Interview for new job, but bad sickness record.

[RicciardoPerez]

I have an interview next week for a post in the NHS which involves line management for 10 staff. I do have a good shot for it as I match all the criteria, so it essentially comes down on how I perform and prep for the interview.

I had a chat with the hiring manager and it was a really good chat, he really encouraged me to apply, so I did.

Anyway, I am a migraine sufferer with my anxiety as a trigger. I came back from Maternity Leave in December 2022 and since then I have been off 7 times. 6 episodes are with migraines and 1 episode (of around 35 days) with anxiety. Work were very supportive and when doing work place stress assessments, it was deemed that the toxic environment in which I work in was the root cause for that long term absence. I am undergoing investigations with the GP for my migraines now and trialling various medications. So far, no change yet.

Anyway, IF I am the successful candidate, in the NHS, one of the questions on the reference form asks for absences over the last 2 years. I am worried my record will ruin it for me.

My question is, do I mention it before or during the interview, or IF I am offered the job, at the time of the verbal offer BEFORE my reference checks are done. I'd rather be honest and give him a heads up.

I do not think you have to answer any questions until they have been asked.

NHS recruiting clinician here.

Do not mention it at all.

If you are successful, it will be requested via references.

You may be referred to occ health - but in the overall scheme of things these absences are not a massive cause for concern.

Have you been asked to fill in a health questionnaire? If so that's the place to mention this. Answer any questions honestly but don't offer more than asked for at the moment.

As you say the NHS reference asks for absences in last 2 years. 7 episodes of absence in 9 months is a lot and when your reference comes through you will likely be send to Occupational Health. They can then get full details of your medical problems, details of treatment you have had and what steps you are taking to improve your health. They will be looking to see if you require any adjustments to the role and that your high sickness absences are not going to be an ongoing problem.

Wait and see if you're offered the post.

It is a lot of sickness but then they can do their assessments and make decisions.

I'm surprised 7 episodes of sickness in seven months wouldn't be of concern even for the NHS.

Ex-NHS HR Director. Have certainly supported managers to withdraw job offers for unmanageable levels of sickness previously, but only after discussion with the individual to understand what they’re doing to try and manage any conditions.

are the migraines linked to hormones?

I agree with @OnceAgainWithFeeling have you tracked whether there is a hormone relationship. I used to get them at ovulation and premenstrually. I got put on a pill that stops the cycle, no periods, no ovulation and no migraines. I went from 20 a year to 2 a year.

They spiked again pre menopause but are a bit better with hrt.

Hopefully they'll be gone forever once menopause is over 😊

Especially as one of those absences totalled 35 days.

It must vary from trust to trust but I'm a recruiting clinician in the NHS and it would cause concern for me and most clinicians I know.

BUT it wouldn't be a reason to automatically exclude, the context of the sickness episodes and the role they've applied for will be taken into consideration.

I've had long periods of work-related sickness in the past which resolved once I removed myself from certain areas of work. And I'm an excellent practitioner who since then, have had a below average sickness record for 4 years.

I've also recruited people people with 'bad' sickness records into the right role for them with the appropriate adjustments who excelled. Also have recruited someone with a bad sickness record who went on to cause lots of problems.

But on the whole, it's been more about the right role with right adjustments (if required) and adequate support meaning those people excell.

Thanks for the replies so far :)

I have kept diaries in the past as instructed by GP and Occupational Health and there is no link to ovulation/menstruation, same applies to food etc. My migraines have significantly increased since I returned from Maternity due to the bullying I am experiencing within the department, but lately, I have bought new glasses with anti glare (the blue light tint) and I have turned off the light above my desk and have more natural light which keeps them at bay, but when I have episodes of the bullying, I get very anxious which in turn, triggers a migraine.

I very rarely get a migraine at home, with only 1 migraine during my 1 year Maternity Leave.

Occupational Health have confirmed it sounds work related.

I’ve recruited people (in the NHS, non clinical) with bad sickness records but on both occasions we’ve been able to get to a relatively simple root cause of what the problem was (both ongoing medical things) and we simply had occupational health assess and write up whether any allowances had to be made. We also adjusted what was a reasonable number of occurrences per year (the standard is 3, one member of staff had a higher level, and for the other I was allowed to ignore any occurrences linked to her condition).

I’m not sure on what conditions I wouldn’t hire someone. I suppose if they weren’t doing anything to manage or mitigate sickness. Or weren’t being cooperative.

Then it'll come down to what aspects of your work trigger them?

If it's the stress of managing people then this is likely to not be the role for you. Or if it's VDU related and most of your work will be VDU. But if it's related to other things, you could be an excellent candidate.

@SisterwifesofAUB I am being bullied and constantly undermined that I have to prove my worth and ability on a daily basis. I am good at my job, heck, my achievements of what I do prove that! I just have 3 employees who think I'm crap and try to belittle me and go out of their way to pull me up. I'm stressed having to prove I can do my job. I shouldn't have to do that after 4 years in a job... I have excellent relationships with staff outside of my department and I know I will make a brilliant manager.

Are you doing anything about the bullying?

@OnceAgainWithFeeling I have brought it up with my manager who has consulted HR. HR advised mediation which they have all refused. I have since moved desks, but the bullying is still happening. I have been told I need to raise a formal grievance, but advised that it won't improve the attitudes etc and likely to cause more resentment towards me.

I feel the only way to get better is to leave.

But I do want this job, I know I can do it and I'd be a brilliant fit.

Have you worked in the NHS before? If you're prone to stress related migraines then it might not be the place for you....
Managing 10 people is a lot so the chances of you getting a bad egg or 2 is pretty high.

What support have you accessed outside of work?

I work in the NHS and regularly recruit. That level of sickness would be a concern so I would want to be very clear what you had done to remedy, and how this intersected with your current workplace support etc

@Allchangepls I have worked in the NHS for 10 years :)

I have had private counselling outside of the NHS regarding my anxiety and it was mostly around my current work.

Worth mentioning that before I was in my current post, I was 'lucky' to have migraines at most 2/3 times a year...

Don’t underestimate the stress of becoming a manager. Have you done any management training? It’s completely different to being a team member.

How many days off in total have you had since coming back from mat leave? I might have misunderstood your first post-have I got it right that you've had 7 episodes, and one of those episodes was for 35 days? How many days total for the other 6?

@Allchangepls total is 44 days

I think your issue with an OH assessment is going to be how can they provide reassurance to the hiring manager your absence due to migraines won't be an ongoing issue if you run into difficulties with the staff you will be managing?

If there is something in a workplace which is exacerbating a health condition it would generally be advised a new job role limits exposure to this risk. You cannot do that with managing people if your condition is triggered by behaviour of the people you manage.
The staff could be fine at the moment but new starts could come in and cause you issues.

Thinking aloud, if it were thought to be post natal anxiety (perhaps because you included the words 'Anxiety (Post Natal)', the 35 days could be completely excluded from consideration.

That then takes you to 6 migraines in 18 months where the support of Occy Health identified environmental factors such as lighting and workstation ergonomics (ie, shit chair affecting posture) in order to reduce the frequency.

So you're managing people and 3 of them think you're crap and are bullying you? And the stress of that causes you to be off sick with migraine and anxiety?

But you're applying for a new job managing people?

Honestly, that might be a factor that a recruitment clinician considers.

Of course it could absolutely be the case you're unfortunately leading a team with 3 bad eggs but 3 is still a lot of people who are complaining about you and your management.

The problem will be that managing others is stressful. You could have an awkward character in the new job that may well cause you stress. In many ways being a manager causes stress.