Suspended

kiki1990

Hi, Im not sure if this is the right forum for posting in. Im in 4th year of a university degree and as part of 4th year i have to do 36 weeks of internship in a HSE hospital. 2 months ago, i lodged a complaint of bullying against a manager in the HSE who took work related documents from me and instructed other staff to not complete mandatory course work with me. it was investigated by a senior HSE manager and i was made to sign off on my complaint saying it was resolved and then I was deemed unfit to work by the same manager (not a doctor) and told i must get a fit cert from the doctor before i come back to work. I went to the doctor straight away and got the cert, which is a month ago now. Im still out from the internship, i was made to sign a form to request unpaid leave up until the 31th of this month, which i did because i was obliged to by management to. I was due to return back to internship today, i got an email last monday from a faculty member in the university saying i would be returned to work today, but last thursday i was told that i was being put out on leave for another 3 weeks. An email followed this meeting, instructing me to contact the HSE manager and request a further 3 weeks of unpaid leave. Can they do this?? Is it legal? When i return, they are trying to make me do an extra 27 weeks of unpaid placement to complete course work, which guidlines say can be done in 16 weeks. They are also trying to get me to sign a different contract, called an hourly contract, i think this means they can throw me out at a minute's notice. I understand that i am not a regular employee of the HSE, but i am unable to complete a university course that i have spent 4 years and thousands of euro on, because they keep blocking me. It feels like a pretty hopeless situation, but if anyone can give me any advice id be really grateful.

MrBobbyZ

Which manager deemed you unfit?
What reason did they give for declaring you unfit?
Was the bullying claim resolved? If not why did you sign off on it?
How did they make you sign off on a request for unpaid leave?

davo10

Op nothing about this adds up, are you training to be a health professional? Are you on sick leave, off work due to H&S issues or are you suspended and do you know the difference?

_Brian

To me it sounds like you weren't capable for your work experience module.
Seems like you've been given a second chance with an extended period to get it done. Possibly your college tutor had to push to get you a second chance.

I'd suggest you approach it with an open mind, forget previous greviences. Your the only one with anything to loose her so need to make the effort.

Can they fail you for not completing this module, yes they certainly can.
This is only 27 weeks to complete something you've invested 4 years in. Just knuckle down and make it happen - welcome to the real world outside full time education.

kiki1990

Hi Guys, thanks for the replies. I was called into a meeting about the bullying and I was told I wouldn't be returned to duty until it was resolved, I signed off on it so I could recommence the same. Following that, the manager that facilitated that meeting said that I was unfit to return due to stress. They made me sign out on unpaid leave by emailing me the forms and telling me to fill them out and return them.I did all this in the hope I could continue on the course. I am still out, they are no longer answering my emails or phone calls, they said in the last correspondance that they won't decide about my placement until next feb. I am really stressed over this, I've contacted the union, but they aren't interested.All I want to do is finish and get out at any cost.

Jen Pigs Fly

Could you not contact your university about this? From experience if a placement isn't working the college will give you another one ... Baffled why you're letting this go on for as long as you have, if it was me I'd be straight onto my course head about it including the bullying and request a transfer of internship due to the bullying.

If it means you finish a year later so be it. I'd worry about resentments in the place you're currently in stopping you from reaping all the benefits of an internship.

kiki1990

Thanks jenny, the university won't answer me. They ignore my calls, emails etc. I've applied to academic administration to have a review of my progression but they won't reply to this either. When you say a transfer of internship, do you mean transferred to another hospital? That would mean looking to transfer to another university. I've paid all my fees etc, so I don't want to have to pay fee's again, which I imagine is what would happen. Plus, I really like where I am, in spite of all that is happening at the moment. I know you say "don't let it go on", but there is very little else I can do. I feel if I push the matter, they're going to look for a way to put me out. The course head has suggested to me that I take an exit award, which I refuse to do. I don't know who can help me anymore,, I am so stressed over it, my parents are really stressed aswell, my dad wants to go the legal route at this stage, but im worried that could make things much much worse for me. It's really beginning to take its toll.

