Anyone out there to give me some HR advice?

[OneLieIn]

I am in a right mess at work and need some HR advice - I can't ask my HR dept as I don't have one really and also they are not on my side.

Anyone out there to help? please???

hi flowery, my manager has suggested that i speak to my gp to see if he would be able to refer me to a private medical firm to see if this would make any differnce.
But the way my tm suggested it, he sounded like it would be a long shot as he was suggesting this would be what somebody who suffered from for example diabeties would do or somebody who was disabled would do.
I do suffer with a low imune system mainly due to sudden climate change as this causes me to suffer really bad with nasel congestion.
I was worried when i went into work late as i knew that i had the first disciplinary, so i asked my tm if i would be looking at being dismissed.
He called an informal meeting between ourselves and explained to me that with both the disciplinarys i would most probibly be looking at either dismissal or a final written warning where i would not be able to have any period of absence within 6 months and no more than 1 period of absence within a 1 year period.
I asked my tm what he would do if he was my situation, as i have not been through a disciplinary procedure other than a return to work meeting where he had advised me that any other periods of absence could result in a disciplinary hearing, but nothing else was said. My tm told me that if he was in my situation he would give his notice in to save him having a dismisal on his employment history as a resignation looks better on a cv than a dissmisal. I really dont know what to make from that?

I'm sorry planetflufy I don't know what you mean by your 'tm'. I don't know if that's important or not.

I don't think dismissal would be a reasonable action for them to take for this level of absence. Dismissing someone because of ill health or an absence problem is tricky and should only be a last resort.

Whatever level warning you get, you will be able to appeal it, and should definitely consider doing so.

I don't think you should resign as (based on the information you've given me) I don't think they will dismiss you.

Why would you need a referral to a private medical firm? What is your GP proposing to do himself about your problem?

PLanetfluffy - what sort of work do yu do? Sounds like a call centre to me.

Flowerbeanbag - TM is Team Manager

Surely the occassions of absence should be linked and therefore not counted as seperate occassions. Going ack bore you really are ready and then going off again can cause problems as they can try to see it as two occassions instead of linking.

If the lateness was caused by the illness that has triggered a diss meeting don't understand how thye are going to use it for two different diss surely should be covered off in same meeting and FWW or whatever it ends up as would cover either issue happening again?

Do you think there is an underlying issue? You really need to book a longer appointment with your GP if you can (you can at mine, at least 10 minutes) to discuss your periods of absence from work and trigger some investigation.

Armed with this information, and anything else that you could do proactively to improve your attendance, I would suggest presenting it at the discipinaries to show that you are trying to address the underlying reasons for your absence.

I'd agree with Flowery that dismissal would be a harsh penalty at this stage, but you do need to show that you are up for trying to improve, as that is what they'll want to hear and see.

I'm surprised that they haven't referred you to an Occupational Health Advisor themselves, actually.

you also need to have a think about how work could help to support you in getting better for example would a change in hours help ie instead of working 9-5 how about 10-6, if you;ve had a bad night you can have another hour in bed. Think about this carefully it will need to be something they can actually do.