Suspended due to illness

[Rachie206]

my doctors recently signed me off work due to a ruptured cyst and being ill with it my first day back at work was today and I have been suspended due to my time off is that allowed?

How long were you off for before?

Loads more information on the back story needed here............

How long have you worked there. How was the sickness leave managed I.e did you self certify then get signed off sick or was there a period of “unauthorized sickness”?And what is the job/industry?

TBH on the face of it being suspended for taking sick leave does not seem right.

Tbf I haven’t been there long I started at the end of October and that’s why they suspended me I was signed off for 10 days I let my employer know the same day so no unauthorised absence and kept them updated but it was something that was out of my control so I didn’t understand it

What specifically does 'suspended mean in this context? The only time I've heard this used is when someone is under investigation by HR for misconduct of some sort?

I’m off till my meeting with HR on Friday but he said it’s because of my time off in the space of time I’ve been there but it’s was medically signed off by my GP and something that was out of my control

What did they actually say when they suspended you OP

Do you have a union you could go to for advice?

Is this the only issue you have had since you've been there? What is your performance like?

Take someone into the meeting with you. If you are in a union, take a rep. If not, take a colleague or friend in. They cannot speak/contribute but can be witness.

Take paper and pen. Make notes. Take evidence of your medical issue. Make sure to email them a copy of your notes afterwards and ask for a copy of theirs.

As you have been there under 2 years they can basically sack you for anything - and if still in probation they aren't obliged to keep you on. But you don't want to make it easy for them.

If you’ve only been there since October the. They can basically sack you for no reason (provided you can’t claim discrimination). Suspension in the circumstances you describe would be totally inappropriate- are they paying you? Suspension is a neutral act and you shouldn’t be penalised for it.

Did you have 10 days off work (so 2 weeks) or was it 10 days altogether?

Did they give you a copy of the absence policy or disciplinary policy which could shed more light on why they’re taking this action?

It’s hard to comment without knowing the full story.

An absence hearing if you’ve been off more than the accepted number of days is fairly standard, suspension while you wait for the hearing is not unless there are other circumstances (did you fail to follow reporting procedures, was the business left at risk?)

Everything has been fine I’ve had no sick days other than my sickness which the GP signed off.

when I started it was basically just watching others and making the odd call as i work in sales so November I was just observing making the odd call and listening to the other staff and then with December it’s seeing if they needed any other bits before we closed for Christmas period but I have never had a job in sales before but the way he was speaking to me it was like he expected me to be able to measure up and everything else by now (it’s bathrooms sale I work in) but he said he took him a couple of years to fully understand the whole situation just didn’t sit right with me today

If you were off for ten days and first day back today, I assume that meant you were signed off just before Xmas and came back after new year, so they think you faked it to take Xmas and new year break?

I had to have surgery for a ruptured cyst and was back at work a week later, most people fine within a handful of days, that's the only reason I ask if you took two weeks. I am in no way saying you should have been back at work sooner than this, everyone is different, you may have a physical job/complications/pain and that's a valid reason to be off, however employers can be utter arses and HR departments incompetent (I've seen some horrible practice in regard to sickness) and think they know it all. They might wrongly assume you should've been back sooner. Your doctor has signed you off at the end of the day. The only people who can overrule that are those working in occupational health.

Ah yes, they may be sus that you went off on 24th then back a couple of days after NY in your first few weeks of work. But in reality a doctor isn't going to give you a sick note for a ruptured cyst if you didn't have one. It's just unfortunate timing.

They was closed for Christmas till the new year they closed on the 22nd December I was signed off on the 12th and they closed on the 21st till today

They are suspicious that you were signed off for 10 days exactly 10 days before they closed for Christmas. Have they referred you to occupational health?

I've never heard of this!

Have they mentioned your probation?

Ah 0k, so basically it gave you 3 weeks off? I guess the issue is they are suspicious. Ten days is a very specific time period. Docs signing off doesn’t actually mean a lot, you can claim pain etc,and they will do

what sort of cyst and did you require treatment ?

Think it depends on the type of cyst and what treatment, I suspect if you claim certain things they might.

They haven’t referred me to anyone and he told me January we will be able to properly train me due to everything going on there when I started. I told my GP we closed on the 21st then off for Christmas till new year so she said she would sign me off till then and if I needed another then to call

Again, I think now it’s about what was wrong. What treatment, ie were you hospitalised or just on antibiotics etc.