Hi All.

Im 26 and for the last 2 years I've been experiencing awful diarrhoea, pains in my stomach (both left and right, more on the right side now though) sickness, pain and occasionally blood when passing stools, stomach cramps after eating, tiredness and slight weighloss.

I went to my gp when this all started in march 08 and was told it was a bug thats been brought over from Egypt, so was given come tablets of somekind...they didnt work so went back a month later and they said it was this new bug that has been brought into the uk, so again was given more tablets...2 months later I go back, I was so fed up I quite out of charater told my gp I wasnt being fobed off with "oh its a bug from where ever in the world they fancied to mention, and wanted something doing."
I was reffered to a gastroenterologist, and have been backwards and forward from there ever since!
Im on my 4th lot of medication, which seems to sometimes stops the diarrhoea, but all other sypmtoms are there. But stress makes it all worse.
Ive had bile-malabsorbtion tests, colonosocpies, blood tests and otheres I cant remember the name of, and have recently been told I have severe IBS with the early stages of Cronhs.

My employer (name will remain annoymous but its a major high street bank) has been awful through out and today I have been given a 12 month disciplinary warning due to my sickness, in the last 12 months. Although being covered by the DDA it apparently means nothing to them. I now cannot have any more occasions of sickness in the next 12 months, if I do it will be unpaid and with the possibility of further disicplinary and dismissal.

Hoping joining here may provide me and my family with some support/friendship from people who actually know how Im feeling.

Anyone else had or having the same issue with their employer??? Or know if this is something their allowed to do.

Thanks for reading and hope to make some new friends along the way...great site btw too

Jen x

Hi Jen

I think most will have had this issue, i was fortunate as i have good employers and they have helped me, but have met others like you who have suffered because their employers are arseholes.

A few important points i have learned - You CANNOT be disciplined (given warnings etc) for having a disability and being ill (as long as most of your sickness has been authorised by a GP - Sicknotes), i find it absolutely disgusting this has happened to you, i would certainly take legal advice (If you are not in a union then Citizens Advice will help).  Obviously i don't know your pay structure with illness but if you have had your quota of days off specified in your contract then the pay can stop.  You CANNOT be dismissed for being ill......however, they CAN make you unfit for work which would effectively end your employment, but before anything like this happens your employer should be attempting to make reasonable adjustments to your working patterns, or job type.  Seriously, you really need to take some sort of action, CAB would be my first stop, they have employment solicitors who will help you.

I rang the DDA because although my employers have been very good up to now, how long can I expect to support me.  They have currently paid for all my sick leave, and I know for a fact that a lady who had an operation on both wrists for (can't think of the name, but it's a common complaint) and she wasn't paid made me wonder where I stood.  I have also spoken to the HR department and keep them fully informed of what's going on, and that I am trying to help myself i.e. low res diet, take all the drugs offered (not so keen on) and trying to keep myself as fit as I can for work i.e early nights for tiredness.

I took away the understanding that it was 'probably' covered because it affects me inside and outside work.  (I have to plan ahead if I want to go out, I can't make many (friends permitting) arrangments to far in advance in case I'm ill, which I'm sure there are a lot of people I my position).  And that all sick leave relating to my Crohn's is not counted as standard sick leave  (my employment currently covers a 'rolling 20 days')

I've been lucky enough to be able to save a couple of months salary (I do have a husband, who also supports me hugely) just in case my employer stops paying me, or I need further surgery.  And I will continue to save as much as I can incase my health deteriorates any further.  My husband and I have a game plan that we would sell up, move to a cheaper area, and reduce the mortgage to the smallest amount possible.

Now I appreciate that not everyone will have a back up plan in place, but I've wracked my brains for something that I could do to produce an income from working from home, and nothing came to me!!!!  And I appreciate that I can save some money, and I can move, and I do have support.

So whether you can or do take further action regarding your employer, stop and think about what you could do to help in case you do have further problems (if you haven't already).  I appreciate that companies are in business to make profits, and they are not there for my personal benefit.  I would also in your case contact the office of the DDA and ask for informtion regarding your employment and then ask to meet with someone from the HR Department, and who knows if they have a better idea of the havoc it wrecks on our lives they might be a bit more considerate.

I wish you luck

Regards

Julie