Medmark

Carrie6OD

I am out on pregnancy related sick leave. I took 3 weeks before my maternity leave was due to start. My principal just informed me that she has “reported” me to medmark... what does this mean for me? Thanks for any advice

rainbowtrout

If you are absent due to sickness for a certain number of days you can be referred to Medmark. Reported probably not the best choice of word. You will get an appointment where basically they check why you are off work sick and if it was a valid reason.

I have a broken leg at the moment and only got an email from my ETB today saying I'm being referred to Medmark. I'm not giving it a second thought because it should be fairly bloody obvious that I can't walk (stand in a classroom, doing practicals in the science lab) with a broken leg.

2xj3hplqgsbkym

Also they might just ring you, or not contact you at all, so nothing to worry about.

rainbowtrout

Yusuf Screeching Summerhouse wrote: »

Also they might just ring you, or not contact you at all, so nothing to worry about.

Ya I was asked for my phone number for it this evening, maybe they'll Skype me so I can throw my leg in it's cast up on the table and prove that it's broken. :pac:

Carrie6OD

Thanks a million for all that. My principal texted me to say “I’ve reported you to medmark” so naturally i started to stress! If Medmark want me to go anywhere to prove my situation they’ll have to send an ambulance cos I’m pretty much house / bed bound until this baby comes. I stuck it out at work as long as I could, going at least 5 weeks longer than I should have which is probably why I’m hanging together now. You’d never get any thanks for that though...

chatjunkie

To be fair, I think your principal merely worded it badly, probably one of 1001 things that needed doing before the holidays.
When anyone reaches the threshold of days absent on the OLCS, a message automatically comes up that the teacher is being referred to medmark and the principal must tick the box that he/she has communicated the message to the teacher concerned. Hence the quick text.
The principal does not choose to 'report' someone.
For what it's worth I was previously referred to Medmark through being absent as a result of spinal surgery. One quick phone call and they wished me well with my recovery and I only heard from them again when I needed a second surgery! No bother the second time round either!
Rest up and don't worry at all about it!

Carrie6OD

chatjunkie wrote: »

To be fair, I think your principal merely worded it badly, probably one of 1001 things that needed doing before the holidays.
When anyone reaches the threshold of days absent on the OLCS, a message automatically comes up that the teacher is being referred to medmark and the principal must tick the box that he/she has communicated the message to the teacher concerned. Hence the quick text.
The principal does not choose to 'report' someone.
For what it's worth I was previously referred to Medmark through being absent as a result of spinal surgery. One quick phone call and they wished me well with my recovery and I only heard from them again when I needed a second surgery! No bother the second time round either!
Rest up and don't worry at all about it!

Ah yeah I’m sure she didn’t mean to stress me out. She just caught me on a bad day and I got very nervous about it. Thanks for all the advice. Feeling reassured now!

Millem

carrie I had to go when I was out with hyperemesis on my first son. I didn’t go for ages as was literally too pukey to make it in to town!
When I eventually did go it’s literally a tick the box exercise.

km79

Probably should have called you rather than text as well. Not very professional imo to be relaying information of that nature via text.

rainbowtrout

km79 wrote: »

Probably should have called you rather than text as well. Not very professional imo to be relaying information of that nature via text.

Probably not, but it would serve as proof that the teacher was informed.


Medmark rang me on Monday. Nurse asked when I broke my leg and if it was in a cast. So I told her it was, and then asked if I had a crutch. FFS. I'm beginning to wonder if broken legs are a rarity that people aren't aware of, because one of my friends from work told me a number of staff had approached her and asked how I was getting on and how I was finding walking my dogs!!! And several people have asked me how I find driving with a broken leg.

Told the medmark nurse I was going back to hospital for check up Thursday and I was expecting to get cast off if all went to plan. Then she asked me if I was going to be weight bearing on thursday and would I be walking on it. I told her I had no idea as I've never broken my leg before and I don't know if it has healed. :rolleyes:

So then she told me they would ring me back after Thursday to see how I got on so they could issue the cert to say I was fit to return to work, told me she didn't know when they'd ring me as they were so busy with calls. Told her I'd ring them on Thursday and let them know if I could walk. So essentially I seem to be signing off on this without seeing anyone from Medmark.

Still I suppose they're fulfilling their contract with the Dept of Ed.

pandoraj09

I've heard they're less sympathetic with mental health issues, though I realise the OP is not coming from that angle. A friend of mine was "reported" to them and felt very upset after the visit to them and under pressure to return to school.
I had surgery last year and got a text from the school the day I was discharged saying Medmark would require me to attend for a consultation that week (This was on the Wed). I was waiting to find out results of a biopsy and didn't contact them at all. I went back to work a week later.

rainbowtrout

The sole reason I'll be contacting them tomorrow is to make sure I'm signed off sick leave and I won't be wasting the week and a half that remains of my holidays. I've lost just under 8 weeks to my broken leg, out of the 3 months allowed on full pay, that's quite a chunk for the next four years.

pandoraj09

Question to Rainbow Trout: If you were absent right up until the holidays and will be absent immediately after too, does that not mean the holidays are counted as sick leave as well???

rainbowtrout

pandoraj09 wrote: »

Question to Rainbow Trout: If you were absent right up until the holidays and will be absent immediately after too, does that not mean the holidays are counted as sick leave as well???

No, if I was absent before the holidays and absent the first day after the holidays then the holidays would be counted as sick leave. If Medmark are going to give me a cert (tomorrow hopefully) that says fit to return to work on 29th March then the remainder of my holidays shouldn't count as sick leave.

judeboy101

Hmmmm, OP did you have 28 days of continuous or cumulative absence in the previous 12 months due to sickness before being reported?

