Stage Three warning what to expect

Beefy_Curtains · Post by **Beefy_Curtains** » 28 Nov 2008, 12:40

The sack? yes a poss but anyone got any experiendec advice etc. Sporadic Ill health has meant lots of time off and now a S3 Coming up. CWU will be in with me but any tips appriciated.

Suffolkpostie · Post by **Suffolkpostie** » 28 Nov 2008, 18:01

Had one a few years ago and it was horrible, nothing like the internal S1 and S2 warnings, in our area they employ someone just to take stage 3 interviews. I hit S3 from having a day off for a dog bite and having a week off after a fall at work a few weeks later. They crawl over your entire absence record since you started and try to make out that you are a liar. The interview is called 'reasons to urge'.....in other words they have already decided almost to sack you, you have to urge them not to sack you. Glad youre bringing the Rep in with you, if you can get the Area Rep in even better as their advice is well worth it, i luckily kept my job, but came out of the interview with alot less respect for the way things are run...youre a liar first, and a person second. Get a copy of your own absence record and get ready to justify each and every absence, stick up for yourself but dont get angry when they start calling you a liar. Are any of your illnesses covered by the DDA?

Beefy_Curtains · Post by **Beefy_Curtains** » 28 Nov 2008, 18:04

madelin4 wrote:Has it all been with a medical condition? or has it been days here and there?

All Asthma

Doctor has writen to RM but they still sya stage 3

Beefy_Curtains · Post by **Beefy_Curtains** » 28 Nov 2008, 18:08

Suffolkpostie wrote:Had one a few years ago and it was horrible, nothing like the internal S1 and S2 warnings, in our area they employ someone just to take stage 3 interviews. I hit S3 from having a day off for a dog bite and having a week off after a fall at work a few weeks later. They crawl over your entire absence record since you started and try to make out that you are a liar. The interview is called 'reasons to urge'.....in other words they have already decided almost to sack you, you have to urge them not to sack you. Glad youre bringing the Rep in with you, if you can get the Area Rep in even better as their advice is well worth it, i luckily kept my job, but came out of the interview with alot less respect for the way things are run...youre a liar first, and a person second. Get a copy of your own absence record and get ready to justify each and every absence, stick up for yourself but dont get angry when they start calling you a liar. Are any of your illnesses covered by the DDA?

Thank You and Area Rep he isa coming! What is DDA?

Suffolkpostie · Post by **Suffolkpostie** » 28 Nov 2008, 18:14

Disability Discrimination Act, youre rep will know if Asthma is covered in it.

Post by **dvbuk55** » 28 Nov 2008, 18:50

Suffolkpostie wrote:Disability Discrimination Act, youre rep will know if Asthma is covered in it.

1) A person with asthma, who is dismissed under the Attendance Procedure for having sickness absence for asthma, chest infections and 'flu, would have a claim under the Act, but
2) The same asthma sufferer may not have a claim if his absence was due to a series of one day absences on either Mondays or Fridays not related to his asthmatic condition but believed to be related to the person's life-style. In this case, although he was an asthma sufferer, the dismissal was not on the grounds of asthma related absences but due to reasons not connected to his medical condition. He may therefore not have a claim under the Disability Discrimination Act.

Taken from the DDA 1992, it is always worthwhile checking if your condition is recurrent - you may ask for an adjournment to have an adjudication on whether or not you may be eligible to be treated under the DDA.

Suffolkpostie · Post by **Suffolkpostie** » 28 Nov 2008, 19:24

No probs....good luck to you

Beefy_Curtains · Post by **Beefy_Curtains** » 28 Nov 2008, 19:47

Many thanks to all. Very reasuring commenst, concerns and support form true collegues! Merry Xmas

Viewfindergeneral · Post by **Viewfindergeneral** » 15 Dec 2008, 15:00

I was in a similar position a few years ago. I managed to get off because I found out a mistake in the paperwork.My advice to you is to check and re-check every single piece of paper relating to your case for mistakes. Ensure that they provide you with all the relevant paperwork. Check out all dates and durations of absences. Check whether they have followed the attendance procedure to the letter. Keep calm during the interview and do not respond to any sarcastic comments they may make. Make sure that your union rep. has all the facts well beforehand and has written them down.

