Scared and uncertain

[madewithlove]

Hi I am a 19 year old with Endo, I was recently released from my job due to being of work with endo pain that left me bed bound to many times. I am now terrified to now get a new job and go through this again when getting a new job. looking for advice on how to best deal with employers and managing time off work. 💛

[AlexaMac]

Hi, l cannot speak for someone of your age as l am much older. But if you are as you sound uncertain as to what happens next please contact your GP and talk it through. They are your first line of contact, and l found with mine that is all it took to get the ball rolling for me.

If you would prefer to speak to a female then request this when you make your appointment. If it helps then make a day to day diary of what is happening and take this with you. We all think we are well prepared when we go but if the doctor moves onward in the conversation before you have fully taken in what has been said thus far this can be a very handy tool.

I sincerely hope you soon have the answers and solutions to return you to full health

Alexa 🌸

[chelseagrl]

Hiya so sorry you are in pain. Agree with the advice go to your gp and ask for a referral to a specialist endo centre. Its not normal fo period to affect your ability to work and quality of life. f/when you have a diagnosis any reasonable employer should make an effort to support you to work with a long term health condition, including adaptions and or flexible working but worth checking. Endo UK has groups across the country if you want to meet others who experience endo I've found them really useful. All the best xxx

[Cailleach]

Good advice already re managing your endo.

This is a hard one when you are applying for new jobs. Certainly you need to tell the truth when you are asked any questions such as why you left your last job, and will be asked about your general health in some way, often in a confidential questionnaire. Any potential employer will probably also be looking for a reference from your last employer and they will ask them about sick time and why you left. This will probably outweigh even an otherwise good reference.

Unfortunately one of the main things employers are looking for in their new employees is that they are reliably attending at work. Also when you are new in a job you generally have few rights in terms of sick pay and even dismissal.

Sorry, this is all bad news. It might be worth you thinking about what kind of job you could manage as your health is at the moment - part-time/ flexible hours/ physically undemanding/ working from home? and then applying for that. Is there agency work in your field?

Ideally you want to put some distance between you and your current last employer, so that they are not the one who is being asked for a reference. It might also be worth looking at whether you could do any further training that would help your future career.

When you are working, there is a lot that can be done to help. Endometriosis can be classified as a disability, if it affects your everyday life. That means you are entitled to ‘reasonable adjustments’ to help you be at work. I wouldn’t advise doing that until you have been there a little while though. A trade union or Citizens Advice can help you with information.

This is such a difficult situation, I hope this has been some help, my advice is based on having been a trade union rep, and an employer.