Stheno

kiki1990 wrote: »

Thanks jenny, the university won't answer me. They ignore my calls, emails etc. I've applied to academic administration to have a review of my progression but they won't reply to this either. When you say a transfer of internship, do you mean transferred to another hospital? That would mean looking to transfer to another university. I've paid all my fees etc, so I don't want to have to pay fee's again, which I imagine is what would happen. Plus, I really like where I am, in spite of all that is happening at the moment. I know you say "don't let it go on", but there is very little else I can do. I feel if I push the matter, they're going to look for a way to put me out. The course head has suggested to me that I take an exit award, which I refuse to do. I don't know who can help me anymore,, I am so stressed over it, my parents are really stressed aswell, my dad wants to go the legal route at this stage, but im worried that could make things much much worse for me. It's really beginning to take its toll.

That sounds to me like more has hapened than you are saying. Is it possible the hospital have failed you on the module/advised the university that you are not suitable and so you are being given the exit award option?

I'd be reading it that way, that while no one has told you you have failed the work experience module, that that is what has happened.

Perhaps I'm being overly negative, but with the hospital refusing to engage with you and the university offering you an alternate award, I'd not be too optimistic of successfully completing at this point with the same organisations.

kiki1990

Stheno wrote: »

That sounds to me like more has hapened than you are saying. Is it possible the hospital have failed you on the module/advised the university that you are not suitable and so you are being given the exit award option?

I'd be reading it that way, that while no one has told you you have failed the work experience module, that that is what has happened.

Perhaps I'm being overly negative, but with the hospital refusing to engage with you and the university offering you an alternate award, I'd not be too optimistic of successfully completing at this point with the same organisations.

Thanks for the reply, I haven't been failed on any of my placement, but they are not facilitating me to continue. I would be very upset if I was dismissed, especially since I haven't been given a reason as to why I'm being blocked. They're refusing to engage with me. Legally, can they refuse to let me continue?? I have no black marks against my name, except for the complaint I made.

Stheno

kiki1990 wrote: »

Thanks for the reply, I haven't been failed on any of my placement, but they are not facilitating me to continue. I would be very upset if I was dismissed, especially since I haven't been given a reason as to why I'm being blocked. They're refusing to engage with me. Legally, can they refuse to let me continue?? I have no black marks against my name, except for the complaint I made.

I think you need to contact both the university and the hospital and asked why you are not being allowed to continue.

kiki1990

The clinical modules aren't marked as failed on my transcript,

kiki1990

Also, can the university decide at their own discretion to make me accept an exit award, as in can they refuse to let me continue??

Clearlier

kiki1990 wrote: »

Also, can the university decide at their own discretion to make me accept an exit award, as in can they refuse to let me continue??

Essentially yes, but it's not about you accepting, it's more about them awarding. If they don't believe that you meet the criteria for an award then it would be reprehensible of them to award it, e.g. allowing a doctor to qualify and practice whilst believing them to be incapable of the job wouldn't be seen by anybody as a good idea.

As others have said there appear to be large parts of your story missing. You may well have good reason for this but it makes offering advice difficult.

davo10

Op, when your course head advises you to take an exit award, in the kindest way he/she is telling you that you are not going to achieve the standard necessary to graduate. Like others, I suspect there is far more to this than you are posting, so you may have to go in to the college and discuss it with the faculty head, he/she may be a bit more blunt and leave you in no doubt where you stand. I work in the medical field and sometimes the Uni's have to act in the best interest of the public by not allowing a health professional to graduate if they feel that they pose a risk to themselves, the public or their colleagues.

Squatman

seems likely to be missing a lot of details, but if i were you, i would turn up at the faculty heads office unannounced and meet in person to go thru the plan. same with manager in hospital

davo10

Squatman wrote: »

seems likely to be missing a lot of details, but if i were you, i would turn up at the faculty heads office unannounced and meet in person to go thru the plan. same with manager in hospital

Do not do this, medical faculties are not like the local cafe, you can't doorstep your faculty head unless you want to through away a few years of college. Firstly you need to sit down and think objectively about how you arrived at this point, why it is that your internship has been revoked, why it is that you are not receiving help from your college/faculty head. This is very unusual and I suspect only occurs when bridges have been burned. Op needs to make an appointment to sit down with both the course head and faculty head to discuss what has gone wrong and what the likelihood is that op will graduate. You cannot demand to be allowed graduate from a medical faculty as they will site public safety as a reason why they could not allow the op to work in a hospital environment.