Good luck and don`t forget you can always appeal if it goes against you.

A

Post by **TrueBlueTerrier** » 15 Dec 2008, 15:35

Viewfindergeneral wrote:I was in a similar position a few years ago. I managed to get off because I found out a mistake in the paperwork.My advice to you is to check and re-check every single piece of paper relating to your case for mistakes. Ensure that they provide you with all the relevant paperwork. Check out all dates and durations of absences. Check whether they have followed the attendance procedure to the letter. Keep calm during the interview and do not respond to any sarcastic comments they may make. Make sure that your union rep. has all the facts well beforehand and has written them down.

Good luck and don`t forget you can always appeal if it goes against you.

A

Cracking first post

Welcome, and thanks very much for that first post - a blinder - Viewfindergeneral

norbert · Post by **norbert** » 15 Dec 2008, 18:36

Viewfindergeneral wrote:I was in a similar position a few years ago. I managed to get off because I found out a mistake in the paperwork.My advice to you is to check and re-check every single piece of paper relating to your case for mistakes. Ensure that they provide you with all the relevant paperwork. Check out all dates and durations of absences. Check whether they have followed the attendance procedure to the letter. Keep calm during the interview and do not respond to any sarcastic comments they may make. Make sure that your union rep. has all the facts well beforehand and has written them down.

Good luck and don`t forget you can always appeal if it goes against you.

A

you can guarantee that RM & don'tgiveATOS will botch things and I agree with the bit about not taking the bait from RM's " medical experts "

You have to watch for the negligence routine that RM will try , I remember somebody getting sacked for Sunday League injuries , RM warned him on his Stg 2 & sacked him on his RTU as according to the Area Manageress " It proved he didn't take his job seriously enough and RM's QofS "
Shopping RM to The Sun didn't make RM budge either .

There are the p***heads that bring things on theirselves - seen enough of them in another state industry - that culture was stamped from a great height , even bent reps that thought they were fireproof got a shock .

kay_thebigbird · Post by **kay_thebigbird** » 15 Dec 2008, 21:58

Beefy_Curtains wrote:
madelin4 wrote:Has it all been with a medical condition? or has it been days here and there?
All Asthma

Doctor has writen to RM but they still sya stage 3

ASTHMA is defo on DDA know from my own experience,recognised as serious medical problem as long as you have medical history to back it up, RM have to be careful with dda illnesses won't look good at any ETRIBUNAL, If they sack you fight them all the way.

Post by **TrueBlueTerrier** » 16 Dec 2008, 13:01

I had a chat with my Manager today and he recommended that anyone attending a stage 3 has all his medical records available and as long as the postie can show he is getting the cause of the stage 3 treated by a doctor, and that they are willing, or have been willing to get ATOS involved and helping them then they should survive a stage 3 no problems at all.

What will let posties down is if they have a series of unconnected absences where they have not gone to ATOS or a GP or they have a pattern of illnesses which are suspect. For example always claiming 3 days sick on a Thursday (to get a long weekend) - always going sick on a Tuesday for 6 days (to get a week off). All absences falling on a Saturday with no contact (hung over and still in bed). Sick just after getting a bonus (out spending it).

I hope that helps.

Viewfindergeneral · Post by **Viewfindergeneral** » 16 Dec 2008, 19:24

Cracking first post

Welcome, and thanks very much for that first post - a blinder - Viewfindergeneral

I only hope it helps the chap. It seems to me that if they can get away with sacking someone without following proper procedure, they will. I know because they are trying to do it to me! The problem is they have made at least seven! procedural errors in my case and I had great pleasure in pointing them out.

ladyhemlock · Post by **ladyhemlock** » 18 Dec 2008, 00:41

I was on a S3 for Asthma which I have had since childhood. I have been hospitalised with Asthma and on a few occassions never thought I would make it through the night . But my shift manager thinks im trying to swing the lead when i'm fighting for my life . If you have had it for over 12 months it's DDA. Make sure you see your doctor whenever you have an attack to make sure its on your records and make sure ATOS know what medication you are on and how many times you have had emergency treatment, Nebulised/hospitalised/steroids etc. I wasn't sacked and if you are DDA too they wouldn't win a tribunal for sacking a disabled person.