Pending stage three

[graymichaels]

At my wits end. I have triggered a stage three because of a virus that swept the office. I worked through two days of this but by the third day, a sunday , I was wiped out with what the Dr called an URTI. Doctor issued a sick note and told me to stay bed bound. So notified the office and even offered the week I had booked for annual leave the following week to cover the week I was off. But was refused. I feel gutted that now after doing 31 hours overtime the previous week I've been hung out to dry. I am diabetic and covered by the equalities act but have my life on hold until this is cleared up. I dont know where to turn to and am told so many different stories, I just dont know where I stand!

[IcanthelpthewayIam]

What are the details of all the absences that have got you to the stage 3 ie duration rough dates and what they were for

[graymichaels]

30/3 for 6 days URTI (Upper respiratory tract infection)
30/1 for 6 days Sickness and Diarrhea due to diabetic tablet change
28/9 for 44 days Anxiety and Depression Had 6 sessions with counsellor from Occupational Health
10/09/14 for 3 days Sickness and Diarrhea (diabetic tablet change)
25/06/14 for 6 days diabetes related.
10/02/14 for 6 days Sickness & Diarrhea ( laughable, i was eating lockets to fend off a cold and got a diabetic reaction as they are full of sugar)
18/01/14 for 4 days mouth infection
23/08/13 for 2 days vomiting
12/06/13 for 4 Celluitus (inflammation and infection of lower leg) I hopped around my duty for three days as a stage loomed and I didnt want to trigger it. Only when doc threatened to drop me unless I heeded his order to rest did i go sick)
11/04/13 for 4 days Stress
19/11/12 for 8 days stress
28/07/12 for 4 days Stress

Obviously there is more, but I would have thought these were relevant days. I work all the hours they need me to when i'm healthy but need just a little bit of support when im not. I have on three occasions worked through doctors notes, so its not like im trying to avoid work.

[IcanthelpthewayIam]

How much more? cant give you an opinion on only half the facts, looks like you should definately be on a stage 2 but by having a reasonable adjustment due to equalities act shouldnt reach a stage 3 (assuming an extra 2 abscence a year for diabetic reasons is considered "reasonable" playing with dates for that might even knock it to a stage 1)

[dvbuk55]

What's the union rep said about the absences - he will have a comprehensive list available and would therefore be able to advise the course of action likely.

[tonytucker]

Just say your off sick with your disability which is covered and will not count towards a stage.every time you are sick say it's to do with your disability and they can't do s**t

[graymichaels]

When i say there's more theres:
2/05/12 Diabetes related
20/08/11 Sickness And Diarrhea.

The sickness and diarrhea is usually when the doc starts messing with the dosages of the tablets i take for the diabetes or ive eaten something that the tablets react to. It really is a no win situation.

TBF the union rep tends to recant the management line.

[IcanthelpthewayIam]

Just say your off sick with your disability which is covered and will not count towards a stage.every time you are sick say it's to do with your disability and they can't do s**t

Thats actually incorrect abscence due to diaability can count towards stages. A reasonable adjustment has to be made so you could expect rm to absorb say an extra week or so a year as reasonable but 9 months sickness a year would be unreasonable

Its not just a blanket case of disabled equals no stages for disabled related sickness

[TrueBlueTerrier]

Just say your off sick with your disability which is covered and will not count towards a stage.every time you are sick say it's to do with your disability and they can't do s**t

Thats actually incorrect abscence due to diaability can count towards stages. A reasonable adjustment has to be made so you could expect rm to absorb say an extra week or so a year as reasonable but 9 months sickness a year would be unreasonable

Its not just a blanket case of disabled equals no stages for disabled related sickness

But don't they have to inform the employee when normally discounted absences will start being counted.

[IcanthelpthewayIam]

Just say your off sick with your disability which is covered and will not count towards a stage.every time you are sick say it's to do with your disability and they can't do s**t

Thats actually incorrect abscence due to diaability can count towards stages. A reasonable adjustment has to be made so you could expect rm to absorb say an extra week or so a year as reasonable but 9 months sickness a year would be unreasonable

Its not just a blanket case of disabled equals no stages for disabled related sickness

But don't they have to inform the employee when normally discounted absences will start being counted.

Normally discounted ones should never be counted it's only ones over the agreed level that should be counted, point being there should be an agreed level before hand

[General Mannerheim]

Agreed by whom?

[IcanthelpthewayIam]

Agreed by whom?

Employee oh assist and the dom

[rubberbond]

Were you in hospital,when you had 6 days of diarrhoea and vomiting,being diabetic, you must have been . As you were at great risk of dehydration. So therefore, that adds weight to your mitigation. What about the stress? I think you need to write down the underlying cause for your absence,to help get your point across at the hearing. Therefore you won't forget anything ,due to being under pressure etc.

[POSTMAN]

With regards to the stress see here if it helps,especially the Royal Mail Group Stress Safety Standard Policy doc ...
http://www.cwu.org/50027/stress.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

There is no way you should be on a stage 3.

[graymichaels]

Cheers for all the advice people. Quick question about a stage 3 is it a dismissal or not?
I face the OH Assist next week and i'm sweating like the last Bee Gee. What's this phone interview all about? I cancelled my holiday in June today as the threat of losing my job meaning I have to hang on to every penny. Do they purposely drag it out to make you suffer longer?