision.

I think you'd only have recourse if their original job offer was unconditional. If they did make it conditional (stated in the offer letter that job was offered subject to satisfactory references etc) then I don't think there is anything you can do.