kiki1990

davo10 wrote: »

Do not do this, medical faculties are not like the local cafe, you can't doorstep your faculty head unless you want to through away a few years of college. Firstly you need to sit down and think objectively about how you arrived at this point, why it is that your internship has been revoked, why it is that you are not receiving help from your college/faculty head. This is very unusual and I suspect only occurs when bridges have been burned. Op needs to make an appointment to sit down with both the course head and faculty head to discuss what has gone wrong and what the likelihood is that op will graduate. You cannot demand to be allowed graduate from a medical faculty as they will site public safety as a reason why they could not allow the op to work in a hospital environment.

Ok. Thanks for all the help. I agree that doorstep ping them might not be the best possible action, and even if I wanted to, I wouldn't know the best person to target. Im begining to run out of other options, they are ignoring me, no one is willing to give me answers. I dont know if internship is revoked, i dont know where i stand with it. I havnt been allowed back since making the complaint and they said tgey wont decide my progression until next feb. I cant take another 4.5 months of this. My own gut feeling is that I've been caught up in a dispute between uni management and hospital management and they won't come to an agreement with each other. I find it hard to believe I can be withdrawn from the course without justifiable grounds. I don't think I can be expelled for making a complaint. I understand the public safety aspects of our training is number 1 priority, but I've never done anything to jeprodise this. Maybe a solicitor is my only option left,

mattaiuseire

But the info you're giving is very very sketchy OP and it portrays that you are aware of other things that have happened that you're selectively not divulging - which is ok mind - that's totally up to you.

As someone said before, consider things objectively. That means, take yourself and your own personal opinions driven by emotion, and think about how the whole situation from past to present would look to an outsider who had to weigh both sides up.

For sure you don't want to leave it until February '16 to be told they have decided you will not progress.

Again, you haven't given much info for anyone to go off so nobody can rightfully suggest you contact a solicitor, that could well likely end up a costly affair with very little end result.

GalwayGrrrrrl

OP is there a student advisor in your student union that can help you out with this? They may have seen similar cases before and might be able to mediate for you. I wouldn't sit and do nothing for the 4.5 months. Hope you get something sorted so you don't waste the years you have spent studying.

gordongekko

kiki1990 wrote: »

My own gut feeling is that I've been caught up in a dispute between uni management and hospital management and they won't come to an agreement with each other.

I find it hard to believe I can be withdrawn from the course without justifiable grounds.

but I've never done anything to jeprodise this.,

You went in on an work placement for a short period of time and issued formal procedures against your manager .Whether this was fully justified or not you are now probably seen as a troublemaker and the manager probably doesnt want you back.

In the big bad world of employment you have to do things you dont want to do but you also have to learn how to deal better with conflict within your working environment.

If would probably have been better to talk to the manager and resolve your differences that way rather than going the formal route.

So you have probably without trying to, done a lot to jepardise this on yourself. If it was me id talk to the college explain things and ask can you do the placement in a different hospital.

youandme13

Don't listen to other people.. clearly if they are not making an effort with replying to you after so many attempts, your only option is to go down there and don't leave till you talk to someone.

From reading this, seems that it's all out of spite from your complaint. you should have refused to sign off 'sick'. If you have a Union keep badgering them till they get up and do something, that's there job!!

good luck really hope you get somewhere with all this after 4 years of studying!

kiki1990

gordongekko wrote: »

You went in on an work placement for a short period of time and issued formal procedures against your manager .Whether this was fully justified or not you are now probably seen as a troublemaker and the manager probably doesnt want you back.

In the big bad world of employment you have to do things you dont want to do but you also have to learn how to deal better with conflict within your working environment.

If would probably have been better to talk to the manager and resolve your differences that way rather than going the formal route.

So you have probably without trying to, done a lot to jepardise this on yourself. If it was me id talk to the college explain things and ask can you do the placement in a different hospital.

