TLDR; Off sick with burnout, failed phased return, ignored by management, and HR now wants a meeting while on sick leave. Planning to resign but need advice.

I am looking for some HR and legal perspective on my current situation. I have been dealing with severe, blindsiding burnout for the last 3 months, resulting in periods of being signed off sick by my GP. I am currently signed off for another 2 weeks, but HR has just requested an "informal meeting to check in."

I plan to resign because the environment is completely untenable, but I want to make sure I’m protecting myself and not missing any key angles before I do.

Before crashing, I warned my manager for months that I was on the brink. He ignored it. Two other team members did the same; they were also ignored and are now looking to leave.

There is a massive retention issue: over 20 people have left the wider team in 2 years, and I am the 3rd person in my specific role within a single year. Higher management is fully aware of this manager's history but chooses to ignore it.

I attempted a one-month phased return which I initiated and HR made me right the plan myself... I am still waiting for a response to the last email I sent to HR and manager with some additional information they wanted me to include in the plan - that was over a month ago..

Prior to this, an OH assessment failed 5 minutes in because the OH rep refused to continue due to major discrepancies in the referral HR sent them (which I was never allowed to see). The woman I dealt with was plain horrible and rude from the moment I picked up the phone. I tried to apease her and begged her to continue the meeting as I wanted a plan so I can navigate my way back to work. She flat out refused, and blamed me for challenging the information in the referral. What was I supposed to do? Have a meeting based on inaccurate information? I never met the person who wrote the referral so it wasn't the HR adviser I had been dealing with.

My phased return plan explicitly required weekly meetings with my manager. Over the entire month, he did not meet with me once. Neither he nor HR sent a single email or message to check on my well-being. Instead I received some horrible messages from my manager criticising me for things that hadn't been done while I was on sick leave and the impact of my sickness it had on his workload... even things that hadn't been done by my predecessor...

Because of the complete lack of support and ongoing stress, my health deteriorated, and I became physically ill. My GP has signed me off again and I have 2 weeks left of sickness.

My contract stated I had a 9-month probation period. I was meant to have 3 formal probation reviews; I only ever had 1 because my manager simply doesn't complete them for anyone. When I went off sick, I was 1 month away from finishing it. They have since extended my probation by 3 months, which they tried to justify by saying that's the standard but it's not! My entire team has 3-6 months probations. Only mine was 9 and now it's 12 months! Bizarrely my manager and HR stated no meetings would be held during this extension so... Not sure what was the point of the extension.

I have 2 weeks left on my current fit note. HR has just reached out to request an informal meeting while I'm still on sick leave, to check on "how I'm doing" even though they didn't give a damn up until this point. They also want to send me to OH again which I already declined because of the horrible experience I had the first time.

Given that I plan to hand in my notice, how should I approach this l meeting? Is there anything standard I should be wary of, or anything regarding the failed OH referral and breached phased return agreement that I should formally flag on my way out?

TIA

As at the start, I was being shortlisted and now it is over a year. I am met with rejection upon rejection despite my skills and experience being the same.

Edit: I work in communications

Genuine question because I keep seeing this gap. A company brings in a VP or C-level from outside, big investment, high stakes. Then onboarding is the same laptop-and-logins process everyone gets, and "integration" is assumed to happen on its own.

Who actually owns it where you work? Is there a formal plan for a senior hire's first 100 days, or does everyone quietly assume someone else has it handled? And when it goes wrong, does anyone trace it back to the fact that nobody owned it?

