has anyone ever been dismissed from work due to rheumatoid related absence?
I’m in the process of trying to get better meds as the rituximab hasn’t worked that well and I’ve had to go off work every time it’s started to wear off while I wait for my infusion. I’ve now been give leflunomide too to try and help but everything takes so long to build up.
I’ve now had so much time off work I’m at risk of losing my job.
has anyone else’s been through this?
I’m just not sure what I’m supposed to do. With the right meds I’m well enough to work, but feel like I might lose my job before I get get them.
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Does your work have an HR and / or OH dept ? These would be your best bet as a starting point to discuss your health issues.
NRAS also has leaflets for employers explaining what RA is that you might want consider giving your employer whilst having a chat with them about how you hope your new meds have a positive impact on your RA and your absences from work reduce.
I’ve gone through all of this. They are well aware of the situation. I keep them updated with every hospital appointment, I’ve done occupational health assessments, I’m not sure what more I can do. But I’ve had so much time off that it’s causing too many problems. I understand it from their point of view, but I need and want to work, it’s not like I’m sick on purpose.
Your employer cannot just dismiss you without going through the proper procedures. As someone who is ill you do have rights. Your HR department should have information on your employment, if you are very concerned it might be worth asking to speak with them regarding your concerns.
can you reduce hours temporarily or change roles? Without knowing what you do it’s hard to advise you really. If there are only a couple of you in the company, yes it will be a nightmare for them and they will need and legally can put the needs of the business first. It’s not easy I know 😊
Morning. I would also chat with your Union if you are in one so you can get additional support if needed. You are covered under the Equality Act.
I wasn' t dismissed , but eventually made the decision to leave. I had a very supportive union ,and as I worked for the local authority,I had access to their HU dept who recommended 'reasonable adjustments' which were the benefit of both parties. My medication was tablets only, so I didnt have the same problem as you, but the fatigue and pain was often so bad that I couldn't go to work. I cant really add much more except to echo what others have said. One comment I would make- from experience- if at any time you have meetings with management, make sure you have someone else with you ,take notes , and ask for a written record of the meeting . Sorry to state the obvious if you do this already 🤗
I went thro something like this and had to change hours and days worked. Maybe looking at a different role and hours etc rather than what you are doing at present etc. it’s hard going and you have to be realistic what you can and can’t do BuT they can’t just get rid of you.
I eventually, mainly due to Covid took redundancy as I knew I could not do the role anymore and there was nothing else available.
However by you looking outside the box at your role and the company might come up with an idea to present???
So sorry to hear you’ve got this problem. I hope the advice others have given with how to deal with your employer are helpful.
Also in your situation I suggest you put more pressure on your Rheumatology consultant to get your RA drug regime sorted and quickly. Are you being made to wait too long between your Rituximab infusions? I found I started to notice deterioration after 5-6 months and requested blood tests, which always showed the CRP increasing by then. I think it’s sometimes assumed we can go 12 months between infusions but I never could. Can you get a short course of Prednisolone to ease the symptoms whilst you wait - that has helped me in the past.
I do hope you can get some help from your HR department or union. If not perhaps consult an employment lawyer or CAB if the former is not an option for you.
I'm pretty sure they can't sack you when your sick. I'm an employer and there is no way I'd do that for fear of unfair dismissal proceedings. Once you're off sick for six months they don't have to pay sick pay....(employers can't claim this back from the government) so you have to claim universal credit. You can sometimes claim in when on SSP as your income is less.You also don't need this stress hanging over your head it won't be helping you get better.
Have you tried citizens advice for further support or NRAS helpline too?
This is always going to be a tricky area. If it’s a small company they won’t have HR departments etc…but they will be able to hire in an ad hoc Occupational Health person to do a one off assessment so might be worth asking them to do that?
Going off sick and returning and repeating will be disruptive so it might be better to ask if your doctor can write a note for an extended period of absence. For my business, it would be completely untenable to have someone coming back on and off as we need continuity for our clients. Perhaps your work is similar but you don’t say what you do.
It’s a difficult time for both you and your employer so would suggest the occupational health assessment as the first point of call 😊 I would imagine their HR advisor will be suggesting similar to this to them too.
Personally, I’d avoid threats, lawyers etc.. as yes, they can get rid of you under the needs of the business if they feel your situation is unlikely to improve contrary to what others have said. Keep things amicable as when things become confrontational, it becomes a toxic environment to work in anyway.
Can you work from home, change roles or reduce hours?
I've been through this and it's the worst. The stress caused made me even more ill. I lived on my own and paying a mortgage, time off and loosing my job wasn't an option. Sick pay doesn't touch bills. There's times I've cried by the time I've got to work never mind after a full day.
In the short term ask about pain killers and steriods to tide you over for the gaps. I'd also write a letter to you rhuemy team outlining what you have said here and ask it to be added to your notes. In my experience they are keen for us to be productive workers.
In the long term I can offer you hope. It took time but I am now on meds that makes life a lot easier. I've gone through the meds climb and am now on jaks. Don't let them fob you off.
definitely involve occupational health, if you haven’t already. I worked in the nhs, where 3 episodes triggered the sickness policy. OH recommended it was increased, due to the biologics increasing my risk of infection. My manager increased it to 7 before the policy would be triggered. They also made many recommendations for adjustments over the years, to keep me working, all of which management agreed too. I was also given access to an OH physio, who I would see every two weeks, often strapping up muscles that were in spasm, this definitely helped keep me working. Unfortunately I had a severe stroke at 52, and was forced to take ill health retirement. As happykindofgal says, even with the equality act, it is possible to be dismissed, especially if it’s a small company and your sickness impacts the business. It may be better having one long episode rather than constantly being on/ off, especially if your employer uses the Bradford scoring for sickness. I hope you can resolve it, put pressure on your rheumatology team to try and manage pain better, to get you working again.
that is awful. Its been many years since I worked but my bosses were very supportive and did everything in their powers to make my life easier. Suppose it depends what your work is. Is there an HR you can speak to. Worrying certainly wont help your RA.😭
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