Back to work

Well for the first time today since I was diagnosed with lung cancer I was quite disgusted at how my phased back to work Interview progressed , I realised that our company’s 6 month sick pay policy was just lip service ,, ie now that the six month deadline is approaching my companys HR don’t even know what date I left to have my operation and quite frankly don’t care. I have been made to feel like I have been absent from work with a cold or some other faked illness and that I will be treated that way as my paid sickness is due to expire ( so much for thm telling me when I went in for my operation not to worry, I have done my upmost to be positive - even going back to work at the start of last November, although it was a struggle I thought I was doing the right thing for the company to keep things as straight forward and as normal as I could regarding the situation of my health ,I returned home today with bruises on my arm from carrying things around even though I’m supposed to be on light duties and I am so disappointed at how my meeting went today , I feel like I am being deliberately forced to do things I’m not capable of doing like I used to and that they have just washed thier hands and left me to the Hr until I am forced out of the company, so much for feeling like I was doing so well.

really devastated 

Ed

sorry needed to vent my frustration!

  • Hi ed ... they've probably been lucky enough not to have been or have someone close on this journey we find ourselves on... you owe them nothing now, if I were you, I'd look somewhere else, where they have half a heart, and more understanding ... 

    You look after you now, don't work where you put your health at risk, you've come too far ... thinking of you ... all the best .... Chrissie xx 

  • Thanks so much Chrissie  your words mean a lot, I’m sat here in tears I’ve always been hardworking and still are ,it’s so unfair - how can     Company’s treat people like this,especially when they know what I’ve been through .

     

    thanks Ed

  • Hi Ed

    Things went downhill when companies stopped having a Personnel Department, and changed instead to HR. 

    Are you in a union? If you're a member then they can supply someone to accompany you to meetings, and to represent and fight your corner when things get tough. 

  • Hi telemando

    thankyou for your comments, my company do not recognise a union unfortunately, I feel the only way forward for me is to seek alternative employment, I think I will just have to bear it until I have another job/ career,although I have been in my employment for 13 years and don’t see why I should change, 

    its quite ironic really as my company are one of the largest suppliers to the nhs for medical equipment driving home that they always putting the customer first , maybe this needs to change to the employee also.

    Thank you 

    ed

  • You can still join a union without it being recognised by your employer. That way you can still get access to telephone advice at least.  Also, if sufficient workers join a union, then the employer can be legally forced to recognise it.  Lots of people think that unions are somehow old-fashioned or not for them, but as you're discovering, if you work in a non-unionised company then you're completely powerless in situations like this.  Unfortunately, you're discovering this the hard way.

    Still, the situation is what it is. Have you discussed your position and treatment with your line manager or head of department?  Perhaps they can intervene for you. 

    I know from personal experience that returning to work after cancer is difficult, and my employer was pretty enlightened. Cancer is a shock to the system, and sometimes a return to work to the same company isn't going to work out, because you've changed and you're no longer the same person. In my case, I crashed and burned after a year, but I  was lucky that I'd reached retirement age and I could take my pension, plus my enlightened, unionised, employer kindly sweetened the deal when I left. Others are not so fortunate.

    Perhaps the very first thing you need to decide is whether you want to return to that company anyway. If your answer is no, then time to work out an exit strategy and find a new job. 

  • Have you thought about getting advice from the CAB? You are covered by the Equality Act
  • Telemondo

    i have returned to the company, if any employee pushed to join a formidable union or seemed to get others involved from a production point of view they would be fired , unfair I know but thier is nothing I can do as wrong as it sounds 

    but thank you for your support

     

  • Hi Telemondo 

    i have not looked into cab but to be fair I am not sure how the could help on the situation as I am still employed by the company for the time being, as mentioned I will just have to deal with the situation as unfair as what it is for now , don’t get me wrong I really do appreciate your advice as I know you can see this is wrong also but all I can do for now is keep playing by the book for mine and my family’s sake 

    thanks so much ed

  • That is often how employees think their company will behave. In practice that would be unfair dismissal and would open up the company to whole wave of bad publicity.  In these days of social media, companies know that a reputation can be destroyed in a few minutes, and once you get a reputation as a spiteful employer, then future recruitment becomes far more difficult. 

  • No worries. Was just a thought as it sounds like your employer is in breach of the Equality Act. It's worth getting advice from your specialist nurse or team too. This is also a useful read: www.macmillan.org.uk/.../your-rights.html

    But as you say what's the point- just grin and bear it. Hopefully you will get through it x