Endo in the workplace

[Kelly53]

Hi, I am 17 and work in a leisure centre. Due to awful pain, I do have to have a couple of days off here and there but, not too often and not for long. My boss sat me down and is putting me on an attendance monitoring report where there are 3 levels. I'm on level 1 and if you make it to level 3, you could get a disciplinary or dismissal. Is this in any way illegal? They know about my condition and said it doesn't effect their decision. Please help- Kel

[Lcbxo]

I'm no expert but there are employment laws in place against discrimination which includes illness, especially if they know about it. Don't let them make you feel guilty for being ill, ask your hospital/GP to write a letter or contact HR xx

[Laura_CW]

I would also love to know if anyone out there knows the answer to this as I am in the same situation as Kelly53.

I had an absence meeting this week after having two absences late last year for two ops (first was diagnostic lap which confirmed several endometriomas and stage 4 endo and the second op was to excise endo in a BSGE accredited centre). Showed employer all of my hospital letters confirming need for further op due to extent and severity, photos etc as well as being forced to go into very personal and intimate details of how endo affects endo sufferers but they still put me on a stage 1 absence procedure which means if I have two further absences in next 12 months, I'll progress to stage 2. Their reason being that I "can't guarantee that no further surgery will be required in the future"?! I explained that whilst I have been assured all endo was removed and no further surgery is planned, as much as I'd like to, I cannot guarantee I won't need further surgery in the future. It is the sad reality us ladies have to live with and last time I checked, I didnt have a crystal ball so this seems rather unreasonable of them...Like Kelly53, stage 3 in absence procedure can result in dismissal. Seems none of my documentation or information packs I printed off of the endo website made any difference whatsoever. To add to this, the manager chairing the meeting said just before adjourning the meeting "as this is not a disciplinary, you have no right to appeal and my decision is final". If it's not a disciplinary, what is it? I just have to hope and pray now that I'm not going to be off sick more than once in next 12 months and as we know from loving with endo, there is no way of knowing when endo is going to rear it's ugly head.

Is there anyone out there that is au fait with employment law vs discrimination when it comes to illness? From what I understand, because endo isn't recognised as a disability under the Equality Act 2010 (which it should be!), we have no protection when it comes to unfair/unreasonable treatment from our employer when it comes to any time taken off due to endo flare ups or ops which we have no choice in having??

As if dealing with endo isn't difficult enough for us ladies to then have to have to fight it out with our employer...

[Kelly53 in reply to Laura_CW]

THIS IS EXACTLY WHAT MINE IS!

[Hidden]

Somewhere I worked years ago tried and tried to get rid of me due to 2 ops on my wrist and time off - they even saw my hand swell up in front of their own eyes but still said I was making it all up!!

They knew they couldn't dismiss me over the doctors notes and ops, instead they had another member of staff make up some rubbish that I was supposed to have said about one of the managers - this they did sack me for!! I knew who has really said the stuff, but I wanted out after all the terrible treatment they had given me over my 6yrs working there that I just took it on the chin and left!!

Looking back, I really should have stood my ground and not let them get rid off me, but we grow and learn!!

Defo get something in writing from your GP/hospital/consultant or who ever is treating you and go to your HR department and explain the situation, you may just find that your manager is just an arse like mine was!

Once HR and even health and safety department knows the situation you will be covered if your manager try's to dismiss you!!

Best of luck.

X

[FN75]

Oh no....yes, I've been here. The lengthy story is in some previous post of mine, but put simply: a change in occupational health provider resulted in my endometriosis being nominated as 'likely to be a disability' and while I've not had that confirmed by a Tribunal, work told me my absences for it would be recorded separately from 'normal' illness.

It turns out it was actually a modification in the trigger points for the Stages, but it was enough to stop all the meetings and paperwork.

Before someone with some sense took over, I once asked my employer what would happen if I had 10 one-day absences (if I had to have a day for most periods, for example, which would get me sacked within months) instead of two five-day ones (which everyone else could get away with, and therefore theoretically self-cert and go to Ibiza twice a year). Never did get an answer to that one...

[Kez83]

Hello, somewhere like citizens advice may be able to help you?

My company has an occupational health department who've told me that because this disease is chronic and will affect me at work throughout my career I'm protected by the equality at work act. I'm sorry I don't know any more than this as I'm fortunate to have a good employer but it may be a place to start with citizens advice but prepare to educated thema little on the condition too.

Good luck x

[Bethleah]

Hi

You need to Google and contact acas they are the experts in employment law,they are free. Also try citizens advice, they are also free.

[sweetchild]

Hello ladies I do understand all of you all frustration with work and Endo. As a new eye who has just had their lap January 7, and still feeling crappy I am not sure if my job is going to keep. Me I am so scared because I have things I need to take care of. But anyways how long did it take you all to get back to work after a lap Endo. For mines they found adhesions not sure if they found any Endo. But I am still in very much pain. It's like one day I'm feeling better and then the next day it's like I'm feeling bad. Someone please help me. And by the way I see my doctor today for my post surgery op follow up appointment.