Migraine absences = attendance review meeting

[Alwaystired80]

Hi there.

So I have worked for NHS 7 years. Being in my current dept 3 years. Made them aware when first started and when interviewee for current job I suffer from migraines.

So had 3 occasions of absence in 12 months, all because of migraine and months apart. On two occasions had one day off and other occasion 2 days. So 4 days off in 12 months.

Been told by my team leader my manager wants to have an Attendance Support Review Meeting. Never even heard of this. When I've looked at the policy it states "where monitoring identifies that recurring patterns of absence are emerging over time the manager may decide to address this by instigating the Short Term Sickness Absemce Procedure... would include prolonged periods of absence where the employee has returned back to work but has been unable to maintain their absence or several occasions of repeated or intermittent absences".
It states I would be told what a reasonable level of absence would be and would allow 2 absences in 6 months. I will be reviewed every 6 months.

Am I right to be annoyed and upset about this? All 3 absences were due to migraine which they know I suffer. Should they not take this into account? If I didnt suffer from migraines I would have gone 14 months without any absence. My absence over past 3 years is not bad.

For background I have suffered from migraines for 30 years, saw a neurology consultant in 2018 and diagnosed with chiaria malformation, been on 4 different types of preventative.

My meeting is tomorrow. Does anybody have any advice? Anyone suffers from migraines or dealtnwith employees with migraine?

Thank you 😊

I would be asking for an occupational health referral to confirm that your migraines are a disability under the equality act.

Thanks. I have asked for a referral to OH. The meeting is tomorrow but I don't think it is appropriate for meeting to take place and I don't agree with my attendance being reviewed. I'm not sure when I will see OH. I've tried to contact HR but still waiting for someone to get back to me.

I work for NHS. Their sickness policy is so tight. You've probably triggered because of three absences in 12 months. I doubt anything will happen. In my role we have a return to work meeting after every absence even 1 day ones. It's laughable.

But not allowed time out for medical appointment 🙄

What @gingerbreddy said. Actually I'm surprised occ health hasn't been mentioned before to you.
The meeting will be to identify if there's anything they can do to help you/reduce your migraines/identify triggers at work that you can then mitigate/avoid.
I was bricking it when I was called for a similar meeting (longer absences and different condition) but actually they were super kind and it was all about them supporting me to be able to manage my condition in the context of my role.

What are you worried about in particular?

I assumed the meeting was the first step in managing me out but it couldn't have been further from that.

Unless that days you've had were all attached to weekends/bank holidays and/or you've posted being out on the lash or on holiday on a day when you were apparently too sick to work (had a former colleague that was that dim).

Might be better to go to the meeting, even if you're not happy about it. Keep it professional and upbeat. Yes, you have migraines, and you made them aware of this.
Some people still think migraines are just a bit of a headache, so be clear with them about why they stop you working.
If there are any other factors that make them worse, ie anxiety, hormones etc through that in the mix. Especially if work related factors can trigger them, for example stress, long hours at a computer, poor lighting, not enough breaks.
Say you are absolutely happy to see an OT. I'm not sure an OT will have much idea on how to manage migraines tbh.
You might have to play the game if they're being dicks about it. I have migraines, and lose my vision, so absolutely can't work around them (though they thankfully seem to be receding as I get older)

Doesn't mean they can't sack you for what they consider to be unacceptable sickness.

OP, I've been there through to official warnings. The Migraine Trust publish useful information for you and I would print it to take to the meeting....
https://migrainetrust.org/workplace/

It's terrible! I just think because my migraine is underlying condition they should disregard some of my absence. I'm not happy that policy states that I will only be allowed 2 occasions off in 6 months before progressing to next stage - what if I get 3 migraines in 6 months?

I got called in for an attendance meeting when I was pregnant. I was off with migraines…
Stupid one fit all policy!
I wish everyone had a real migraine at least once in their lives, then they’d realise how debilitating they are.

Are you in a union?

Absence policies seem very tight these days. The amount of absence you have had over quite a long period could have been same if you’d had a few colds.

We have a very informal line manager chat after any sick leave. It feels like people don’t take much sick leave these days in my line of work but it’s probably because we can wfh and are encouraged to do so to avoid bringing colds etc to the workplace. I realise it’s different in your profession.

It’s about their responsibility to demonstrate they’ve provided support.

As they are saying there’s a pattern, is it always the same day or do they always fall in school holidays? Those are the kind of additional things that trigger.