I understand this, and it's one point from this whole experience I would do differently if I knew how it would turn out. I did try at first to sort it out on the ground, but the manager was doing things like changing my off duty the day before, taking notes from my clinical books and trying to roster me in on my week of a/l to make up time I had been missing from being sick. At the time i felt i had no other choice. In future, I would definitely think twice about taking the complaint higher, I am paying the price now for thinking we have a fair system in the health service.Thanks for your advice,

davo10

Op there is only one piece of advice you need,here it is:

Contact the course head's secretary and arrange a time for you to attend his office for a discussion on your issue. When you get yo that meeting, explain what has happened up to now.

The fact that the course head has already advised you that you should take an exit award tells me that you have discussed this already with him and he has effectively advised you that you will not graduate so the ship may have sailed.

Regarding a solicitor, a university will not respond to threats demanding that a student should be allowed to graduate if they believe that the student does not/has not reach the required standard. The legal burden to be met would be incredibly high and their solicitors would be well versed in the relevant laws.

Op, for a faculty to effectively make you persona non grata would be very very unusual, particularly in the medical field. There must be a very serious issue for these set of circumstances to arise.

But the meeting with your course head is your starting point, if you have paid your fees and attended your lectures then you are still a student of that faculty and have a right to speak to the person in charge.

JohnBee

kiki1990 wrote: »

trying to roster me in on my week of a/l to make up time I had been missing from being sick

This just reinforces that you are asking for advice but leaving huge gaps so people cannot help you.

Most work placements during University courses are time sensitive, i.e. they have to be completed between certain dates due to other didactic courses, exam, term and graduation deadlines. When I read this sentence, it speaks of someone trying to facilitate completion in the limited time available (which can unfortunately in the real world mean during AL time).

As others have said, turn off your emotional brain and put on your logic hat, and only allow your logic to guide how you might complete the course to benefit yourself. You are learning how the real world works.

kiki1990

youandme13 wrote: »

Don't listen to other people.. clearly if they are not making an effort with replying to you after so many attempts, your only option is to go down there and don't leave till you talk to someone.

From reading this, seems that it's all out of spite from your complaint. you should have refused to sign off 'sick'. If you have a Union keep badgering them till they get up and do something, that's there job!!

good luck really hope you get somewhere with all this after 4 years of studying!

Thanks for your support, i would love to go in and demand answers but I can't because it may make things much much worse for me. The union aren't too pushed to step in as they see it as a uni/faculty issue and they deal with the govt bodies. I requested a review of my status through the student administration office of the university, they said they would contact the dept and then the dept would be back to me. That was 2 weeks ago, I have not heard back from any of them since.

gordongekko

kiki1990 wrote: »

I understand this, and it's one point from this whole experience I would do differently if I knew how it would turn out. I did try at first to sort it out on the ground, but the manager was doing things like changing my off duty the day before, taking notes from my clinical books and trying to roster me in on my week of a/l to make up time I had been missing from being sick. At the time i felt i had no other choice. In future, I would definitely think twice about taking the complaint higher, I am paying the price now for thinking we have a fair system in the health service.Thanks for your advice,

sorry buddy but i actually dont see any bullying in this.

J Mysterio

Yes. My reading is that you were overwhelmed at the level of difficulty/ commitment involved, pulled some sickies, and fell out with your manager.

Complaining about your manager and your record to date in the placement to date has probably led to their reccomending that you aren't up to it but the situation can probably still be salvaged.

The manager may be being slightly vindictive but from his/ her point of view you were probably breaking his/ her balls, not being a team player and not deferring to an experienced professional in the field in which you are supposed to be being educated.

You have had good advice here. I would also arrange a meeting with your course head and tell him everything honestly.

Possibly include in that meeting that you would be interested in a meeting with the hospital manager were you may be inclined to apologise and withdraw your formal complaint.

Consider talking with the pyschologist in the university also. Its free and a short chap may be of help and give some perspective.

I empathise with the difficulty of concerned parents and trouble in progressing.

kiki1990

davo10 wrote: »

Op, for a faculty to effectively make you persona non grata would be very very unusual, particularly in the medical field. There must be a very serious issue for these set of circumstances to arise.

But the meeting with your course head is your starting point, if you have paid your fees and attended your lectures then you are still a student of that faculty and have a right to speak to the person in charge.