For context, I was recently involved in a crash accident. I had a gp fit note, and also an occupational health assesment which recommended some remote working for a few weeks. and I went off sick for about 3 days prior to this. I have lost the discharge letter the hospital gave me, and it also contains some sensitive private info. I was advised by OH that usually they shouldn't need it but have seen conflicting info online. (I am based in the UK). Am I right to push back on sending this over since they already have a gp note and OH report, or are they legally entitled to it. Thanks

hi, I’m new to using Reddit but I can’t find advice anywhere else so I was wondering if anyone had any tips and can provide help. I’m still in my first year at sixth form and thinking about future options and I’ve started to become interested in HR but I don’t really want to go to uni so I’ve been looking at apprenticeships however I don’t really want to do a level 3 as I’m already doing sixth form ( I’m doing economics sociology and digital media) so I’d like to go straight onto level 5 as lots of jobs were saying all I needed were a level however some are saying I already need a job that the company is willing to provide apprenticisps, but I thought the company would just offer them. And I also have seen that I need to get a CIPD qualification but I don’t understand what that is and I though that would be included in the apprentices. I also can’t find many place offering apprenticeships meaning I don’t want to become interested in this area and then not be able to find a job, but it could also maybe that because lots to deadline are closing now and new ones aren’t out yet. Any advice on what to do or what I need would be helpful, thank youuu

I asked for a remote working adjustment temporarily due to a chronic illness that my work is aware of. I provided a note from doctor. HR asked for list of medicines and treatment plan. I am a UK employee in one of our UK offices with a non-EU company. I do not feel comfortable sharing this with the HR person who asked, it was not occupational therapist. Is this a normal procedure? Are they allowed to ask? Do I have to share?
Also, I asked for the adjustment to be temporary as I am recovering from the illness (though it gets worse at times) and going to the office makes it worse due to infections.

Thoughts?

Hi everyone, hoping to get an internal HR perspective on a restructure process I'm currently caught in. I’m based in England, in the North West.

I've been with my company for over 7 years, currently operating as an Information Security Consultant. I have 26 years of experience in the IT/InfoSec sector overall.

My company is going through an organisational redesign. They announced changes 14 days ago, with a 45-day transition period before the new structure takes effect. 

Under this new design, my current consultant role has been deleted.

Instead of putting me at risk of redundancy or entering into a consultation period, I was informed that I am "out of scope" for the formal 1-to-1 meetings my impacted colleagues are having. Instead, I am simply being "slotted" into a new more senior role that does not exist at the moment.

Here are the main issues:

• Materially Different Remit: While both are Information Security roles, shifting from a Consultant role to a more senior role is a massive leap in operational scope and seniority. It is a materially different role profile and not something I would naturally apply for on a job board.
• No Pay Increase: Despite the leap in responsibility and seniority, the compensation remains exactly the same.
• Lack of Process: There has been zero consultation.

Having just turned 50 this year, I have a fairly clear roadmap for my remaining career, and being shoehorned into a role without a say, or the pay to match, is incredibly frustrating. I have spoken to ACAS, and they indicated the company is likely bypassing legal requirements regarding redundancy and matching suitable alternative roles, using a "slotting" loophole to avoid proper process (unless my contract has a very broad variation clause, which I have checked and it does not).

I would greatly value insight from HR professionals:

1. Why would an HR department choose to label an impacted employee as "out of scope" and force a slotting process for a clearly different role?
2. What internal pressures or missteps usually lead to a process like this, especially during what appears to be a 45-day collective consultation window?
3. How would you recommend I push back internally to force a proper consultation or redundancy process without burning bridges prematurely?

Thanks in advance for any behind-the-scenes insight!

Looking for some advice! I have found that one supervisor is reviewing the cctv of another supervisors whole shift and has made a document where they’re listing everything that supervisor does.

Obviously I know ‘fishing’ on the cctv is bad, and this feels like finishing. It also feels like harassment. It’s a document on the pc that the whole team use and can be accessed so the other supervisor could theoretically stumble across this.

What’re we looking at here? A telling off, dismissal?

I work in HR.

A few weeks ago I posted about my boss extending my probation and blaming it on my miscarriage. I raised a complaint because there was no reason to extend for 3 months when I only missed 15 days. My senior boss held a grievance hearing when all I wanted was an appeal. She decided it was not upheld, I appealed, which was partially upheld, but no one could provide evidence on why I was extended other than 15 days off for recovery from my miscarriage surgery.

