lost job ...

Noodledoodle

My brother lost his job a few months ago... he'd been working for same company for 5/6yrs ... no problems, a good worker & well respected. He had been very stressed and down for a year or so and then was caught taking some stuff from work, mostly stuff that was to be dumped but some was ok. He offered to resign but his boss said he was being sacked ... the stuff was returned. He was very upset and saw a psych who diagnosed severe depression and said that his actions were a symptom and not that unusual... especially since he is mid 40s and has up to now been model citizen. He is on medication now and recovering slowly but is still very upset .. thinks his life is ruined as is reputation is damaged ... that he won't be able to get a job as he won't get reference. My sister is thinking of approaching the company ... does anyone rate her chances or have any advice? It is so sad to see a man's life ruined because of one blip... and that due to breakdown in mental health.

WindSock

Moved from LL. Not sure if it's to go here or Work Jobs.

crotalus667

Noodledoodle wrote: »

My sister is thinking of approaching the company ... does anyone rate her chances or have any advice? .

It depend's on the person she talks too , Id say it' s at leas worth a shot , after all whats there to lose ???

Wacker

Having worked in Recruitment for the last year, I can tell you that many companies are not that thorough in checking references. If he just gets a friend from the company to write something complimentary up on headed paper and attach their direct line then he should be okay. Also, I would hope the boss would be happy to give a reference once he knows the full situation behind the therft, i.e. the depression. I mean, your brother has already been fired, so surely the boss now feels he has done enough?
Speaking of which, this depression is clearly a bigger problem than the unemployment, if he was depressed before losing his job. Do you have any idea of the origin of said depression, and is this problem/problems being addressed?

Hitchhiker's Guide to...

maybe a heart-to-heart chat with his old managers wouldn't go astray? He can explain that the depression made him do things that he would never normally do.

hope he is getting better.

couch36

could you accompany your brother to the doctor explain the situation about the loss of his job and ask the doctor would he/she be willing to give him a letter for his previous employer stating that he was unwell at the time due to depression and that he was now dealing with it.
it could be explained to the employer that the loss of his job is a barrier to him getting better unless he can move on and get another job.
a reference stating his good points over the previous years working in the firm might help him to move on and get better. he should also go to AWARE who are a self help group.

Noodledoodle

Thanks everyone .... probably is worth a go to talk to someone though am not sure we'll get good response ... the bigger companies often don't care about staff personal problems. Can only try I suppose. Yes my brother's depression is being treated ... he had had a lot of stress in his life and some health problems too which lead to his depression. We didn't recognise the symptoms... tired but sleeping badly .... up at crack of dawn, snappy, losing interest in everything etc etc Will recognise them in future!!!!

RainyDay

Your brother has a legal entitlement to a 'reasonable accomodation' from any employer relating to his disability. These rights are outlined in the Employment Equality Acts, and usually relate to things like physical adaptions to the workplace for employees with physical disabilities, or special software for people with sensory disabilities etc. You could possibly make a case that he should not be sacked, if his GP and/or consultant are prepared to go on record in stating that the theft incident may well have been related to his mental illness.

Note that this would be a difficult sell, as he could well be breaking new ground on this issue, but it might be worth trying.

estar

i think he should if he can approach them himself
it would look better

but you in the family can make a phone call or two to the manager
to see would he be amenable

no decent manager is going to want to ruin a mans life

he probably had to sack him since he was caught stealing
and would have been fired himself if he hadnt done his job

but hes going to want to cut him a bit of slack, if he
has been a decent worker for 5/6 years and this was out
of character.

also, surely he has friends still working there, get them to
give a reference either.

there are very few hopeless situations in this life. hes lucky
to have a strong family on side.

Noodledoodle

Thanks ... my brother's consultant has already said he would have no hesitation providing confirmation of my brother's condition and that it led to him doing what he did. He doesn't want his old job back ... he'd be too embarassed to go back, but would like if they would accept his resignation due to poor health rather than have a sacking on his record. We are sticking by him because we know that it is not in his character to take anything normally, very much the reverse in fact.