advice please regarding my employer !

[skyblue]

Hi all

need a bit of advise regarding my employment..
iv been off work now for 5 weeks and im due to return on the 16/5/09 .

on my certificate doc wrote GAD,which i sent to my employer.
i have had other absences from work due to anxiety and panic attacks and generally feeling poo!

but no one has ever mentioned it to me,probably didnt even read it:huh:
so iv muddled on in my own way,coping best as i can.

while i was off,i plucked up the courage & phoned one of the managers i felt i had to appolgise for being off,and felt really guilty which did'nt help with anx.

she was ok,and told me to put in a letter,the things i was finding difficult(how long you got) which i did.

i then had my manager on the phone "where r u " he had'nt got my husbands message that im still not back

they now want to have a meeting with me when i return,which ok if some goods going to come of it,but my manager is a t...t

the part i need help with is they want to contact my gp which im not sure about,i try and keep it to myself as i dont want everyone knowing at work,.

do they need to put in some support for me,or is panic and anx not recognised as an illness, im worried they will sack me because of my absence,but it really itsnt my fault.

im not sure which way to play this,should i inform my gp, sorry for the long windedness message but my head going round and round and round

thanks for reading,any advise greatfully received.

love skyxx:blush:

[Lateralus]

Sounds like a return to work interview - will prob be manager plus a member of HR....

Make sure you take notes - they will give you a copy of their notes - if you don't agree, don't sign them, as they may try and use them in disciplinary hearings (as they did me).

Mental health is covered under the Disability Discrimination Act. Employers also have a duty of care under the Health and Safety Act.

I don't think they should be able to contact your GP directly, but they may be planning to refer you to Occupational Health - they may discuss this in your return to work interview. That may not be a bad thing, as if you can get OH to understand how it making you feel then your employer will have to make 'reasonable adjustments'. These can range from being more lenient on absence issues, or setting you up to work from home, changing your hours, etc.

Have a good search on the internet for employment law stuff, ACAS, DDA.

Good luck, and try not to worry. It can be difficult for employers to fire you, especially as you have a recognised health problem. They would worry about appeals and tribunals....

[lesleya]

Hi hun
I know how your feeling as im in the same boat myself as ive been off work since just before xmas. Ive asked to be redelpoyed to another office as im just not happy in the one i was working in due to a bullying and harrassment grievance i was pressured into. If your employer asks for a letter from your gp you are entitled to see the letter and make any changes you want before its sent out, but your gp isnt allowed by law to give your personal details out without your written consent, so try not to worry too much about that as you have the last word. Sounds like they will be giving you a return to work interview, which as lateralus said should be your manager and a member of hr, but try to take notes at any meetings you have, I always do now as they tend to be a bit skimpy on details when they send you a copy of your meeting notes, so dont sign anything until youve read it through and if you need to ammend anything put it in writing and ask for a copy of the ammended letter as well. Ive got every letter theyve sent me and all the notes from so called 'care and concern' meetings ive had too.
I dont know about you but i sometimes go blank when ive to go into a meeting so i sit down with my hubby the night before and write down what i need to ask them and a few short answers to things i think they might ask etc. They have got a duty of care to make sure you are comfortable in the job you are doing and its not detremental to your health.
I think its more stressful what your employer puts you through than anything else!
I wish you all the best and please let us know how you get on.
Take care
xx

[SleeplessFog]

Sorry for this question...but I am not from the UK...don't they have HIPAA laws or something in the UK, so that your employer can't contact your GP? I thought they couldn't do that...like it was a violation or something.

Anyways, I agree with everyone else..I would not sign something if you were not comfortable...also takes notes and ask lots of questions.

[Lateralus]

You might be able to take someone in with you either for support or to make notes. They tell you that the purpose of having HR there is so they can take notes that are a 'fair representation' of the events of the meeting, but in my experience they have a tendency to make notes that support the point of view of the manager, and not the employee. They gave me my return to work interview the day after a funeral, with no notice, so I was very unprepared, and not emotionally able to deal with it.

If it gets to disciplinary stage, you will be entitled to take in a personal representative, who can be another employee or a trade union representative. I found this really useful, as I gave copies of all my notes to my friend and therefore she was able to make notes for me, so I could then cross reference them with the notes from HR.

[skyblue]

hi guys

thanks for taking the time to reply,and i will be taking notes,and i wont let them pressure me into things in not comfortable with.

cheers everyone

skyxx

[Utility]

Hi

It sounds like a return to work interview and things to bear in mind are as follows:

If it is your work that causes your anxiety, then tell them. All employers are duty bound to provide are safe and supportive work environment.

You have the right to refuse any request made to your GP for medical information or request information that you do not agree with to be altered.

Your employer may after a reasonable length of time refer you to their own GP for a second opinion (but I doubt this would happen)

Any meeting you have with your manager and HR must be fully recorded and you are entitled to have a witness of your choosing present (you must inform them of who this will be)

You are entitled to see any notes from the meetings and can request alterations if you disagree with what has been noted.

Please don't worry about this. I think your employer is doing exactly what I would do in this situation. In other words, return to work meeting to help and support you back to work and become a productive member of staff.