Work related stress

WRIGHT88 · Post by **WRIGHT88** » 05 Jan 2019, 13:06

If I go doctors with work related stress and get signed off can I still be issued a stage warning

tommyrep · Post by **tommyrep** » 05 Jan 2019, 14:55

WRIGHT88 wrote:If I go doctors with work related stress and get signed off can I still be issued a stage warning

Yes

worktotime · Post by **worktotime** » 05 Jan 2019, 16:32

they will try , but if its down to them then NO it wont be issued

Chalky13 · Post by **Chalky13** » 06 Jan 2019, 07:19

WRIGHT88 wrote:If I go doctors with work related stress and get signed off can I still be issued a stage warning

You should find, as soon as you’re off with stress, any company won’t push things.
RM may well try, but as soon as you mention ACAS or legal advice, they’ll back right off.
True stress and depression are killers and can’t be treated as an excuse to give stage warnings.

Post by **General Mannerheim** » 06 Jan 2019, 10:26

They will issue it.

"it's not that we don't think the illness was genuine, it is the amount of time you've had off and you have failed to stay within the attendance procedure guidelines as agreed with the union."

Creditshampoo · Post by **Creditshampoo** » 06 Jan 2019, 10:35

General Mannerheim wrote:They will issue it.

"it's not that we don't think the illness was genuine, it is the amount of time you've had off and you have failed to stay within the attendance procedure guidelines as agreed with the union."

Agreed. They literally won’t care

tommyrep · Post by **tommyrep** » 06 Jan 2019, 13:53

worktotime wrote:they will try , but if its down to them then NO it wont be issued

First and second issues are not appealable !
Only at the 3rd stage can steps be taken to contest the 1st/2nd stages.
It’s wrong, but that’s the case with RM. always remember the issue of 1st stage is “ supposed” to be at the DOMs discretion!
Having said that, normally over ridden by their superiors, DOMs follow their lead in my experience.

tommyrep · Post by **tommyrep** » 06 Jan 2019, 13:59

Chalky13 wrote:
WRIGHT88 wrote:If I go doctors with work related stress and get signed off can I still be issued a stage warning
You should find, as soon as you’re off with stress, any company won’t push things.
RM may well try, but as soon as you mention ACAS or legal advice, they’ll back right off.
True stress and depression are killers and can’t be treated as an excuse to give stage warnings.

You are mistaken if you consider RM to be a fair or compassionate employer on this issue !
Trust me, they only pay lip service to any duty of care and issue stages regardless of the reason.
If it looks like a long term problem to them, they will go the unfit for work route.

Chalky13 · Post by **Chalky13** » 06 Jan 2019, 15:06

I don’t consider RM fair and compassionate. However, if you’re off with stress or depression as diagnosed medically, not just your own call, they’ll be on very dodgy grounds to remove you. A tribunal will back you

Post by **cantonkid1955** » 07 Jan 2019, 07:46

tommyrep wrote:
worktotime wrote:they will try , but if its down to them then NO it wont be issued
First and second issues are not appealable !
Only at the 3rd stage can steps be taken to contest the 1st/2nd stages.
It’s wrong, but that’s the case with RM. always remember the issue of 1st stage is “ supposed” to be at the DOMs discretion!
Having said that, normally over ridden by their superiors, DOMs follow their lead in my experience.

,,When I tripped over a kerb and fell over splitting my elbow and rolled it in dog mess,,my arm became poisoned and I was sick for 4 weeks,,on my return to work,the DOM tried to issue me with a stage one,,I asked him if it was at his discretion,,he confirmed that it was,,I suggested that as the issue of this warning was discretional,that perhaps,he didn't believe me ,when I said that I had a poisoned arm,,he then suggested that he was issuing the warning because I had refused to come in for a face to face interview,,I again mentioned that since I had a poisoned arm which was in a sling,I was completely unable to drive and my suggestiuon that it was they who should visit me,was met with the response of,,we don't have the time for that,,I refused to accept their kind offer of a discretional stage one,,since I belive that,,once a member has accepted it,,with no grounds of appeal,,then they only have themselves to blame,,refuse to accept it,,and the ball is firmly back in their court,,they cannot force you to accept a warning which is unappealable...then the blame culture started,,the DOM went out and took pics of the kerb,,weather conditions ect,,it was when I showed him the condition of my footwear that he then suggested it was my fault for wearing shoes in such poor condition,,I replied that since my order for new footwear had been placed 3 months earlier and still had to be authorised by him,,he was technically to blame,,there is no accountability for stupidity.

Post by **SpacePhoenix** » 07 Jan 2019, 09:05

cantonkid1955 wrote:it was when I showed him the condition of my footwear that he then suggested it was my fault for wearing shoes in such poor condition,,I replied that since my order for new footwear had been placed 3 months earlier and still had to be authorised by him,,he was technically to blame,,there is no accountability for stupidity.

If PF is the same as RM for ordering uniform then the DOM can't authorise it, it would have to be done by a regional manager who has the power to edit or cancel uniform orders

tommyrep · Post by **tommyrep** » 07 Jan 2019, 12:25

Chalky13 wrote:I don’t consider RM fair and compassionate. However, if you’re off with stress or depression as diagnosed medically, not just your own call, they’ll be on very dodgy grounds to remove you. A tribunal will back you

At any tribunal stage they would be laughed out the park ! No sensible or reasonable thinking person - tribunal panel - would construe a stress related problem as being worthy of any stage warnings. RM would probably realise that before a case goes to ant tribunal. That apart, it does not prevent them trying to pressurise further, people with stress problems. Trust me I am well aware of the way they approach stage warnings. Unfortunately our union are not so much up to speed in dealing with this absurd policy adopted by RM, their view is “ we will deal with that at any stage 3 interview” assuming it will be rescinded. Meantime the stress levels increase on the person suffering work related stress. It’s a disgrace and RM management are allowed carry on with a HR system that our union should be ashamed off allowing or being party too.

Chalky13 · Post by **Chalky13** » 07 Jan 2019, 15:23

As above, I do find RM are archaic in their management styles and HR support, having worked in a professiona business for 18years.

RM still seems to be rooted firmly in the ‘80s and have an outlook to match. Whilst they get away with It at a DO level, or at least try to, if it went further to acas or tribunal, they’d be a laughing stock.

Stress is very much an area they would not get away with issuing, or maintaining at least, any stage warnings.