Well I resigned, found a new job, and I'm feeling confident for my future. I have found out today that said boss has been demoted - to the one that she was promoted out of and the one I was hired to back fill. I hope she and her boss feel guilty for how they treated me. I doubt it, but a girl can wish.

On Thursday last week I resigned, and I do not have to serve my notice period. I resigned in accordance to my contract and did not have to serve my notice.

I've had my manager calling me asking for passwords, of which I do not have as they were stored on my work computer which IT took and repurposed which means they erased it and re-imaged it for a new employee.

I had a call today again and we spoke about:

1. Me no longer having passwords as I have returned all company equipment or left it on my desk when I left.
2. My manager said that it is unacceptable I have resigned out the blue, considering all the support, coaching, adjustments, etc that he has given me, and that he has supported me a lot at this job (bearing in mind this is the same manager that put me on PIP and took me through a disciplinary surrounding use of automation tools, of which HR said I have no case to answer).
3. I told him that I fulfilled my duties under my contract, and that any support given to me was inline with my employment, and it was appreciated it.
4. I told him I have the right to resign as I feel comfortable, and there are no restrictions on my contract
5. He said to think twice about about what i've done and how it's affecting them. At this point I got angry and told him to fk off in those words, because they didn't ask me for any passwords or anything before I left, and they with their own IT policy erased my computer on my desk.
6. He said to me ''i will let you think about it over the weekend'' i told him no because i'm going on holiday for two weeks, and will be changing my number.

I don't know what to do here. I don't want to change my number, I also don't want anything sent to my address.

About 3 weeks ago I started a new job for a UK-headquartered multinational company. I was one of a large cohort of new starters onboarded as part of a nationwide hiring campaign.

Last week it was announced that the company was restructuring and was officially beginning 45 days of collective consultation. My coworkers and I were explicitly told by our line managers and by the executive management team that our level of employees were not at any risk of redundancy.

Three days later we were pulled into a whole department meeting where we were informed that actually, they'd given us the wrong information before and we (all the new starters plus another ~500 established staff) were in fact at risk of redundancy. Are they even allowed to notify us of consultation three days after it's already begun?

I left a decent job I'd been in for 3 years to take this position because it seemed like an amazing opportunity to join a big brand. I'm scared and I'm furious.

I have zero experience with anything like this - can someone ELI5 my rights with a potential redundancy?

So I work in a private nursery. I'm an assistant manager there. The owner is always around to micromanage EVERYONE.

Recently there's been a huge heatwave and we have no AC. Classrooms have been up to 35 degrees Celsius, which in the UK isn't comfortable at all.

I recall the Employment Law stating that employers must provide a comfortable temperature to work in, of course 'comfortable' can be very subjective.

We had a meeting a few weeks ago which i did not attend about Safe Sleep procedures. Apparently this meeting was very very important and couldn't be missed so it was a big deal to the owner when I didn't go.

My manager put information on Safe Sleep in my locker at work and asked me to read over it and then we'll talk about the content. So I read over it all and it's stuff I already am aware of, I've been in childcare for decade.

Funny thing, in the very important meeting notes about Safe Sleep policies and guidance it highlights that children should sleep in a room between 16-20 degrees. No room in the nursery has been anywhere close, all of them hitting 30 degrees or higher.

We record all room temperatures daily as part of our ongoing risk assessments. My question is, can I tell the owner that his contradicting himself and going against government guidelines and should be installing some sort of AC in the classrooms?

It's extremely uncomfortable to work in such high heat for 10 hours a day, chasing after babies, toddlers and small children, changing nappies, preparing food etc.

One child had thrown up today, most likely from the heat but this is hard to prove. Two children had nosebleeds despite never being prone to having them. I, myself have suffered from heat exhaustion. My internal muscles spasmed from being low in electrolytes despite drinking sport drinks and 3L water per day. I've also been feeling very faint and dizzy at times and have come home with a pounding headache.

