Urgent information needed please

[NB2019]

Hello

Please can I ask for some advice on employment law. I am a full time employee with nearly 10 years in this position. I have been asked to attend a disciplinary meeting for absences of sickness 10 days over 12 months. Not altogether 1 or two days here and there.

What are my rights? Should this be a disciplinary matter?

Every absence I have informed my Office Manager and my Director (we are only a small company and work very closely with the director).

I have never been off for more than 3 days in a row and so don't need a sick note from the doctor.

Any help you can give would be very gratefully received.

Many Thanks

[Amethyst]

There's likely guidance in the employee handbook / policies that sickness over X days ( possibly over 9 days) in a 12 month period should be investigated. Never understood why.... unless you're always off on a Monday after footy or something daft, you can't help being poorly, so you can hardly say you'll try harder not to get sick.... but really it's them noting that your absence has increased so checking there's not an issue behind it that could escalate.

I'll tag Ula for you in case there's anything you need be aware of before attending the meeting .... Have they invited you to meeting in writing and have they said directly it's disciplinary ?

[NB2019]

Unfortunately we do not have an employee handbook that I am aware of. The Director emailed me first thing this morning to invite me to a disciplinary meeting stating ''The purpose for the disciplinary hearing is to review and discuss you levels of unauthorised absence and to decide what action should be taken''.

My holidays are worked out form January to January and this hearing is for the past 12 months, as were only in March I didnt know if it went alongside the annual leave.

I don't want to have this on my employment record.

[ULA]

Hi, what intrigues me is the use of the wording "unauthorised absence", if you have reported into work to let them know you are going to be off sick then this would ordinarily be recorded as sickness absence. Have they provided any documentary evidence of these "unauthorised absences" with the letter they send you inviting you to the disciplinary meeting? If they have not then I suggest that maybe you email them asking for that information so that you are better able to prepare your case in time for the meeting.