I have recently (Nov12) been diagnosed with Menieres disease, which consists of head pressure, tinitus, vertigo, and hearing loss. It is not cureable and likeley to get worse over time resulting in "drop" attacks and deafness. MD is covered under the DDA.
Anyway, I have worked in the same role for 6 years and have only had one absence in all that time until February this year, when I collapsed and had a vertigo attack and was off work for 2 days. Then in April, I contracted a flu virus, which combined with the MD knocked me out for two weeks and I was absent again for 11 days.
Work have a new sickness policy that says if you are absent for longer than 10 days you may have a back to work meeting - I was given the impression it was just a formality, my manager confirmed my reason for absence and said she had no issues with either absence or my performance.
How wrong I was! The meeting was very formal, and because I couldnt prove that Flu and MD were "linked" I was issued a verbal improvement notice. Neither my previous record or my recent diagnosis were taken into account. (My opinion is she had decided before the meeting to issue a warning and was looking for an "in" by asking questions I could not answer.
I was very upset and requested an appointment with Occupational Health, to cut a long story short, she backd me 100% and reported that they were linked and that the flu was bound to vastly intensify my MD symptoms, and that adjustments should be made to take higher levels of absence into account.
Anyway I have put in an appeal with the above reasons and stated that she should have adjourned the meeting when the MD was discussed (as she obviously knew nothing about it) gone away and spoken to OH and reconvened with her judgement. My managers and OH are all very supportive but her answer is that "I have issued it now, I can't take it back"
So now I wait for my appeal meeting with her Manager (and best freind) and wondered if anyone had any advice or opinions on my situation?
Anyway, I have worked in the same role for 6 years and have only had one absence in all that time until February this year, when I collapsed and had a vertigo attack and was off work for 2 days. Then in April, I contracted a flu virus, which combined with the MD knocked me out for two weeks and I was absent again for 11 days.
Work have a new sickness policy that says if you are absent for longer than 10 days you may have a back to work meeting - I was given the impression it was just a formality, my manager confirmed my reason for absence and said she had no issues with either absence or my performance.
How wrong I was! The meeting was very formal, and because I couldnt prove that Flu and MD were "linked" I was issued a verbal improvement notice. Neither my previous record or my recent diagnosis were taken into account. (My opinion is she had decided before the meeting to issue a warning and was looking for an "in" by asking questions I could not answer.
I was very upset and requested an appointment with Occupational Health, to cut a long story short, she backd me 100% and reported that they were linked and that the flu was bound to vastly intensify my MD symptoms, and that adjustments should be made to take higher levels of absence into account.
Anyway I have put in an appeal with the above reasons and stated that she should have adjourned the meeting when the MD was discussed (as she obviously knew nothing about it) gone away and spoken to OH and reconvened with her judgement. My managers and OH are all very supportive but her answer is that "I have issued it now, I can't take it back"
So now I wait for my appeal meeting with her Manager (and best freind) and wondered if anyone had any advice or opinions on my situation?
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