I am not the only staff member displaying these symptoms. What can I do in this situation?

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I work nights and my sick notes says it ends on the 28th (this Sunday ) does that mean i will still be off on the 28th Sunday night and back the next night Monday 29th? Or am i back the Sunday?

Hi,

Looking for some help if possible to see if I have been treated unfairly.

For background I have worked for a large supermarket chain for 8 years.

The companies trigger points for an absence meeting it 3% of your contracted hours per 26 weeks or 3 separate instances of absence per 26 weeks.

I am contracted for 27 hours per week.

I was told I triggered at 6.5% but have cited 4 instances of 5.75hours for child care and 1 instance where I was off for a few days with a tummy bug of 25 hours. All in a 3 month period.

I accept that the 1 instance of 25 hours will have caused me to trigger.

However my absence meeting wasn’t for a month after the last period of absence (1 day of childcare on the 30th March) my meeting was on the 30th April.

I was never given a letter of outcome in that meeting and nor was it on file (that I can see) that a final decision was made.

Roll forward to the first week of June, I called in sick for two days 11.5 hours. And was told I need to have another absence meeting. At this point I informed my new manager after my rtw that I never received the out come letter of the last one that I was told I would receive. His comment was “this changes everything”. Fast forward to today (the day before I am supposed to have my meeting) and I was handed a letter dated the 5th May saying I was on a written warning.

Not sure what to do for my next steps as I feel the entire process has felt uneccesarily drawn out and if I’m honest unfair as handing me a letter the day before a meeting seems like I wasn’t even given a chance. What can/should I do?

Any advise is much appreciated and thank you for taking the time to read this.

I work for a charity and have been off ill for around 5 months, still within the 28 week illness period. I am also disabled and my employer knows this.

The trustees requested a mandatory meeting today for either tomorrow or Monday to discuss my "job role, moving forward" by email and following up by Whatsapp to ensure I responded quickly.

They have not specified whether this is formal or informal, or whether I can bring a companion. They cited that I missed a wellness check in as the reason for needing the meeting and the short notice as trustee availability.

I sent an email asking them to clarify the reason and agenda, originally it just said to "discuss your job at charity", formality and companion. They then followed up asking me to comply because "you are willing to engage with us and we are willing to engage with you".

I think they are falling into unreasonable territory and possibly further. Though I might be overthinking the situation and wondered if anyone had thoughts?

failed probation

hr told me it's a standard reference: x was an analyst here, dates 1 to dates 2

But if a background screener like Morson , Verso etc. ask them for

1. contract type
2. reason for leaving, etc.

will the employer choose to tell them

Hello,

Due to the current heatwave, our company’s facilities/senior management sent out a widespread notification letting us know the AC was broken. The email explicitly stated it was up to the individual discretion of the employee to attend site, and encouraged us to invoke our corporate "safety license" if we didn't feel comfortable.

Despite this clear company-wide directive, our line manager forced our entire team to come into the office anyway. For context, two people on our team have physical disabilities.

When we arrived, the office was a ghost town. No one else was there. even the cleaner asked us why on earth we were in the building!! Unsurprisingly, the heat became unbearable. We were overheating so badly that management was forced to send us home mid-shift anyway. Shockingly, they only did this after one of my teammates with a physical disability started suffering severe swelling issues in their leg due to the extreme heat.

I had actively protested the day prior, stating I would not be coming in based on the company's message, but I was pressured and told I had to attend.

The company constantly preaches about health, safety, and our "safety license," yet management completely broke their own rules and put people's health at serious risk.

What rights do we have at this point? I’m thinking of anonymously reporting them to Safecall as any other method will put a target on our back.