I hope this is the case, I wouldn't ask for advise if I had been suspended over misconduct, i would accept that i was totally in the wrong, but i havn't. I, myself find the whole thing unbelievable, I'm baffled at what has happened. I'm in this deep so I'm not going to be put down, I won't accept an exit award without fair procedure.
I have tried contacting the course head inneumerous times, I get no reply except for, "it will be reviewed next feb", basically a f**k off job.

gordongekko

kiki1990 wrote: »

I hope this is the case, I wouldn't ask for advise if I had been suspended over misconduct, i would accept that i was totally in the wrong, but i havn't. I, myself find the whole thing unbelievable, I'm baffled at what has happened. I'm in this deep so I'm not going to be put down, I won't accept an exit award without fair procedure.
I have tried contacting the course head inneumerous times, I get no reply except for, "it will be reviewed next feb", basically a f**k off job.

If i was managing you and trying to help you get over the line and you reported me for bullying id be telling you to f off as well.

mattaiuseire

gordongekko wrote: »

If i was managing you and trying to help you get over the line and you reported me for bullying id be telling you to f off as well.

Not at all helpful.

kiki1990

J Mysterio wrote: »

Yes. My reading is that you were overwhelmed at the level of difficulty/ commitment involved, pulled some sickies, and fell out with your manager.

Complaining about your manager and your record to date in the placement to date has probably led to their reccomending that you aren't up to it but the situation can probably still be salvaged.

The manager may be being slightly vindictive but from his/ her point of view you were probably breaking his/ her balls, not being a team player and not deferring to an experienced professional in the field in which you are supposed to be being educated.

You have had good advice here. I would also arrange a meeting with your course head and tell him everything honestly.

Possibly include in that meeting that you would be interested in a meeting with the hospital manager were you may be inclined to apologise and withdraw your formal complaint.

Consider talking with the pyschologist in the university also. Its free and a short chap may be of help and give some perspective.

I empathise with the difficulty of concerned parents and trouble in progressing.

Thanks for that, I have already signed off to say the complaint was resolved, they told me I couldn't return to placement until I did so. So I did, for the sake of getting through, but honestly since then things have gotten worse. I can't get in contact with my head of dept, You're right too, they prob see me as too much trouble now and just want rid. I won't walk away from my degree tho.

GalwayGrrrrrl

It sounds like they were trying to help you by allowing you to make up the time off sick during your annual leave. If I arranged that for someone and they threw it back in my face I'd be pretty p'ed off to be honest. If you have to have X weeks of placement done before Y date and you haven't achieved that I don't see how they can let you graduate. Can you resist the whole year and do a full placement next year?

gordongekko

mattaiuseire wrote: »

Not at all helpful.

I actually mean it to be helpful. He doesn't seem to see what he has done wrong. The manager appears to have been trying to get him up to speed and had a potentially career threatening complaint put against him.

GalwayGrrrrrl

*resit

kiki1990

gordongekko wrote: »

If i was managing you and trying to help you get over the line and you reported me for bullying id be telling you to f off as well.

The manager wasn't helping me tho, the manager was picking me out for a fail. I appreciate that personalities clash and maybe the manager didn't like me for some reason, but to take my documents and roster me in at a minutes notice is unfair. The manager did other things too, over weeks, that I won't include for fear of recognition on here. When I made the complaint, I felt I had tried to sort it out on the ground myself first, unfortunately that didn't work and I was left with little other option.

davo10

kiki1990 wrote: »

Thanks for that, I have already signed off to say the complaint was resolved, they told me I couldn't return to placement until I did so. So I did, for the sake of getting through, but honestly since then things have gotten worse. I can't get in contact with my head of dept, You're right too, they prob see me as too much trouble now and just want rid. I won't walk away from my degree tho.

Op, it isn't your degree yet. If your degree depended on you completing your internship, then without that internship you will not graduate with a degree. I have to agree with a previous poster, as someone who had to do an internship, I know that you must have attended for a minimum number of days and completed it by a defined date during your final year. If you missed days due to illness, you must make up those days if you want to graduate, this is not like a normal job where you can miss days as long as you have a cert, if you miss too many days you cannot complete your internship. I assume the date in February is the date by which you must have completed your internship before you sit your final exams. If there was no way for you to have met the required number of days due to what has gone on, then your course head is right, there is no point in discussing anything until after that date. Your options then are likely to be either repeat the year or walk away.

