Work

[roadrunner]

Hi, i joined this forum around Christmas time & posted my journel up. Since then i've changed doctors surgeries, my new doctor has put me on Fluoxetine 20mg & Zopiclone 3.75 & signed me off for 3 weeks. However since changing doctors, my doctors wife has been taken ill so he's been away & i've seen 4 different doctors in 4 weeks! On top of that my boss is pressuring me to come back to work by making me feel guilty. Don't know what to do....i'm a real mess.

[captainkeefy]

Hi There,

Don't feel guilty for taking time off work and don't feel pressurised to go back if your not ready. If your GP signs you off on the sick then legally you can not work, if you do go back to work and injury yourself then your not insured. Would your boss feel guilty then? If you are feeling bad then tell your doctor. If he signs you off sick then by law you can't work so don't. This is your time for some R&R, your boss putting pressure on you to return is going to make things worse not better.

[Zaf]

Captainkeefy is right, if you are signed off you cannot go back to work and your boss is wrong to hassle you

Z xxx

[roadrunner]

My boss has no idea, when i told him i was signed off for the first 2 weeks he said when will you be back! like it was a holiday.

[smokey]

Hi roadrunner I've been in the same position before with ex- employers and it just adds to the stress and worry. Personally I would just try to ignore any calls from him/her, they have the sick note and 3wks is 3wks and what they are doing is tantamount to harrassment. Asking how long until you're back when you have a mental health problem is like asking how long is a piece of string. If you're still unwell after this time just send the sick note in& they can't touch you.

[captainkeefy]

Hi roadrunner I've been in the same position before with ex- employers and it just adds to the stress and worry. Personally I would just try to ignore any calls from him/her, they have the sick note and 3wks is 3wks and what they are doing is tantamount to harrassment. Asking how long until you're back when you have a mental health problem is like asking how long is a piece of string. If you're still unwell after this time just send the sick note in& they can't touch you.

Ditto! I'm pretty sure that it's against the law for them to contact you at home, I'm not 100% but I think it's an invasion of privacy. The way I see it putting someone with a mental illness under stress like this is the equivalent of your employer turning up and picking a scab off a deep burn or cut and then asking if its healing okay. It's making it worse, not helping. I understand exactly how you feel with this, I went the doctors with stress and anxiety and my boss thought it was an excuse for sometime off within months I left. I tend to feel down from time to time and I just can't cope with the stress of everyday life. I hope apart from this your on the mend.

[roadrunner]

Hi roadrunner I've been in the same position before with ex- employers and it just adds to the stress and worry. Personally I would just try to ignore any calls from him/her, they have the sick note and 3wks is 3wks and what they are doing is tantamount to harrassment. Asking how long until you're back when you have a mental health problem is like asking how long is a piece of string. If you're still unwell after this time just send the sick note in& they can't touch you.

Ditto! I'm pretty sure that it's against the law for them to contact you at home, I'm not 100% but I think it's an invasion of privacy. The way I see it putting someone with a mental illness under stress like this is the equivalent of your employer turning up and picking a scab off a deep burn or cut and then asking if its healing okay. It's making it worse, not helping. I understand exactly how you feel with this, I went the doctors with stress and anxiety and my boss thought it was an excuse for sometime off within months I left. I tend to feel down from time to time and I just can't cope with the stress of everyday life. I hope apart from this your on the mend.

My boss is on holiday next week, maybe i should pester him all the time & see how he likes it.

[captainkeefy]

Lol, I wouldn't recommend you do that. It's funny though, our bosses phone us at our home with their problems but if we started contacting them at their home this would be deemed as unacceptable behaviour

[Leo]

I've been off my work for 5 months and they have never phoned me during that time.

I was called in within the first three weeks as I hadn't told them exactly why I was off and my GP was being vague on my lines. After that, and seeing the mess I was in they leave me alone.

I contacted them recently with a lengthy update. They have now postponed all meetings regarding returning to work for a few weeks. I have, however got back in touch with them to see if there is any progress.

Work places have to tread very carefully regarding mental health.

[roadrunner]

Saw the Doctor again today & been signed off again for another 2 weeks. Not sure what happens about my wages now. 

[Catbrian]

Roadrunner, if you don't have a contract that states your sick leave entitlement, then at the very least you will be entitled to Statutory Sick pay.  Your employer does not need to pay you this, they can insist you claiming directly from the DWP.  If you need further legal info, this is the link to the Government website on Statutory Sick pay; https://www.gov.uk/statutory-sick-pay  Unfortunately, it will mean you dealing with your boss, but as soon as you sort out the wages, you should try avoid thinking about work.  You will never get any more thanks for worrying or pushing yourself to return too soon.  It used to be illegal for an employer to contact you while off sick.  As long as you have a sick note there is little they can do, other than ask your intentions, like they did in Leo's case.  It would be wrong of the boss to harass you like this and I hope you have the strength to ignore him for a while, he'll soon get used to not having you around.