Thanks I will print off and look on their website. I suffer a couple of migraines a year, maybe 10 max. But this is first time I've had 3 times off in 12 months. Its really worrying me.

Before you go into this meeting, please please please familiarise yourself with the sickness and absence policies - what they are saying is perfectly legal and very common and they don't give a shit what your illness is.

I declare my migraine as a disability but it doesn't really give you any additional protections from sickness absence policies. At my worst I was having attacks on 28 days a month including hemiplegic attacks where I lost my sight and had cyclical vomiting. I used annual leave and generally dragged myself in unless I couldn't drive.

Absolutely horrific but I needed to be employed!

That's what this meeting/occupational health referral is for though - to get them to formally recognise this is an underlying condition. They'll likely as @gingerbreddy said say it falls under the equality act and any absences related to migraine will then not be included in the 2 episodes in 6 months thing.

There isn't a pattern though. So I was off last Monday for 1 day, 2 days off in Nov and 1 day off in April last year. I've come in when I've not fully recovered as well.

I'm hoping occupational health will help but am not looking forward to the meeting tomorrow.

I work part time and on two occasions the absence might have included a Monday. I'm not on social media but don't do drinking because of migraines and tey my best to look after myself. I'm a single mum too.

My manager does not understand migraines at all. I'm scared of being off ill again with migraine and it going to next process.

I was in Union but cancelled membership as they were not very good - a few colleagues had problems with then and one time they did not turn up for meeting to support them.

The only time I didn't have migraines was when I was pregnant! I also get hormonal ones. I take a nasal spray which sometimes helps take edge off and stops me vomiting but can still need to take time off.

@Alwaystired80 hope you get sorted.
Can you bring a friend?
I remember being really upset about it and it turned out to be as bad as I thought!
Good luck. Please let us know how it goes x

I've read the policy but it says if there is a patten emerging or intermittent absence. I know I have had 3 instances in 12 months which is a trigger but they were related to migraine. If it was different illnesses or prolonged absence I could understand. Also a colleague told me she was due to have same meeting but the manager waived this.

Aw no did it really? My manager lives to work. On one occasion I called in ill I had to hang up because I started to vomit. She rang back and left voicemail stating she was not sure why I hadn't answered her call. When I did speak to her she asked loads of questions about work and then said if you think of aanything that needs doing give me a call this afternoon! I can barely function when I have migraine I certainly wouldn't be thinking about work.

I have migraines and also work in the NHS. 3 absences usually triggers stage 1 so over the years I've had several of these meetings. My trust no longer used sickness staging but it's been a thing in to NHS for a long time. I was referred to occy health 2 years ago and any migraine sicknesses is now disregarded on my record. I'm surprised you've not heard of this if you've been working in the NHS for 7 years. The sickness policies are quite stringent and not kept a secret.

Fellow sufferer here. This is an absolutely outrageous policy especially from the NHS?! What a joke! I was also going to link to the Migraine Trust. Their helpline is excellent. I think they may also have something about educating your employer about migraine. And I wouldn't set foot in the meeting without a union rep. And lean heavily on the fact you disclosed at the outset. Migraine is such a debilitating disease an employer cannot possibly expect an employee with migraine to have no time off work which is what they seem to expect in your case. I would mention that the stress of this is likely to lower your threshold for more attacks.
Ideally I'd try to get an agreement that absence due to migraine attacks would not count towards sickness limits. Whether or not you're legally disabled will depend on how it affects you (I certainly am) but its surely not something your employer would want to have to test in court?
Sympathies.

So it's intermittent absence.

They'll have a totting up system, so three episodes is a normal trigger point. What happens next is also going to be whatever is in the policy which is why it's essential you understand what's happening and why.

Have you not come across sickness absence policies before? It's very normal, but also punitive.

Nope I have never been asked if I wanted referral to OH and I have only found out by looking online today that sickness from migraine might be disregarded.
A few years ago I triggered stage 1 but was just handed a letter saying that and only allowed a further 3 absences in 12 months. No attendance meeting though or mention of OH.
Yep policies are available online but never had need to look up.
I am hoping that meeting with OH is arranged soon and they agree to disregard some migraine absence.

The policy has changed, no trigger 1, 2 etc. However my absence has never been really bad (I was at stage trigger 1 a few years ago).

I understand I have been off 3 times in 12 months but I would have though because they were all migraine related this would be taken into account. Hopefully the meeting with occy health will help.