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.

Ok so as an approximation there have been 190 'working' (as in Monday to Fridays) between the start of Dec to now, of which 9 of those including today have been bank holidays. That brings us to 181 days of which you've been off for 44.
Roughly therefore you've been off sick 25% of the time.

What is your sick record like in the 2 years preceding mat leave?

Why would post natal anxiety be disregarded?

@SisterwifesofAUB sorry, I'm not line managing now. This new post would be.

Very low sick rate - Looking back at my diary - since I've been in this job, (all before maternity), 4 days and they were all migraines.

This would worry me. Are they not asking for management experience?

Pregnancy related tends not to be included in sickness triggers within the NHS - as it is a protected characteristic. so say for example, when I was pregnant, say i was off for something pregnancy related such as pelvic girdle pain, or hyperemesis, then it would not form part of your sickness record for trigger periods.

It's marked as desirable on the job description and was also discussed in my enquiry chat with the hiring manager. It is a band 5 position and I am currently in a band 5 role, my role has no line management experience, but does have staff training. so whilst it is seen as a side step, it is actually a role to help me develop.

Definitely don’t mention it in the interview. You need to get the job on merit.

It’s an interesting point on the sickness record. I work for a council (very closely with the nhs) and we don’t provide sickness information in references. The nhs always ask and I decline to mention. You can tell your referee that you don’t consent to this information being shared.

You absolutely should cooperate with an OH referral if you get the job though and you will have a probationary period to demonstrate your capability - this will include medical capability and sickness/absence monitoring.

I hope this works out well for you!

Post-natal sickness is not pregnancy related.

Sorry, replied to the wrong post.

As a recruiting manager I think I would be taking your sick leave history pre mat leave into consideration.

As an aside I am struggling to think of a role I've come across whereby there is expectation on a B5 to manage that number of people. At any band actually it's a huge amount and not really realistic. I would suggest asking them at interview how the post holder will be supported with this.

You can't have it unless you've been pregnant.

True. But you can also have it for years. Along with other issues caused by pregnancy. There aren’t grounds to exclude that.

I don't understand why your manager isn't supporting you to raise a grievance if you are being bullied. Why aren't they managing the bullies? What changed when you were off for 35 days?

Do you think you're cut out for the stress of being a manager if you can't cope with your staff and how they act now? What have you tried to manage these bullies?

OP there are some horrible people in the NHS as its ahrs to manage them out, as you've seen in your current team.
I don't think that a role managing 10 people is going to be any less stressful than where you are now, imagine you get 4 or 5 rotten staff, you're life would be hell.

Can you find out what your Bradford score is? It’s a way of measuring sickness, so someone with five two-day absences, has a worst score than someone with one two week absence, even though they have the same number of days off.

Not sure how you would score but it may be an indicator.

I think that's during pregnancy though. Not after.

Her Bradford score would be appalling. Lots of employers won't use it because it's a really blunt tool that doesn't take many things into account

Sadly I know someone in the nhs who had a new nhs job offer withdrawn due to her sickness record.

I can tell you without even looking that it's going to through the roof. 7 episodes across 44 days.....It'll be over 2k I reckon

Bradford score would be 2,156. I’m public sector and we don’t use the Bradford score anymore.

We didn’t use the Bradford score in my NHS Trust.

but 3 absences in 6 months would have prompted the informal process. Further absences would have triggered formal stages. 7 in 7 months is extremely high.

OP works in NHS. She's not mentioned it but may have already triggered a process, even informal.
Where I work (NHS in Scotland) it's 4 episodes of sickness absence or 8 days in a 12 month period, she's had way more than that so I'd be surprised if it's not triggered an absence policy

Whilst we don’t use the Bradford indicator anymore in sickness management, I have used the fact that a candidate had a score of over 2000 to withdraw a job offer, fully supported by our HR director.

The OP’s score is over 2000 as PP’s have noted, it’s a blunt tool but you have to recruit with care.

OP is best not to mention it until they do.