Op, if you thought the issues you posted about were serious enough for you to make a complaint then you are in for a shock when you start full time work in a hospital, perhaps this is not the right career for you.

gordongekko

kiki1990 wrote: »

The manager wasn't helping me tho, the manager was picking me out for a fail. I appreciate that personalities clash and maybe the manager didn't like me for some reason, but to take my documents and roster me in at a minutes notice is unfair. The manager did other things too, over weeks, that I won't include for fear of recognition on here. When I made the complaint, I felt I had tried to sort it out on the ground myself first, unfortunately that didn't work and I was left with little other option.

I'm only going from what you posted here.

You have a limited time to complete the placement

You missed time off sick

Manager rostered you on your day off so you could catch up on the time lost

You were in training so manager checked your work

You reported the manager for bullying

Manager probably doesn't want you back

College doesn't want to deal with it as you can't make up the work in time to graduate.

mattaiuseire

I'm sure the OP can now think back and may have some regrets, but in the same token, it sounds like the management haven't acted in a wholly splendid manner.

Anyway, good luck OP. You might see if you can arrange a meeting, hold up your hands and grovel a little as this might be the best way to attain

kiki1990

xfactorfan23 wrote: »

It sounds like they were trying to help you by allowing you to make up the time off sick during your annual leave. If I arranged that for someone and they threw it back in my face I'd be pretty p'ed off to be honest. If you have to have X weeks of placement done before Y date and you haven't achieved that I don't see how they can let you graduate. Can you resist the whole year and do a full placement next year?

The normal course is the student repays time owed at the end of the placement, annual leave weeks are decided mths in advance. The thing about it was that I had plans for the a/l weeks and the Friday before the week the manager said, ok come jn and work on wed. Given all that had happened, this was done for spite. That wasn't the main reason for the complaint against the manager tho, there was other more distressing things that happened. Like I said, I tried reasoning with the manager first, I was getting nowhere tho. Anyway the complaint is signed off as resolved, so it's a non runner now

davo10

kiki1990 wrote: »

The manager wasn't helping me tho, the manager was picking me out for a fail. I appreciate that personalities clash and maybe the manager didn't like me for some reason, but to take my documents and roster me in at a minutes notice is unfair. The manager did other things too, over weeks, that I won't include for fear of recognition on here. When I made the complaint, I felt I had tried to sort it out on the ground myself first, unfortunately that didn't work and I was left with little other option.

Unfortunately you had one more option which you should have taken, put up with it for a couple of weeks and get your degree. Every department in every hospital has a multitude of personalities, some easy going some highly strung, but I can tell you that the people in charge of staffing and beds have some of the most stressful jobs of all and working a shift in a hospital at short notice a common occurance for all staff.

davo10

kiki1990 wrote: »

The normal course is the student repays time owed at the end of the placement, annual leave weeks are decided mths in advance. The thing about it was that I had plans for the a/l weeks and the Friday before the week the manager said, ok come jn and work on wed. Given all that had happened, this was done for spite. That wasn't the main reason for the complaint against the manager tho, there was other more distressing things that happened. Like I said, I tried reasoning with the manager first, I was getting nowhere tho. Anyway the complaint is signed off as resolved, so it's a non runner now

Op are you aware that no employee is entitled to specific dates off? Leave dates are at the discretion of the employer but the employer must take into account family commitments. You were not "entitled" to that particular week off and as an intern you should have had enough cop on to at least understand the situation and the implication of your making a complaint about this. This isn't bullying, resources in hospitals are stretched to breaking point and even the best managers get caught short staffed due to illness etc.

So if the complaint is resolved, why exactly are you not working in the hospital right now?

kiki1990

davo10 wrote: »

Op, it isn't your degree yet. If your degree depended on you completing your internship, then without that internship you will not graduate with a degree. I have to agree with a previous poster, as someone who had to do an internship, I know that you must have attended for a minimum number of days and completed it by a defined date during your final year. If you missed days due to illness, you must make up those days if you want to graduate, this is not like a normal job where you can miss days as long as you have a cert, if you miss too many days you cannot complete your internship. I assume the date in February is the date by which you must have completed your internship before you sit your final exams. If there was no way for you to have met the required number of days due to what has gone on, then your course head is right, there is no point in discussing anything until after that date. Your options then are likely to be either repeat the year or walk away.

