Work and health issues

LegacyUser

Going anon for this. I'm 26 and female. After getting laid off from my job, I did a CELTA course (teaching English as a foreign language) late last year and found a full-time job teaching English in a language school. While I am so, so happy to have a job, I'm finding it impossible to manage the hours (10am to 6pm) with the health issues I have. It's nothing major, but I have a few different issues and would need to visit the doctor about once a month, as well as the odd scan or hospital check up. This stuff wasn't a problem in my old job, as I'd just take a few hours off here and there but when you're teaching, it's a total headache. I've needed 3 afternoons off in the last 5 weeks and I always feel such a nuisance asking the Director of Studies to organise cover. This was OK by him, but I've now been offered a free villa in France for 4 days in May. I haven't had a holiday in well over 2 years and am feeling pretty burned out. Not asking for pity but last year was a hard one, with constant medical worries and stress and I never really got any kind of a break.

Summer is the busiest time in TEFL, so there's no chance at all of getting any time off between June and September, so I decided to ask for the time off in May. Now my colleagues are moaning that I have too much time off, and I don't think the Director of Studies took it too well either. I'm aware that I did have quite a bit of time off, but hospital appointments hardly count as holiday leave, do they? If anything, the constant medical appointments mean I need a holiday more than ever, but the feeling I get is that I'm not 'allowed' to go on holiday because I should use that time for my medical stuff. The job itself is hard going as well - I get practically no breaks and have only 10 minutes at midday to wolf down a sandwich and go to the toilet. This might be fine for someone in tip top health, but I find it really draining. I love teaching but I don't think these conditions are helping my health and I don't think I'd make it to September without a holiday.

Am I being unreasonable here expecting holiday time? After all, in most jobs, you'd get some paid sick leave. I don't get paid when I don't work, so it's not as if taking days off is advantageous for me.

muboop1

I'm of two minds

You see your evenings off etc as not holiday days... but they are so frequent etc... that I can see why your colleges are getting frustrated. Imagine it from the directors pov. He has an enthusiastic employee but he constantly has to make cover for her...

And now she wants time off? Your probably becoming a pain in his ass. He's running a business, you are disruptive to the business. He will continue facilitating you, he may even get on well with you, but you have to understand that your health unfortunately is disruptive to the normal way of things.

But, this is his problem at the end of the day, however it will not facilitate good relationships etc.

But from your perspective a few days off when being worked to the bone and never getting a rest plus medical issues makes total sense and seems completely reasonable.

I think that although you love this job... You and it may be at an impass... Your health is paramount, but he is running a business...

Maybe start looking elsewhere for a similar but less stressful/more flexible role?

LegacyUser

Yes, I totally understand the director's POV. That's why I wasn't going to take a holiday this year. My boyfriend told me to stop being so ridiculous, that time off to go to the hospital is NOT a holiday and should not be treated like one. It also seems ridiculous for a mostly-healthy, competent and reliable 26-year-old to go on the dole or survive on part-time wages (which would mean no money for doctor's visits or scans...or anything except rent and bills) just because she can't get one afternoon a month off for a legitimate reason. I did contemplate going part-time and working 3 or 4 hours a day, which would mean I'd have no issues with asking for time off, but it just seems totally OTT, for such minor issues. I know that this job is not ideal for someone like me, but it's really all there is right now. I've applied to other schools with better conditions but have had no response.

Neyite

You start work at 10, most doctors are open from 8 or 9 - why cant you schedule your appointments for that time? even if it goes over, its far less disruptive than taking an entire afternoon off. If you teach, you are inconveniencing not just your colleagues, but all the people in your class too.

Since August of last year, I have had about 10 GP visits and 4 specialist /tests. None of the GP visits impacted on my work as I went in at 8 am, and was at my desk at 9am. I took a days leave for one specialist appointment, and when I was referred for tests, I took leave time too. I also worked late prior to the appointments to ensure that my colleagues were not landed with a workload in my absence.

Am I right in thinking that you got this job late last year, so you are still less than 6 months in the door - Therefore you are only entitled to the leave that you have earned, and as in any company, they have the final say on when you can take your leave. You are probably on probationary period still, so its not very good for you at this point that the director and your colleagues seem to be fed up already with you time off requests. They can get rid of you for any (or no) reason during the first 6 months. Is your holiday worth that risk?

Eoin

You are entitled to take time off for hospital visits. You can't be made use annual leave for these visits either - however, if you're not working up the hours, your annual leave entitlement might be reduced.

