AF & employment law
Posted , 4 users are following.
Hi after some advice/opinions on AF & employment.
?I been diagnosed since april this year with AF (paroxysmal),I have not informed my employers so far due to bullying/harassment for approx.18mths as my manager has been step by step taking work from myself & giving to his zero hour wife but that's another story... the last time they told me to take time off work to help with my wife who was ill at the time, 2 days later my colleagues thought id left due to managers wife throwing all my stuff away in my office & started using it and from then onwards she has been doing pretty much my job & I'm now left with all the bits she cant or wont do.
?Ive been off work sick for 7wks due to side effects of medications tests etc... which has now also made me very anxious & stressed. My sicknote states stress due to unknown medical symptoms.
?I now have a meeting with my managers wife who they have now made her my manager plus my HR will be there. I am partly off with stress due to how I been treated because of my manager & his wife but obviously because of the symptoms I'm experiencing at the moment.
?I have not wanted to tell them of my AF as I feel they are just looking for reasons to get rid of me. I have always done my job perfectly,& I'm extremely good at it, ive been there for almost 26yrs and have no intention of leaving, but I need advice/help on employment law or rights of an employee with AF. Are there any good sites to check please? I'm 42yrs old so obviously I need to stay employed. My AF does not stop me from working,& once these side effects including the stress ease up I know ill be 100% for work again. I just need help or advice with working with AF, I appreciate any help given, thankyou.
0 likes, 7 replies
sarah88339 dean0612
Posted
dean0612 sarah88339
Posted
Hi sarah, thankyou for getting in touch. Originally on Bisoloprolol 2.5mg but due to quite horrible side effects I was took off these & now on Sotalol, hoping the side effects of the new meds eases off very soon. That's good news then, I didn't really want to give them any reasons to get rid of me, thankyou.
frank61666 dean0612
Posted
Get another job if you can - no one who wants to have good health can have a job like you describe.
Frank
dean0612 frank61666
Posted
Hi frank, the stress has certainly been a big factor just lately & my issues with work have I feel definitely added to my troubles. With what you have mentioned as in controlling imbalances I totally agree, with this ive tried to do the best I can, ive cut out all alcohol for almost a year now,i have no added sugar salts etc... & only drink herbal teas & water. Due to having GERD for 12yrs I have also noticed that my diet played a big part with my AF so I try my best to stay to a healthy diet apart from a couple of chest days here & there.
?Ive had two gp's tell me to look for another job, its areal shame as I genuinely loved my job & my work colleagues but just isn't the same anymore so maybe time to look, thankyou for your help.
Okapis dean0612
Posted
Does the company have an Occupational Health Department by the way? A company or organisation has a duty of care not to harm an employees health. It sounds to me that stress has been generated and it certainly does not help AF
dean0612 Okapis
Posted
Hi okapis, I work for a large company. The department I work for has approx.350 staff for which its my job to plan workload/budgets/ot etc... my concern is, the managers of all departments within the company plus the main manager are all very clicky & back each other up plus I also know that HR are very much within this circle. Ive tried talking to other managers before but ive been totally shut down & even been told I'm trying to cause trouble. My managers wife has no experience whatsoever & making mistakes left right & centre but they just cover it up & blame the errors on anything else possible, then ive had to pick up the mess. Every aspect of the job is now always under scrutiny, luckily I know what I'm doing, but things like I been off sick 7wks & now I'm being called into a meeting yet we have other members of staff on the sick 5mths/6mths & some even longer but yet have not been approached, so I'm the shortest yet I'm the only one. I was questioned about 8hrs ot in a month yet other colleagues did 120hrs & nothing mentioned. These sort of things I could live with but its the stripping away of my duties & being penalised wherever they can is really starting to affect me & I'm feeling very anxious & stressed.
?The company no longer has an Occupational health, I really wished they did as I believe this would really help. In the meeting I'm going to attend they want me to sign a form to give them access to my gp records which confuses & concerns me, as due to no Occ Health I don't know who will see these, as if its my manager & HR then as there not medically trained I feel there opinion will be based on a personal one & not a professional health one.
?I think speaking to CAB is a great idea, I really need some help on this to be honest I totally forgot about the CAB so thankyou.
Okapis dean0612
Posted
mmm even if they have disposed of their OH department they will still need to stick to the letter of the law...I suspect they will be using an external OH consultant. Ask
them. I'm not sure I would want my employer knowing all my medical details!
My Occupational Health department doc wanted to examine me. I said no but if she wanted to contact my GP she was welcome. She did with alacrity and received a letter the GP dictated in my presence! Pays to have a good relationship with your GPs
My working knowledge of employment law is shaky. I really do suggest you visit CAB or find some other source of information in this area. There are precious few free legal centres these days but search online and see if you can find one or a CAB. Quicker the better.
If your absences have been due to AF your employer has a duty of care to ensure your working environment does not injure/ cause you further harm. Stress is a problem for AF. So I think it might be a good idea if you asked your GP for a letter stating you have paroxysmal AF and maybe indicating stress is not helping. Do you have a good relationship with a GP? Talk to your GP. She/He may have some suggestions.
Your employer is currently working in the dark and needs to know - should stop the harassment on absence otherwise they are breaking the law
To turn to the AF...you've seen a cardiologist? Yes? What medication have they put you on? What episodes are you currently having and how do you control them?
I worked for 20 years with PAF, which admittedly gradually worsened until I had enough and retired at 64! Four years past the date when I could have retired!
So don't worry having PAF is not something which can cause your dismissal on health grounds but you do need your employers help to cope with it by the sound of it...they are legally bound to do this. Legislation changed not so long ago and gave it teeth ie duty of care not to injure an employees health!
I operated a pill in the pocket strategy with flecainide... worked very well for many years. You can probably tell when you're about to go into AF and then pop some pills. Worked well for me.
You really do need some sound advice. Start with your GP tell them whats happening at work and then find a CAB or a free legal centre or even pay for some yourself paying for peace of mind!