Losing your job through ill health

[Dexter6565]

Im just wondering what experiences others have had following heart attacks. I had a visit from my personnel manager a so called welfare visit but he proceeded to inform me that the next step for me will probably be dismissal as i was already in review following time off last year following a liver bleed. I am returning to work in two weeks time and am extremely apprehensive as to what they will do. I am in the union and im 54 years old but cant afford to stop working yet . Also my heart attack is still under investigation so far it appears to have been caused by a blood clot and im presently wearing a 7 day haltor monitor.

[Calliope153]

Get in touch with your Union and tell them what has happened so far. Get a note book, rule into columns,Headings: date and time of any contact, what sort of contact (visit, letter, text, email, phone call) and who made the contact and what it was about, so you have all the information in one place if you need to give it to your Union rep or you need something to jog your memory of what happened and when.

This is why you pay your Union subs so get the Union to help you. Also you need to keep your worry to a minimum and knowing you have support available will aid you in keeping that worry to a manageable level. Good luck.

[Nathan53 in reply to Calliope153]

Good advice from Calliope and the only thing I would add is to maybe also inform your GP of the stress you now feel under - my understanding is that before Employers can make decisions based on health matters they should with your permission seek medical advice. I hope you find the attached link useful but definitely get advice from your union before doing anything. firstpracticemanagement.co....

[Dexter6565 in reply to Nathan53]

Thank-you for your reply and i will definitely read up on the link that you kindly attached for me

[Dexter6565 in reply to Calliope153]

Hi , thank you for your advice. I have been keeping the union rep up to date and he says that it is not so easy to sack someone when they are back in work. I am going to go back in in two weeks time but have only been offered two weeks phased return . Luckily that takes me up to some leave i had already booked around Easter .

[Nathan53]

Hi Dexter - I sent response to your post to Calliope by mistake. Another senior moment!

[Wodney1966]

Hi I lost my job last November after being off work 4 months with heart failure and cardiomyopathy they got me on not being able to do my job as a bus shunter and I'm not much worse off with money n I'm 52

[Dexter6565 in reply to Wodney1966]

Hi , i have twenty years in the pension scheme and have been thinking if i can just hold on until I’m 60 i may retire early but I think i may need to start looking in to how my money will look if i have to leave work earlier . My job is office based , my main problem is getting to and from work as i don’t drive and standing too long and walking at the moment is hard work but once I’m at my desk i should be fine. It is reassuring to hear that you are not much worse off , i will have to do some homework on what i may get , cheers

[2stents in reply to Wodney1966]

Sorry to jump in on the post, do you get any help with benefits I’ve been on sick for a while now and and can’t claim sick pay because my husband works ??

[Wodney1966 in reply to 2stents]

Yea new style employment and universal credit plus I get pip

[Dexter6565 in reply to 2stents]

Hi ive still been on full pay from work ,and im going back next week so wont have hit the limit to stay on full pay but i am in the same situation, my Husband works and i doubt i would qualify for anything. I have submitted a PIP claim but dont hold out much hope

[Wodney1966 in reply to Dexter6565]

You neva know lol

[Ramblingross in reply to Dexter6565]

If you do qualify for PIP and get turned down don't give up...a lot get turned down lst time and sometimes even 2nd time.... it's usually 3rd time lucky through sheer determination..

[Dexter6565 in reply to Ramblingross]

Thanks for that i will make sure i keep going if i get turned down

[Clerkenweller]

Calliope’s response is the best advice you can get. I urge you to be persistent with your Union rep (who sounds like a wuss ) and your GP. Also active accurate record and note taking is essential since your Union might need to pursue action for unfair dismissal.

[Dexter6565 in reply to Clerkenweller]

Hi , thanks for your reply. The union have been involved up to now but i didnt think it necessary to have them there at a so called welfare visit. Any further meetings i attend will be with union repressntation . I do keep copies of all paperwork in case needed further down the line

[Clerkenweller in reply to Dexter6565]

Good luck. Fingers crossed.