Op, if you thought the issues you posted about were serious enough for you to make a complaint then you are in for a shock when you start full time work in a hospital, perhaps this is not the right career for you.

Ok. Like I said they weren't the only things that happened. Since the complaint, I was first signed out "unfit for duty"by a manager (not a dictor) so i went to occ health who signed me fit to resume. Then i was requested to sign out on further unpaid leave by a senior manager, the reason was because they said they couldn't allocate me placement at that time. The deadline for me to have these placement modules completed is already passed. I was signed out on unpaid leave until after that deadline, and that's where I stand at the moment.
Maybe your right, maybe I'm not suitable for this career, but that is not for anyone else to decide unless they have grounds for the same.

kiki1990

davo10 wrote: »

Unfortunately you had one more option which you should have taken, put up with it for a couple of weeks and get your degree. Every department in every hospital has a multitude of personalities, some easy going some highly strung, but I can tell you that the people in charge of staffing and beds have some of the most stressful jobs of all and working a shift in a hospital at short notice a common occurance for all staff.

Yep, I see it for myself, everyone on the front line of services has a v. Stressful job, and I appreciate that the manager who picked me out was prob overwhelmed by the job too. Like I said i tried to sort it out myself, but in the end, the manager had the power to just fail me at their will and I had to defend myself.
With regards to being rostered in on a whim, it is common courtesy, if not a legal obligation to atleast inform the staff member before changing the duty, and it was my week of a/l, I had plans, I'm entitled to my life,

davo10

kiki1990 wrote: »

Ok. Like I said they weren't the only things that happened. Since the complaint, I was first signed out "unfit for duty"by a manager (not a dictor) so i went to occ health who signed me fit to resume. Then i was requested to sign out on further unpaid leave by a senior manager, the reason was because they said they couldn't allocate me placement at that time. The deadline for me to have these placement modules completed is already passed. I was signed out on unpaid leave until after that deadline, and that's where I stand at the moment.
Maybe your right, maybe I'm not suitable for this career, but that is not for anyone else to decide unless they have grounds for the same.

Ok, finally some more important info. So if the module dates have passed, you cannot complete your internship and therefore cannot graduate, therefore it is completely understandable that the Head will not discuss your future until everyone else has finished their internship.

Also, as you were out for a while, the allocation for the next module was filled and there was no room for you. Th senior manager actually may have tried to help you as being unable to complete your internship due to illness is a whole lot better that being unable to complete it because they did not want you there.

Which leaves the next and probably most important question, why did your manager sign you unfit for duty? Was is due to illness or was he saying that you are unfit to do this job due to lack of ability/application?

Stheno

kiki1990 wrote: »

Hi Guys, thanks for the replies. I was called into a meeting about the bullying and I was told I wouldn't be returned to duty until it was resolved, I signed off on it so I could recommence the same. Following that, the manager that facilitated that meeting said that I was unfit to return due to stress. They made me sign out on unpaid leave by emailing me the forms and telling me to fill them out and return them.I did all this in the hope I could continue on the course. I am still out, they are no longer answering my emails or phone calls, they said in the last correspondance that they won't decide about my placement until next feb. I am really stressed over this, I've contacted the union, but they aren't interested.All I want to do is finish and get out at any cost.

I've just read back through all of your post and found the bit highlighted in bold.
If you were signed out as unfit due to stress, as you've said above, then I can see why they may not want to facilitate your placement finishing as hospitals are stressful environments anyway and they might be concerned that you cannot cope due to stress.

Some of what you've posted indicate that you are not too au fait with how the working world can be, some of the offence you've taken at the manager trying to make up your days and checking your work is a little ott

Have you directly asked why your placement was suspended, and were you given an answer such as "signed off as unfit due to stress"?

davo10

kiki1990 wrote: »

Yep, I see it for myself, everyone on the front line of services has a v. Stressful job, and I appreciate that the manager who picked me out was prob overwhelmed by the job too. Like I said i tried to sort it out myself, but in the end, the manager had the power to just fail me at their will and I had to defend myself.
With regards to being rostered in on a whim, it is common courtesy, if not a legal obligation to atleast inform the staff member before changing the duty, and it was my week of a/l, I had plans, I'm entitled to my life,

Whaoooo, you failed your module then made the complaint? Of course he has the power to fail you, that's his job. You should have gone back to your course head at that stage, not made an official complaint. Sorry op but you are f**ked.