Is your illness considered a disability? If so, then the employer has to make a reasonable effort to accommodate you. If it's not, then remember that you can be let go if constant absence means that you can't perform your duties. It is not the case that medical certs means that no action can be taken by your employer. Hopefully it won't come to that, but a lot of people don't realise this.

After all, in most jobs, you'd get some paid sick leave.

I really don't think this is the case any more.

Neyite wrote:

They can get rid of you for any (or no) reason during the first 6 months.

It's for the entire first year, unless the contract says different.

LegacyUser

Nope, not considered a disability. I have heard of people using one of my illnesses (an inflammatory bowel disease) as a disability but I wouldn't feel right doing so.

Neyite wrote: »

You start work at 10, most doctors are open from 8 or 9 - why cant you schedule your appointments for that time? even if it goes over, its far less disruptive than taking an entire afternoon off. If you teach, you are inconveniencing not just your colleagues, but all the people in your class too.

Since August of last year, I have had about 10 GP visits and 4 specialist /tests. None of the GP visits impacted on my work as I went in at 8 am, and was at my desk at 9am. I took a days leave for one specialist appointment, and when I was referred for tests, I took leave time too. I also worked late prior to the appointments to ensure that my colleagues were not landed with a workload in my absence.

No offence, but it's clear you have completely misunderstood why this is an issue so your comments on your own situation aren't relevant. The reason is that I'm a teacher. I don't have a desk job. I had a desk job for years and my health issues were barely noticed, because like you, I could easily work around them. It's only becoming an issue now.

I start work at 10am, yes. I don't live next door to the school. It takes me 45 minutes to get to work, and I need to be in work 20 minutes before the start of my class. This is the minimum, if I've already done all my photocopying and prep the night before. I still need to do some basic admin like check the registers, write up what I'm teaching that day. So normally I'm in well before 9am for my 10am start. So going to the doctor before school isn't an option. Secondly, you can't just turn up to teach a class late! It IS worse than just taking the whole morning off. This is PRECISELY why the job is so hard to work around - you can't just turn up 15 minutes late like you can when you work in an office. You have to be there on time and you can't leave early. A 20 minute appointment at 5.30pm means taking the entire afternoon off. And you have to be on top form the whole time after the appointments, as you're on your feet in front of 20 students. You can't sit at your desk with a mug of tea or spend time in the bathroom. I get two toilet breaks a day if the toilet is free between classes, and one ten minute lunch break.

Am I right in thinking that you got this job late last year, so you are still less than 6 months in the door - Therefore you are only entitled to the leave that you have earned, and as in any company, they have the final say on when you can take your leave. You are probably on probationary period still, so its not very good for you at this point that the director and your colleagues seem to be fed up already with you time off requests. They can get rid of you for any (or no) reason during the first 6 months. Is your holiday worth that risk?

It doesn't work like a desk job. All leave is unpaid, holidays or otherwise. There is no probationary period - I passed my preliminary observations and I'm now a regular employee. They can let me go with a week's notice, the same as any other employee. I have no guaranteed hours at all, so if work dried up, I could theoretically be given just a few hours a week or even let go. While I'm well aware that taking too many days off doesn't look good, I'm also aware that they wouldn't hesitate to let me go if they had no work and it seems stupid to run myself into the ground for a job which is unlikely to ever be long term.

Also, directors of languages schools usually do prefer people to take their 'summer holiday' in May rather than June or July, as that's when they're busy. The holiday isn't the issue as much as needing these sick days. If I hadn't taken any time off, there would be no issue at all with the holiday. My boyfriend pointed out that it's not my fault I have health issues, and I deserve time off as much as anyone else. But I know that it is awkward for the director.

As for my colleagues, BTW, it has nothing to do with them. They don't have extra work if I'm not there. We have a team of cover teachers who come in to cover classes and are extremely glad of the work. Me taking time off is awkward for the director (he has to organise the cover), the class (they like to have the same teacher all the time) and also for me (I have to leave detailed lesson plans for the cover teacher, ring them and give instructions, make sure they don't go too far ahead in the book or teach the wrong thing).

Neyite

Fair enough. I based my response on you saying you start at 10. I assumed it to mean you started at 10, not well before 9 as you clarified. In that case, I can see why you cant organise pre-work appointments.

Clearly my experiences of organising my time to facilitate work and doctors visits are irrelevant to you. I was merely offering suggestions. If they dont suit, they dont suit. My personal reason for using up my leave instead of sick leave is that I dont want to explain to my employer what treatment I am recieving. Its purely a personal choice for me. I am aware that I could put in for sick leave, but that means telling them the cause. I dont want to do that.

If it does not impact on your colleagues, then let them moan, and dont let it bother you. Put in for your holidays - all they can say is no.