occupational health referral, I am scared

[happyone]

I am being referred to occupational health for the third time in a year. I was really really anx the first time, but ok the next time as I was on my way to returning. This time I am terrified. I have been off long term again and the honest to goodness truth is that I do not know if they are looking to pay me off. They have made all the reasonable adjustments I think to my post. The only other one would be flexitime but my post would not support that. I could go for redeployment but that involves me going for the jobs myself, including interviews and such like and I have nowhere near the strength to put myself through this.
The thing is, this just makes me worse and a lot less likely to be able to return but I want to return to something as I worked hard to get my job and when I am well, I am a bloody good worker.
It also really really hurts, that my manager does not seem to believe this time that my illness is real as she has placed a question on the form about am I 'currently' fit for work.
I know this is all long and boring, but I had to get it out.
Happyone

[cardmaker]

...I could go for redeployment but that involves me going for the jobs myself, including interviews and such like and I have nowhere near the strength to put myself through this....



Have you looked up the Disability Discrimination Act Happyone? I'm not sure what you're off work with but if it's depression then mental health issues are covered by the act. You're employers could be asked, as a reasonable adjustment, to redeploy you and you do not have to go through interviews. It should be a job of the same Grade or salary. Do an internet search and also look at the MIND website. I have my 4th Occ Health appointment (with employers' nurse) on Friday plus an Absence monitoring meeting next Tuesday (with line manager, HR and my union rep). If your occ health bod is any good at their job they should know about the DDA and advised your bosses acordingly. My occ health has stated that I'm covered by the act, that there is no way I will ever be able to return to my current position and that they should be actively looking to redeploy me.

Hope the above helps in some way, let me know how the meeting goes.

:hugs:

[ruthb1]

hi happyone,

I was off logterm sick and had to go down the road of occupational health referral, i am a civil servant, i dont know what you do. anyway the occupational health person advised on my report that i should be come under the DDA ( disabilty dicrimination Act) like card maker said above it does cover mental health issues, like anxiety and depression. In my case they knew that the illness could recurr at any time and in that way i was not penalised when i came to being off work. i have a medical condition that will recurr. have you got a union rep who you can talk about tyhis too or maybe mention it to the occ health person, i think, when you are covered under DDA they cant reduce your earnings either but dont quote me on it, but a friend of mine has just returned and they where going to cut her pay to half and then she got covered by DDA and pay wasnt dropped.

if you need any help in anway let me know, i love things like this


take care

ruth

[happyone]

Thanks for that.
I work for local govt too. I know my illness is covered under DDA but I don't know what allowances that gives me. Being rapid cycling/mixed episodes Bipolar, my depressions come on rather quickly, but then they can lift quite quickly too. Between myself, my shrink, my gp, and my group therapy I am trying really hard to become 'stable'Thank you both. I haven't got a date yet, but it is likely to be within the next two/three weeks
Happyone