[Healthyheart1]

Hi Dexter6565, sorry to hear your story. I have had to reduce my hours because of I'll health. Although I am managing at work now they have tweaked my meds. I have a caring job with my dad. He is demanding and for a little while I could have walked away, now I'm in a better place. Dad is not well at the moment and were worried about him. Anyway I'll not go on but life sometimes throws a curve ball. I'm on a lot less money now than I was on 8 years ago. Dads caring job, I'll health through my caring job seems to equate to less money. Keep in touch with your union and try to be positive, good luck with everything. 👍

[Dexter6565 in reply to Healthyheart1]

Hi , thanks for your reply, i have been considering reducing my hours by one day to give me a three day weekend. Its very difficult when caring for others to look after yourself i understand. Take care

[benjijen]

My GP always said that 'your health is your wealth'. If you are really having trouble with any of your working day, including travelling, you may be better leaving your job and concentrating on your health. You don't say what type of company you work for but maybe you could do some of the work from home. This is what I was allowed to do and it helped me. However, most of my work is computer based so it was only a matter of going in to collect things when necessary. A company needs to try to accommodate your health issues if at all possible, so maybe working some time from home may be an answer for you.

[Dexter6565 in reply to benjijen]

Hi thanks for your reply, i work for Local Government office based, a lot of my colleagues are classed as Agile workers but i am “fixed” as i do mostly Admin. I dont get the opportunity in my daily tasks to ask to work from home but this is something i will ask about. To be honest from the tone of the welfare meeting i dont think they are planning on me being there that long as most of the comments were around have i thought how i will manage if i cant come back and reminding me that it is a long walk to the toilets in work etc

[benjijen in reply to Dexter6565]

These are all things you need to consider. Remember 'Your health is your wealth'

[Janma123]

Hi Dexter6565, the advice to keep in touch with your union is good. Also contact your local job centre as there are ‘help to get to work’ schemes in some areas whereby they may support you with a taxi to work or is there a car share locally where you could get a lift to work for a small fee with someone going in the same direction?

Good luck but remember that your health comes first and one door shutting can often open another (better) one!

[Dexter6565 in reply to Janma123]

Hi thanks for your reply. I have applied for the “Access to work scheme” still waiting to hear. To be honest getting that woukd solve most of my problems but im not hopeful . It is difficult and i understand health cones first but all i can see is disaster if i lose my job . I know people say that you always manage in the end but until my mortgage is paid off i need to fight to stay there i think . Thank you for taking the time to respond

[Ianc2]

Ask to see you union regional representative - they are usually a bit more switched on.. If you are thinking of retiring early your company might have an early retirement scheme which you may be eligible for. If they terminate your employment on the grounds of ill health it is important to get hem to say so in writing if you wish to claim benefits in future.

[Dexter6565 in reply to Ianc2]

Hi thanks for your reply , yes i will contact the regional office thanks for the advice

[Sususulio]

So difficult - I work for local government too and hate the disciplinary process that follows illness on return to work, driven by an external HR consultancy it is very impersonal and I have found it to make a stressful situation worse! Health and Well-being should be involved in your case I would hope and consideration being given to reasonable adjustments? I have asked for voluntary redundancy but it seems doubtful despite headlines of councils needing to make huge savings...... Having worked for over 40years I would like some time of the treadmill to give proper consideration to my health and well-being but it seems all geared up to patching us up and sending us back. Take good advice and consider all options - good luck

[Dexter6565 in reply to Sususulio]

Hi thanks for your reply. I really need to swat up on the best way to go, voluntary redundancy, retirement through ill health which i hear is very dificult to get. Really im nearly 54 and if i can just hold on to 60 that would be my ideal . Good luck with negotiating your redundancy !

[Sususulio]

You can access pension from 55 but reduced 😬 From what I know it seems Ill health retirement is frequently being interpreted as needing to be terminally ill - not that it says that in the guidelines. Also you have to be unfit for any job not necessarily your current one but explore all options. I guess we just have to be our own advocates and try and be as informed as possible

[Dexter6565 in reply to Sususulio]

Yes the man from Personnel told me that he thinks that the criteria for ill health retirement is being slightly relaxed as it has been as you say very difficult to achieve unless terminally ill but in saying that he has his own reasons and i know from his past history he is ruthless even though he himself suffered a heart attack in recent years . I will be reading everything i can in order to try to protect myself. I really appreciate your responses , thank you 😀

[DavidG1971]

Whole thing makes me angry. I was back in work 3 days after my stents - was getting emails asking me to process some invoices. Stupidly I went back as I didn’t want to let them down. I had a total of 7 days off over 2 procedures. Like most here I put my long term finances ahead of my short term health.....I now regret it. HR say all the right things - but do nothing to make work easier. I hope you use every tool at your disposal to make this as difficult as possible for your employer. They certainly won’t go out of their way to be compassionate.