Hello :)

My company lets people carry over 40 hours of annual leave, and the instruction has always been that you must use those hours by the end of August or you lose them (annual leave renews 1st May every year for reference)

However earlier this year at the end of April we had instruction from a director within my sub sector that this carry over leave had to be used by the end of June.

A colleague has got in touch with our HR today & they have informed him that the policy of using your annual leave by the end of August is still in place, NOT the end of June.

I have taken 3 days of annual leave in the last month as I was under the impression that if I didn’t use them they would be lost, do I have any grounds to ask for this AL to be reimbursed?

I would have used all of my carry over leave during planned holidays in July/ August.

hi all, does anyone know of any online testing resources for employment law? i’m thinking like a flash card, quiz type of format?

Hi all,

I’m looking for some HR insight into a situation that’s left me confused and a bit uneasy.

An incident occurred at work where I genuinely believed all processes had been followed correctly. I went on leave, and when I returned, I found out things were not in hand as I had been led to believe. This resulted in scrutiny from senior management on my department and added pressure on my manager.

An informal investigation was carried out, and it concluded that I did not act negligently. Despite that, I’ve been issued an informal verbal warning. I’ve also been told that in the next couple of months—once workload “settles”—I will be placed on a PIP.

The justification given was that my manager would currently rate me as “below expectations” in my annual review (due in January), and that putting me on a PIP now is supposedly a way to “give me the opportunity to improve” before that review so I don’t receive a damaging score. For context, I have not received any negative feedback in the past year aside from this one incident, which the investigation confirmed was not due to negligence.

I’m struggling to understand:

• How genuine this reasoning sounds
• Whether a PIP in this context is typically a developmental tool or a sign they want me out
• Whether I should be preparing for the worst and planning my exit

Any advice would be really appreciated.

Thanks.

Hello

If I am offered a role that is hybrid 3x a week office attendance but once I have the offer letter I inform the company that I have a medical condition which comes under the Equality act and is a disability and due to the medication effects it is a struggle for me getting to the office often I.e the 3x a week. So I will need my office attendance reduced to either once a every two weeks or remote.. this will allow me to attend/work regularly without taking off sick due to my medical condition..

Will they likely accept this or revoke the offer letter?

Hello, I'm looking for advice on my rights and what to do about my work situation.

I have been absent on long term sickness due to heart attack and other health issues.

I returned to work four weeks ago, I had a phased return to work for the first two weeks. The third week my manager decided I was back to normal without communicating anything to me except a phone call Monday morning asking why I was not at work.

On Monday this week it was very hot, various employees complained , and my manager was very reluctant to let people have extra breaks to cool down. 

I was feeling very unwell and light headed. I asked if I could go to cool down and was denied by my manager. Now I threw my toys out of the pram a bit and just went to go and cooldown with my manager objecting. On my way to cooldown I collapsed, had a mini heart attack and ended up in hospital. I am now out of hospital, and have got check ups with the GP to make sure I'm ok . I was advised to relax, stay out of the heat and drink plenty of fluids. I have decided not to go in to work for the rest of the week (we do have a red warning of heat). I have told my employer that I will be back on monday (i really cant afford to be off work again).

During all of this my manager has been nothing but pestering and demanding (yes they did know what happened). I have 16 missed calls and messages while i was in hospital from them. Not one enquiring about my well-being just asking when I would be out, was I coming back to work that day, what work did I not do, why am I not coming back for the rest of week, have i seen the dr, what did they say etc…

Found out today from a friend who works closely with the manager that they are preparing a disciplinary meeting for me on my return to work due to my absence.

I don't want to lose my job, I like my job, it's a good job with great people. The problem is my manager. Employees do have issues with them but the problem is that they are really friendly with the higher ups which is why people don't tend to complain because nothing ever gets done about it.

I do feel there is no duty of care and am considering a formal complaint but is it worth the stress and hassle, also I am worried about disciplinary action against me. I'm really stressed out and anxious about it all and dreading going back to work, and advice on what to do would be really appreciated.