Notice period stressful job 😫

[Kbop82]

Hi
I am Nurse working in an acute trust, I have worked in the same team for a few years. I went full time in January due to the cost of living which gavr me a very welcome uplift and solved my financial issues.
But the added stress as I have also had to learn a new role with the extra hours, has led to me having time off with migraines and now the worst period pain of my life (I'm in my late 30s, so I know my body).
I have recently been offered a job close to home full time same band as I am currently.
It will cut an hour off my commute to and from work. I'll be able to take my daughter to and from school myself, using wrap around school care. Which will mean I don't have to relie on my parents anymore (single parent). I am nervous, but hopeful for the future I know community nursing is extremely stressful as well, and it is a desk based job.

My big issue is I'm in my notice period in my current job, and I am struggling to keep going into work everyday. I have a few weeks left and then I have 3 weeks off before I start my new role. (My savings and some annual leave money to cover the gap). I'm not sleeping, as I said my migraines have come back, my body aches and now I'm getting crippling period pains. I am debating getting signed off with stress, as I'm sure this is all related. It's as though my body can feel this is coming to an end and isn't as pent up with anxiety anymore, with the sick time I've recently had off, my colleagues are already losing patience with me. So if I go off with stress I think they will be relieved when I finally leave.

I feel v torn, as a part of me would never have gone full time if I had realised how it was going to affect me and especially my DD. Who it feels I have hardly seen due to the twelve hour shifts since January. It's affecting her behaviour, which is part of the reason I've taken the Community role.
But if I hadn't have gone full time I'm not sure we would have held on financially. I now have a small amount of savings as well.
I am also concerned about carrying over my sick record to my new employer
Advice pls.

If I was concerned about my sick record going to my new employer then I'd just carry on at work and rest for the 3 weeks you have off afterwards.

she has already secured the position. They cannot discriminate based on sick leave occurring after the offer of the position. I doubt very much it would make any difference.

I think for the sake of three weeks, you should do the decent thing and work your notice. If you have a migraine or a period pain, stay at home that day.

Could you tell me on what grounds they cannot discriminate based on sick leave of any sort - before or after the offer??? Because they quite definitely CAN! What you doubt and what is a fact for the new employer are not actually the same thing.

OP, this is very bad advice based on no legal knowledge. It is possible that going off sick will not influence the offer you have. It is also possible that it could - especially if both are NHS (or associated) employers, because your record for sickness / leave etc will follow you.

If you genuinely have such concerns then listen to the other advice - three weeks will pass in no time, so hang on in there and get a good rest in between the two roles.

I hope the new job works out well for you.

They absolutely can (this doesn’t sound like it meets the disability definition set out in the Equality Act 2010 which would be what you rely on if claiming discrimination) before an unconditional offer is made. A conditional offer will be based on references, including sickness absence, being acceptable, along with other checks.

Without wanting to cause you more stress.. The three weeks off between jobs... have you checked if that impacts on your continuous service? It probably will (usually only a week is allowed for NHS) and may mean that you are on worse T&Cs in your new job e.g fewer holiday days etc.

As a HR Director that has worked in the NHS I’ll tell you respectfully that this is complete bollocks. You’re welcome.

This is a very good point.

I wouldn’t be taking 3 weeks off between roles if you can help it, OP.

https://nhsbsa-live.powerappsportals.com/knowledgebase/article/KA-23759/en-us

Yes I have it won't affect my annual leave as that's based on reckonable service, I've also been told the same for my sickness. My pension is also out of step anyway because I had time off for mat leave and then worked part time until recently. T

I have already had it in writing. Otherwise I would bring my start date forward.

I think I would double check that. The point raised by others is a good one - reckonable service usually requires continuous service as well, and a break of 3 weeks would break continuous service for us (I'm not NHS so their rules may be different). It may be that you are actually taking annual leave for part of that three weeks, which wouldn't break service if the gap was a week or less. But if it is a gap of over a week I'd double check and prefereably get it in writing that your service isn't broken. It's not just about leave entitlment either - it would be about employment protection as well.

Cross posted - if you have it in writing then that's ok.

I have it in writing and I have also checked with my union, plus if you scroll to the bottom of this link that was pinned. It actually says it too. https://nhsbsa-live.powerappsportals.com/knowledgebase/article/KA-23759/en-us

Are you getting some help with your period pain/investigations if it's recently got significantly worse? There could be something else going on?

You’re starting again for employment and redundancy rights though. Or if your role is made redundant within 2 years you won’t get redundancy pay. Depending on how much service you have now that could be very painful if not absolutely necessary.

That is a HUGE disbenefit OP!

If you are dismissed for almost any reason - or if you are forced to resign (bullying etc? - you don't know how the new job will play out) - then you will have next to no rights to claim unfair dismissal; and you can be made redundant at the drop of a hat with no comeback and no redundancy pay. Is three weeks off worth that loss?

I was made redundant ten yrs ago and due to a previous break in service I did miss out on redundancy. But, and this is going to sound a bit arrogant, within the 90 days period we had to go through I had another job.

My concern is the sickness, as that could cause me issues, carrying it over to another employer or losing the post because of it. Everything else is manageable to a certain extend.

*extent

I am concerned that you are being very short-sighted here - continuous service is like gold in the bank, and you won't have any. But yes, if you are giving up continuous service - and it sounds like you are locked into dates now and have no options - then I would absolutely not be taking any more sick leave, and definitely not three weeks worth. I can't comment on your employer, but where I work (also public sector) that would put you firmly into absence managemet processes, OH reviews - and you have no employment protection at all. So they don't even have to be "fair" about it. They can just let you go.

Tomorrow I'm off to the gp, my mum wants me to see abouta scan or some investigations.

Your first sickness absence in the next job could see you out and there would be nothing you could do about it.