Returning to work without a BTW plan?

[SillyBear1]

Hi,

I’ve been off work for a period of time and had a meeting with my manager a couple of weeks ago. We agreed I was starting to feel on the right track but I thought I needed another fortnight and they agreed that I didn’t want to rush back before everything was resolved and there was no pressure from them. We did agree we’d catch up this week to see where things stand.

I had messages with them yesterday where we agreed to speak today and I advised this morning would be best for me. Fast forward to today and I’ve not had any contact all day. Not even a message to say something else had come up and could we rearrange.

Please don’t suggest the obvious that I could have rang them - I’ve been rushing about after my children all day and didn’t have the time to be chasing up something that was already arranged. I’ve also started with an awful shoulder pain similar to when I had a PE last year so have been feeling thoroughly sidetracked!

My fit note runs out as of Sunday I believe but, please excuse my naivety as I’m not used to sick leave, how can I go back if we haven’t discussed a return to work? Is it ‘normal’ to just turn up back at work without any agreement in place that you’re happy to come back and what support will be in place/any phased return etc?

I am not sure you can use the too busy to chase up on the arranged call excuse if your on paid sick leave. Yes perfectly normal to return back to work after a sick note runs out. The usual practice for someone needing adjustments instead of returning to full duties would be to get a fit note from your doctor stating you need adjustments to return to work.

I'm not sure if you've been off sick long term. If so then it's best practice to agree what the phased return and any reasonable adjustments needed for reasons of disability will be before you start back. If you met 2 weeks ago and both agreed you needed another couple of weeks that gave ample time for you both to consider what you will need and them to look at how that will work, it's a 2 way street. Maybe the manager has gone off sick?

Have occupational health been involved?. Some places do do it on the first day.back if it's just a straightforward phased return, particularly if you've just been off a few weeks.

If your sick note has run out and you are medically recovered enough to return to work then you'll just need to return on Monday with an idea of what you need and discuss it then.

You should have called them. You have a responsibility to work with them to return to work. If you need more time you should be going to GP to get that in writing. How are you too busy for anything when you have all that extra time from not going to work?

Yes you can probably call them Monday and tell them you will be getting another fit note but you do need to do something other than waiting for them to contact you.

If you don't feel ready to go back to work then you need to see your. GP for another fit note.

If you do feel ready, then yes go in on Monday and request a back to work meeting as a priority. I would send an email to my manager and HR over the weekend requesting this and outlining what adjustments I think would be helpful as a starting point for this discussion.

Thank you - a huge portion of it is related to/caused by work. I also have a neurodiversity which they know of but things kept happening from higher up to trigger the negative parts of it.

I haven’t been sat around twiddling my thumbs though. I’ve got very young children, one who hasn’t been well (recently sent to hospital for suspected meningitis) and it’s half term. It’s quite easy for hours to pass and I haven’t noticed. We also had someone crash into us the other day so there’s a lot to sort out.

As far as I was concerned - I was told they would call me and our work is one where you can get taken off for an emergency for hours so I assumed at first, this is what had happened, I just wasn’t sure if you needed to speak beforehand to confirm you’re going back to work and the bones of a plan.

It’s also not the first time this type of thing has happened in that, when being at work, I’ve emailed another manager in their absence and never got a reply or mine has read something I’ve needed a reply to and taken days to come back / said they’d do or help with something and not done so.

We’d spoken about some things last time so no OH at this time and keeping an eye on the amount of a certain thing that comes to me. This in my mind would be confirming a return, whether I’m going back on full hours straight away and what duties will be as we work with caseloads of clients and don’t have much of a job without them.

That all sounds very reasonable and a good basis for a discussion with your manager. A phased return, workload and the types of cases that you take on are all things that you need to have a discussion about and come to an agreement. This is why I'd send an email in advance - partly to help me think through what I need and how that could be accommodated and partly to form the basis of a discussion.

Hope it goes well, whatever you decide to do.

Ideally you’d have had the chat before you return but you can do it on Monday. It certainly doesn’t stop you from returning.

Email them instead so you have everything in writing.

State that your fit note ends on Sunday and that you feel OK to come back but would like to meet with your manager on Monday to discuss all the details of your return and how they can support you.

You should have called them.

Did your fit note give guidance on any measures to be put in place when you return (e.g phased return over 2 weeks)? This is normal.if GP thinks you need anything in particular.

I don't unerstand why you were fit enough to look after children but not work ... the former is much harder.

I would return to work and request a return to work meeting on the morning of my return ... to discuss just that.

I hit complete and utter burnout so it was mental health/neurodiversity related. I look after my children because they’re mine and I have to (I mean that in the best possible way!)

I’m similar to a Probation Officer (but not) in that I have to support caseloads of offenders with rehabilitation and managing and supporting with their risks/life problems if that gives some more context. Ours is a bit more risky I suppose in that we do solo home visits to them etc. We have already spoken about how much pressure I put on myself to be the best which has contributed - I’m never happy with what I’ve done and always feel I could do more. She’s recognised this and at least told me I am doing a great job which we don’t get told a lot!

Youngest has nursery on set days but on the days not, she’s been with me. Usually FIL would help out but he’s had a recent operation that wasn’t healing well. It’s been a bit of a disaster series of events.

Thank you for the advice - I’ll make contact with my manager today and advise I expect to be back on Monday but I’d like to perhaps consider a phased return to ease me back in.

I haven’t been sat around twiddling my thumbs though. I’ve got very young children, one who hasn’t been well (recently sent to hospital for suspected meningitis) and it’s half term. It’s quite easy for hours to pass and I haven’t noticed. We also had someone crash into us the other day so there’s a lot to sort out.

Don't use this argument with work btw. None of that is relevant at all - if you'd been at work all that still would have happened and you would have had to deal with it while working or through annual leave. If you use a busy personal life as an excuse for not engaging with work while on sick leave, it does sort of imply that you opted for sick leave to cover a busy personal period rather than taking annual leave. I'm not saying you did that, but you should be wary of raising suspicions.

Email over the weekend that you were awaiting their call. You'll be in on Monday, but given your long period off you would appreciate a meeting to discuss the possibility of a phased return.