My blog post for employers

[Kaz747]

As many of you know, I had a year off work with my heart dramas. Thankfully I had a wonderfully supportive employer but I know not everyone is so lucky. I must admit, despite maintaining a positive attitude, I did have moments when I wondered if I would get back to work and get “back to normal”.

I work in the recruitment industry and wrote a post on our company blog aimed at employers with advice on how to support employees dealing with a long term illness. I’m sure many of you will relate to the emotions I have written about.

people2people.com.au/blog/2...

[CDreamer]

Fantastic post Kaz, I think Aus is way ahead of Europe on supporting employees.

I can think of a few managers who need to read, absorb & implement.

[Kaz747 in reply to CDreamer]

Thanks CD x

[jeanjeannie50]

Well written Kaz. You were one of the lucky ones having a considerate employer. My employer had AF too, so he was more understanding when I had to be off work.

[Kaz747 in reply to jeanjeannie50]

Thanks Jean x

[wilsond]

I am forwarding this excellent blog to an ex colleague! I had several tumultous years at work after my diagnosis. Im sure it added to my AF burden. You would imagine the public sector ( Local Authority) which promotes Equality and Diversity as one of its Core Values might put this into practice(???!!!)

I hope it helps others. Ps I am happily early retired !

Thank you Kaz and so glad you are out of the woods now xd

[Kaz747 in reply to wilsond]

Thank you. I’ve had some great feedback on the blog. A HR professional who deals with this often said she’d never thought of appointing a ‘buddy’.

I’m hoping to work for another 3-5 years. I want to be able to retire on my terms, not be forced into because of health problems. So I’ll retire early too (at 58-60). 😃

[Goldfish7 in reply to wilsond]

My Local authority got rid of me after 3 yrs of PAF and not much time off. Wouldn't let me work P/T and after giving me the ill health elbow in May this year are still not paying my pension and seem to be trying to get me to accept the heavily cut 'voluntary pension' rather than ill health pension. So I'm not surprised. It is in many ways a relief not to be working for them anymore but incredibly stressful trying to live on ESA alone.

[wilsond in reply to Goldfish7]

I feel for you,almost exactly my experience. Lower pension ,ESA now run out and can't get State pension till I'm 66! Also as hubby works more than 24 hours per week...can't get any other assistance!

Grr! But on the positive I think I would have been heading for a big fall healthwise if I had stayed at work. Things are getting tighter and tighter in that environment. Just so ironic that their public statements are so far from their practice.

You stick to your guns on the Ill health package. Good luck xx

[Goldfish7 in reply to wilsond]

Thanks - trying my best but all seems stacked against me - so sorry they got you too. I'm in a similar position to you re having about 2 months contributory ESA left and my partner having just enough pension to prevent us from getting any assistance (they did the same to him as well a few years ago). Like you I think I'd have been lucky to survive much longer in the job the way it was going and the way they treat you.

[Kaz747 in reply to Goldfish7]

You have different systems to us so I can’t comment on that. I was thankful to have some income protection insurance whilst I was off - nowhere near my usual salary but enough to keep us afloat.

[Morzine]

Very well written Kaz,

Sue

[Kaz747 in reply to Morzine]

Thanks Sue x

[irene75359]

Reading your article has made me feel very emotional, not least because I know of so many people here in the UK who eventually lost their jobs through ill-health. The profound effect on them on so many levels has been very hard to witness.

Great post, Kaz, and I am so happy that you are well and continue to be employed by such a good company.

[Kaz747 in reply to irene75359]

Thanks Irene - I’m hoping I can keep going for a few more years. I was hoping to get people to think a bit differently. There are people here too who have had to leave work early and have struggled as they were too young for age pension and not deemed disabled enough for a disability pension. x

[allserene]

Employees come in 2 varieties: Those who are easily replaced and those who aren't. Similarly, the touchy feely emotional weepy huggy zeitgeist of 2019 is mostly a PR facade promulgated via Personnel, or human resources as it is now called ....lol.... . e.g. When I lost my 'big job' as 'European Group Finance Director', I went to an agency in Leeds that I had used to recruit my Accountants for 15 years. They offered me a temp job in Bradford, working in a windowless basement to prepare fake tax returns for a Pakistani outfit who were obviously crooks. When I turned it down I was told "You can't afford to turn anything down. You are 47 and it is likely you will never work again"... This was before Diana, and before people had 'emotions', but I bet the underlying situation is the same, and an employer's /agency's attitude to an employee can change in a second, depending on whether they are useful and how it looks to the other employees who need to be lulled into the idea that anyone gives a damn when you get right down to it...

[Kaz747 in reply to allserene]

There are some great employers and and some awful ones, the same can be said for recruiters. Your experience with the recruiter sounds dreadful. I’d like to think attitudes have changed but I still hear a lot of horror stories.