atos???really wound up

[wigglywoo12]

hello again

ive been off work with very bad anxiety since july with very bad dp to boot i dont mind saying who i work for its royal mail and im a postman anyway within this time i have had 2 interviews one in person one on the phone with my line manager at work.numerous phone calls from managers apparently checking on my progress every call by the way they have tried to entice me back to work. i got reffered to atos and kept all of my telephone appointments until this first referral ended.i am in the middle of cbt counselling i have had about 6 different managers phoning me and i have just been reffered again for a second time to atos is this bordering on harrasment because i feel like it is.any advice appreciated

thankyou

[paula lynne]

I had a medical yesterday. The questions took about 20 mins, nothing major. It may help to write things down so you can refer to a list. The physical exam was blood pressure, a few balance and muscular tests (pushing, pulling etc), listend to my chest. That took 5 mins. If you are not well enough to return to work, dont. Nobody has the right to force you into anything. 6 managers phoning you?? Too many managers all doing the same thing? Too much time on their hands eh.

You are being pro-active with the CBT course, they should see that. Nobody wants to be ill for goodness sake.
Can you talk to someone you trust about this?

[blueangel]

Hi there

Are you in your union at work? If so, then it would be a good move to speak to a rep as they can help you through this.

If you're not in a union, ask for a copy of the sickness management policy/procedure (they will definitely have one of these, as they're a big organisation), and check to see what their rules are over managing sickness. Places do vary, but in general it wouldn't be appropriate for so many different people to be phoning you about your sickness, as I would argue that this is compromising your confidentiality. You should only need to deal with one, or perhaps two people (one manager and someone from HR).

Also in the policy, there should be information about how returns to work are managed. Often if someone has been off sick, they need to have a phased return to work whereby they may work part-time for a few weeks and use up some of their leave for the rest of the time. There are various ways that this can be managed.

Also, don't forget that if you have suffered from anxiety/depression for more than 12 months, you come under the Equality Act 2010 (which has now incorporated the Disability Discrimination Act). This means that people with long-term conditions, including mental health conditions, need to have "reasonable adjustments" made to help them at work. This can include measures like temporarily or permanently adjusting working hours, providing special equipment etc.

If you need a bit more specific advice, feel free to drop me a PM as I'm a senior trade union official where I work and might be able to help you out.

[london]

is it the DWP getting atos to ring you ?

[wigglywoo12]

no london its bloody royal mail keep reffering me what do they think if they keep reffering me it will make me return to work any quicker.ive only had telephone conversations with them got a telephone appointment with them again today.