Work Related Stress

[BANDTRAINER]

Hi

 

I have been off work for around 2 months with work related stress. This I believe is down to problems with my line manager.

 

I have done everything my employer has asked, attended Occupational health, who confirmed that the sickness was work related, and had meetings with HR and again with my Department Manager.

 

The next step is a series of meetings with my direct line manager which I am happy to go along with, but I have asked for a series of questions to be answered which they continue to avoid.

 

What I would like to know is am I within my right to have these questions answered before things go any further? I feel that they are avoiding the problem by not answering these questions.

 

Any help and advise would be most appreciated.

[BeauBrummie]

Hi Bandtrainer,

 

Do the questions relate to your current status?

 

Can you not ask these questions at the next meeting?

 

Is anyone taking minutes at the meetings you have already had?

 

Are you being correctly represented at these meetings---you have the right to a friend/co-worker or anyone of your choice at such a meeting if it is of a disciplinary nature.

 

Beau

[godpikachu]

Hi

 

I have been off work for around 2 months with work related stress. This I believe is down to problems with my line manager.

 

I have done everything my employer has asked, attended Occupational health, who confirmed that the sickness was work related, and had meetings with HR and again with my Department Manager.

 

The next step is a series of meetings with my direct line manager which I am happy to go along with, but I have asked for a series of questions to be answered which they continue to avoid.

 

What I would like to know is am I within my right to have these questions answered before things go any further? I feel that they are avoiding the problem by not answering these questions.

 

Any help and advise would be most appreciated.

 

ok, so far everything seems to be being done "by the book", so to speak, however i would second beaubrummies suggestion that you ask your questions in the meeting.

 

when you go to this meeting, provided you are well enough to go, make sure you take a witness, this is VERY important, and they cannot deny you this right, if they do, then you can refuse to attend the meeting.

Said witness may be a work collegue or a union rep.

 

In the meeting, make sure you ask your questions and make sure you get answers to them, do not allow your manager to skirt the issues you raise.

Make sure that accurate notes are taken of what is discussed and READ them before signing them, and insist you are given a copy of said notes before you leave (again, they cannot refuse this).

 

In the run up to your meeting, i would write a letter of grievance stating that you are off work due to work related stress, which has been verified by the company doctor, and that this stress is being caused by your manager, make sure you list down what your manager is doing to cause these problems.

 

Tell them that this letter constitutes th elogging of a formal grievance against the person in question and you expect it to be rectified through the companies grievance proceedures as quickly as possible (make sure this statement is entered into the notes as well) .

 

 

no doubt your manager will be attempting to cover their back, which is why said questions have been avoided thus far, you need to make sure that you take control of the meeting and do not allow said manager to bluster on and turn everything around so the blame falls squarely on you.

[BANDTRAINER]

Hi

 

Many thanks for the replies.

 

I've already had 1 meeting and and was sent the minutes of the meeting which I have asked for a number of points to be amended as they were incorrect. I am still awaiting for the amended minutes, which do not appear to be very forthcoming.

 

At the meeting I had asked the questions and I was asked to email them over and they would get back to me, they now appear to be avoiding answering the questions asked.

 

Although everything seems to be done correctly as far as I can see it only seems to be when it suits them, when I pose a difficult question they seem to be very good at avoiding giving the answer.

 

What I am wondering is would it be worth seeking some form of legal advice or should I let things carry on as they are, in the hope that this will be sorted.

 

Many Thanks

[godpikachu]

Hi

 

Many thanks for the replies.

 

I've already had 1 meeting and and was sent the minutes of the meeting which I have asked for a number of points to be amended as they were incorrect. I am still awaiting for the amended minutes, which do not appear to be very forthcoming.

 

At the meeting I had asked the questions and I was asked to email them over and they would get back to me, they now appear to be avoiding answering the questions asked.

 

no, and ill wager you wont get them answered anyways, as it seems obvious that they are not willing to give answers in written form, because they know they are in the wrong.

Bring this matter up at your next meeting, and demand that this be addressed NOW, if not sooner.

 

Although everything seems to be done correctly as far as I can see it only seems to be when it suits them, when I pose a difficult question they seem to be very good at avoiding giving the answer.

 

like i said, dont let them avoid it, ask you question, and continue asking it until you recieve an answer. Dont let them move on to something else or waffle on in a round about way, if the start trying to talk over you, tell them to shut up and give you a straight answer, tell them they are skirting the issue.

Take control of the meeting, THEY are the ones in the wrong and they are obliged to provide you with answers, inform them if they dont you will be filing for discrimination at an employment tribunal.

 

What I am wondering is would it be worth seeking some form of legal advice or should I let things carry on as they are, in the hope that this will be sorted.

 

it will be worth talking to ACAS, if you havent already done so, before you seek legal advice.

[BANDTRAINER]

godpikachu

 

many thanks for your quick reply.

 

I think it may be a good idea to contact ACAS at least to make sure I don't do anything that may cause further problems for myself.

 

I just wish they could see that the way they are skirting around the issues is actually causing me more stress and I feel that I'm actually fighting a losing battle and do wonder is it worth it.

 

Many Thanks

[p_cas]

Is there another post concerning this because the question and replies here seem to assume that we all know what these questions are that you want answered (and that the company have something to hide and are in the wrong by not answering them).

 

Unless I've missed something in another post, wouldnt it be better to find out exactly what these questions are before jumping to the conclusion that a) they must be answered, and b) that the company are hiding something by not answering?

 

Just going by what's written in your posts here I can't see why there's talk about discrimination either? Discrimination against who? About what? There's been no mention of religion, pregnancy, race, disability (you'd need a lot longer off work than 2 months to have stress classified as a disability).

 

But....I've obviously missed something either in this post or another.

[BANDTRAINER]

Hi p cas

 

I don't think at any point I have mentioned discrimination.

 

Whilst I can understand were you are coming from, I am very apprehensive about posting my questions on here just in case anything gets back to my employer as I certainly don't want to make things any worse than they already are.

 

However I will say that the dispute comes down to how I and another member of staff have both been treated differently and that my employer seems very reluctant to answer any of my questions relating to this.

 

Many Thanks

[godpikachu]

It was me that mentioned discrimination, probably not the best choice of word in hindsight.

Basically, from the sounds of it you have been bullied and/or harassed to the point which your work related stress has made you ill. Obviously the company doctor you have seen has corroborated you are suffering from this and their report will have been delivered to managment by now, hence why if you are asking questions about said manager they are reluctant to answer it from fear of implicating themselves on a charge of harassment.

 

If you like, you can send me the questions you want answering by PM, and i will tell you wether or not they are relevant to your situation.

[BANDTRAINER]

Hi godpikachu

 

I have PM'd you and many thanks for your help.