Something I NEVER thought I'd have to face...until I had a baby

I have just passed through my second week of employment in the UK .....on a DOCTORS SLIP off work!!! 
I hate hAtE HATE having time off from work, and the timing is impeccible!!!!!!! *says she who wouldn't miss work unless she was on her death bed*
I have been having horrible headaches, and they have been taking my sight, so I called in last wednesday to work, and went to see a doctor, who of course, gave me meds, etc blah and then gave me a sick slip and recommended I stay home until next week (thursday)
NOW, my dilema......am I going to lose this very GOOD and very NEW job because I wasn't even employed fricken 5 days and had to go off on leave? I mean, I have the doctors slip excusing my absence, so I understand it's against the law for them to fire me, is this correct??
Please help me!! I have NO CLUE what I am up against here, and it's really got me stressed out, would be so great to hear I'm gonna be alright come next thursday.... 

Sorry you aren't feeling well, Amy.  Sounds like a bummer, alright.  Hope the meds are helping.

My understanding is that they cannot fire you if you have a doctors slip.  I'm sure they'll understand the situation, and now that they've presumably paid agency fees and went to all the trouble to hire you, I expect they'll hang in there a bit.  Best thing is to stay home and get well so when you get back you can be 100%!

Sending you lots of healthy vibes. 

edited to add- There is a very different attitude toward sick time in this country.  It was something I had to adjust to as well at first.  I remeber being really sick with a nasty cold and a badly sprained ankle trying to hop down my stairs so I could get to the tube to get to work.  I got halfway down before I finally gave into my husbands pleading and begging to just give it up and stay home.  People here are really a lot better about this stuff than in the US.  I wouldn't worry too much! 

If they don't want to go to tribunal, then they won't fire you.  To do so while you're out on a doctor's recommendation would be wrongful dismissal and you could very well make a claim against them for it.

Sorry you're not feeling well, hon.  Hope the rest and the meds help.

Thank you so much for the well wishes and support....
 

and now that they've presumably paid agency fees and went to all the trouble to hire you, I expect they'll hang in there a bit. 

Unfortunately, They didn't pay and agency fees to hire me, they hired me directly through the company on a private basis, because my husband handed my CV in to a friend of his that works there, and he took it to work and slipped it into the proper hands, to make it to the proper department, sos I could get an interview.
Is that gonna mean I might have to be a little bit more cautious when I return on Thursday? 

I know I'm a worrywart, but.... I am by nature a workaholic as it is, so not only am I going stir crazy, but if I lose this job, that's a TON of money out the window, AND it's means my "break from home" is gone as well...if that makes sense..LOL

boo

Like we said, they can't sack you if you have a doctor's note.  Ain't gonna happen, so try not to worry.  I expect they'll be fine when you go back. 

no don't worry, they can't penalise you if you have a doctor's note; i am sure you feel bad about the timing of it but you can't help getting sick, it happens, i'm sure your employer will understand.

Actually, just to shock you all.....





she did...indeed...get the boot...even with...a drs note.

Was it a new job?  B/c a lot of jobs in the UK have a 6 month 'probation' period during which they can terminate your employment for just about any reason.  If it's after the probation period, however long that is, then it's a different story.

I doubt you will lose your job over this most places are quite sympathetic. We had a newly appointed person get ill and he was just hired ...he was off work for 3months and they still kept his place for him. It's much better to be off for the week and return fit and healthy then to go back and not letting your body system repair itself by going back to work early....you more likely to cause more damage . Don't risk it and cause permanent damage.

I had to attend some employment law training in January and I'm 99% sure that the guy said that anyone can be dismissed without cause within the first 12 months of employment.  Only after one year can a dismissed employee head to a tribunal with an unfair dismissal claim.

But I could be wrong...........

humm ...depending on their contract of employement though ...but  you could be right.

well, I did get the boot, and honestly, at this point, i don't care, because the place was a cluster of "no know hows".
Noone knew what the heck they were doing, not even the manager of the department, or my boss, so, i'm glad to have been relieved of working amidst that confusion....
and...well...i'm not in the UK anymore anyhow, so, however relevant or not it may be, if they think they got to me, they're wrong.

 

well, I did get the boot, and honestly, at this point, i don't care, because the place was a cluster of "no know hows".
Noone knew what the heck they were doing, not even the manager of the department, or my boss, so, i'm glad to have been relieved of working amidst that confusion....
and...well...i'm not in the UK anymore anyhow, so, however relevant or not it may be, if they think they got to me, they're wrong.

Sorry about that!!!  But in the same way glad it happened, and you are good about it as well!