Is there anywhere to get employment advice

happyfella

My wife is trying to get employment advice and would like to know if there is an email address for a national citizen advice or some other organisation to get support.

My wife who has health problems has been off work due to the pandemic. At first she was off due to being told to sheifd, and then the doctor did not want her to go back to work due to the high cases. She loves her job but it is really affecting her and she is missing her friends at work.

She has counsillors supporting her who have said she is not ready to go back to work, but she feels hassled by her supermarket employers to go back. She understands they have a job to do, but she is not receiving any money from them and is only receiving SSP. Her doctors don't feel she is ready to go back to work and none of her support team feel she is ready.

I personally am scared for her to go back to work. I have seen the way people are acting and i am scared in case she gets it, even though she has been double jabbed.

Because she feels hassled to go back to work, she has agreed to go back in November even though she is really scared. She has agreed this so they do not sack her. but now she worries about it every single day.

She has two years before she retires and has worked all her life. She has been with the supermarket for 20 years with very few days off.

She reduced her working hours to look after me and only does around 20 hours a week. She cashed in her pension pot which was not a great deal so we could make some adaptions to our house to make me safe and to pay some bills off.

Sometimes she wishes they would just pension her off or whatever they do when you are unfit to go back to work, but then she thinks about the financial situation, and she does miss working.

In reality, i am worried about her returning to work with the cases rising. I wished it was like the old days where they gave her a settlement to finish work.

She has decided that she will go against her doctors wishes and her support team and return to work

janer1967

Hi there 

I'm not sure but think I have advised before anyhow 

If she is getting ssp she is being paid by her employer as the company pay this and is no longer recovered back from the state 

She should arrange to meet with hr dept and maybe get referral to oh who can make recommendations on her future options 

Some companies do have compensation package for medical dismissal so may be worth looking into 

If she has already cashed in her pension then ill health retirement is no longer an option 

If she is being advised not to return to work she needs to provide her employer with this and as I said discuss the options available 

Returning to work could be detrimental if she has been advised not to 

Ross_Alumni

Hello @happyfella

Sorry to hear about you and your wife's situation, it sounds really challenging and it's probably a good idea that you want to seek support for her. 

You can get employment advice from Citizens Advice, and I'm sure you'll be able to contact them about this to have further conversations. Additionally, you could contact Acas, or look for some support local to you on the Advice Local website.

happyfella

janer1967 said:

Hi there 

I'm not sure but think I have advised before anyhow 

If she is getting ssp she is being paid by her employer as the company pay this and is no longer recovered back from the state 

She should arrange to meet with hr dept and maybe get referral to oh who can make recommendations on her future options 

Some companies do have compensation package for medical dismissal so may be worth looking into 

If she has already cashed in her pension then ill health retirement is no longer an option 

If she is being advised not to return to work she needs to provide her employer with this and as I said discuss the options available 

Returning to work could be detrimental if she has been advised not to 

she wants to go back and reduce her hours until she gets back into the swing of things. There are lot of people who work for the same company who are in the same boat. They have an occupational health department who as many people have said are a waste of space. They have not provided her with any support.

She wants to go against her doctors wishes and return back to work. But to be honest, i am fearful that when she returns to work and with the rising cases that she could end up losing it and walking out due to the stress of it all.

I am concerned if she loses it when she returns back to work and asks to go home that they may sack he. she does love her job and has missed it, but i am not sure if she is up to going back.

janer1967

Sorry for asking but what is the reason she is off sick 

She should request a phased return to work if that's the case in reality if she has been off long term a reputable company would be suggesting this 

Phased return is a slow build up eg initially return on 50% of working hours and incresde each 2 weeks normally for around 6 to 8 weeks on reduced hours 

This should be put in writing and agreed by both parties and revirwed every 2 weeks 

I would suggest acas is the place to get advice and support from 

happyfella

She has COPD, and because of that it has caused her to get anxiety because of the whole COVID thing. She was on the vunerable list. She was always a strong person but this has really got to her, and because she works in an environment where it is a supermarket and very busy, it has got her scared.

I am hoping they are going to be gentle and understanding with her.

janer1967

Fingers crossed 

Once she us back in the swing of it she may feel better 

I understand the anxiety returning after a long absence 

Try and encourage the positive side of getting out and seeing her work colleagues again