You are entitled to a life, but we tend to put it on hold when entering the final year of out Degree. There is lots of time to travel/holiday once you have that piece of paper in your hand, I cannot believe you don't understand this after 4 years of study, why risk it all now?

Stheno

kiki1990 wrote: »

Yep, I see it for myself, everyone on the front line of services has a v. Stressful job, and I appreciate that the manager who picked me out was prob overwhelmed by the job too. Like I said i tried to sort it out myself, but in the end, the manager had the power to just fail me at their will and I had to defend myself.

Hold on, did you fail a module while you were on placement and then make a complaint?

Or did you think you were going to fail as you and the manager didn't get on and put in a complaint as a kind of defence in advance?

davo10

Stheno wrote: »

I've just read back through all of your post and found the bit highlighted in bold.
If you were signed out as unfit due to stress, as you've said above, then I can see why they may not want to facilitate your placement finishing as hospitals are stressful environments anyway and they might be concerned that you cannot cope due to stress.

Some of what you've posted indicate that you are not too au fait with how the working world can be, some of the offence you've taken at the manager trying to make up your days and checking your work is a little ott

Have you directly asked why your placement was suspended, and were you given an answer such as "signed off as unfit due to stress"?

Stheno I don't think her placement was suspended, she had to complete a couple of different modules as part of her internship, as she missed the start of the next one while off, she lost her place and could not continue as only a certain amount of time in the year is allocated to complete all modules.

kiki1990

davo10 wrote: »

Ok, finally some more important info. So if the module dates have passed, you cannot complete your internship and therefore cannot graduate, therefore it is completely understandable that the Head will not discuss your future until everyone else has finished their internship.

Also, as you were out for a while, the allocation for the next module was filled and there was no room for you. Th senior manager actually may have tried to help you as being unable to complete your internship due to illness is a whole lot better that being unable to complete it because they did not want you there.

Which leaves the next and probably most important question, why did your manager sign you unfit for duty? Was is due to illness or was he saying that you are unfit to do this job due to lack of ability/application?

They said I was stressed, but like I said that was a manager. I disagreed with this, as i just wanted fair play and to get back out and finish. My class have finished their internship, the next class is starting theirs soon, v. Soon. So if they won't allocate me now and say I have to wait until Feb, then in Feb they could tell me I have to redo the whole lot, that means I am potentially facing being 3 years in 4th year and I wont get finished until late 2017. As it stands I owe around 8 weeks of placement, they facilitate other students to continue past the deadline, like people on parental leave or sick leave and the rest. My argument is that I was signed out on unpaid leave and granted the same until past the deadline for completing the placement, so it was impossible for me to make the deadline.
I don't know their reason for not allocating me now, they won't respond to me.

mattaiuseire

davo10 wrote: »

Whaoooo, you failed your module then made the complaint? Of course he has the power to fail you, that's his job. You should have gone back to your course head at that stage, not made an official complaint. Sorry op but you are f**ked.

You are entitled to a life, but we tend to put it on hold when entering the final year of out Degree. There is lots of time to travel/holiday once you have that piece of paper in your hand, I cannot believe you don't understand this after 4 years of study, why risk it all now?

If this is the case then you've made a rod for your own back and you have some home truths to discuss with your parents who I get the feeling don't know the full story either...
Best of luck!!

kiki1990

davo10 wrote: »

Whaoooo, you failed your module then made the complaint? Of course he has the power to fail you, that's his job. You should have gone back to your course head at that stage, not made an official complaint. Sorry op but you are f**ked.

You are entitled to a life, but we tend to put it on hold when entering the final year of out Degree. There is lots of time to travel/holiday once you have that piece of paper in your hand, I cannot believe you don't understand this after 4 years of study, why risk it all now?

No I never failed the placement, but the manager took documents central to my placement so I would be failed.