Carrie6OD

judeboy101 wrote: »

Hmmmm, OP did you have 28 days of continuous or cumulative absence in the previous 12 months due to sickness before being reported?

Not continuous but cumulative... that’s if weekends are included.

Millem

Carrie6OD wrote: »

judeboy101 wrote: »

Hmmmm, OP did you have 28 days of continuous or cumulative absence in the previous 12 months due to sickness before being reported?

Not continuous but cumulative... that’s if weekends are included.

carrie I honestly wouldn’t worry about it. By the time they get in contact with you you could of had your baby!!!
If you are out Friday and Monday then you count weekends.

judeboy101

Carrie6OD wrote: »

judeboy101 wrote: »

Hmmmm, OP did you have 28 days of continuous or cumulative absence in the previous 12 months due to sickness before being reported?

Not continuous but cumulative... that’s if weekends are included.

Find out by getting print out. If you are under 29 the principal had a choice over 28 no choice. Happened in my school, girl in question had 27 days principal said he had no choice, turns out he did so she took it personal and reported him to HSA for failing to prepare a specific h&s audit of her working conditions (she taught in lab once a week).

killbillvol2

judeboy101 wrote: »

Find out by getting print out. If you are under 29 the principal had a choice over 28 no choice. Happened in my school, girl in question had 27 days principal said he had no choice, turns out he did so she took it personal and reported him to HSA for failing to prepare a specific h&s audit of her working conditions (she taught in lab once a week).

I'm sure the OP has better things to be doing at the moment than getting involved in conspiracy theories.

OP, don't worry about it - it's routine box ticking.

judeboy101

killbillvol2 wrote: »

judeboy101 wrote: »

Find out by getting print out. If you are under 29 the principal had a choice over 28 no choice. Happened in my school, girl in question had 27 days principal said he had no choice, turns out he did so she took it personal and reported him to HSA for failing to prepare a specific h&s audit of her working conditions (she taught in lab once a week).

I'm sure the OP has better things to be doing at the moment than getting involved in conspiracy theories.

OP, don't worry about it - it's routine box ticking.

You'd be amazed what management will do if they sniff a chance to pull one over on a teacher. OP has nothing to lose by requesting her statement of days from system.

killbillvol2

judeboy101 wrote: »

You'd be amazed what management will do if they sniff a chance to pull one over on a teacher. OP has nothing to lose by requesting her statement of days from system.

What advantage to management would it be to report a heavily pregnant teacher to Medmark a day early? (which I think is what you're suggesting?).

Seriously, get a grip.

byhookorbycrook

If "management" are trying to "pull a fast one" in this fashion, I really would be amazed.

judeboy101

killbillvol2 wrote: »

judeboy101 wrote: »

You'd be amazed what management will do if they sniff a chance to pull one over on a teacher. OP has nothing to lose by requesting her statement of days from system.

What advantage to management would it be to report a heavily pregnant teacher to Medmark a day early? (which I think is what you're suggesting?).

Seriously, get a grip.

By making things uncomfortable for a female with newbie, management can engineer environment that means teacher will take half hrs or career break, then management might force her when she returns to teach something she is qualified to teach but has never taught, all to get her to quit or request transfer etc. I've seen it twice in last 2 yrs in my school where new Mother's have returned after maternity/unpaid only to find themselves teaching their minor subjects which they never taught before. One went on career, other took half but got the worst timetable (principal claims it was her "subjects", but i do timetables and its complete bull). Managements care very little for teachers nowadays, remember they are the ones who literally locked us out 2 yr ago.

rainbowtrout

judeboy101 wrote: »

By making things uncomfortable for a female with newbie, management can engineer environment that means teacher will take half hrs or career break, then management might force her when she returns to teach something she is qualified to teach but has never taught, all to get her to quit or request transfer etc. I've seen it twice in last 2 yrs in my school where new Mother's have returned after maternity/unpaid only to find themselves teaching their minor subjects which they never taught before. One went on career, other took half but got the worst timetable (principal claims it was her "subjects", but i do timetables and its complete bull). Managements care very little for teachers nowadays, remember they are the ones who literally locked us out 2 yr ago.

Given that the vast majority of teachers in this country are women (87% at primary level, 71% at secondary) , I'd find it hard to believe that management would try and get rid of lots of female teachers. It wouldn't work in the long term.

Maybe it's just the management in your school.

If you do the timetable, why did she get the worst timetable?

Why didn't the teachers in question take this up with their union that they were being discriminated against by management based on their gender/family status?


Why do you describe women as females?

judeboy101

rainbowtrout wrote: »

judeboy101 wrote: »

By making things uncomfortable for a female with newbie, management can engineer environment that means teacher will take half hrs or career break, then management might force her when she returns to teach something she is qualified to teach but has never taught, all to get her to quit or request transfer etc. I've seen it twice in last 2 yrs in my school where new Mother's have returned after maternity/unpaid only to find themselves teaching their minor subjects which they never taught before. One went on career, other took half but got the worst timetable (principal claims it was her "subjects", but i do timetables and its complete bull). Managements care very little for teachers nowadays, remember they are the ones who literally locked us out 2 yr ago.

Given that the vast majority of teachers in this country are women (87% at primary level, 71% at secondary) , I'd find it hard to believe that management would try and get rid of lots of female teachers. It wouldn't work in the long term.

Maybe it's just the management in your school.

If you do the timetable, why did she get the worst timetable?

Why didn't the teachers in question take this up with their union that they were being discriminated against by management based on their gender/family status?


Why do you describe women as females?

Nuremburg defence, I'm told who to give half days to, who not. Simples. I don't question as its above my pay grade.

The same union that allows its members to be discriminated against based on when they started working?

All women are females but not all females are women, Don Draper!!

TheDriver

judeboy101 wrote: »

Managements care very little for teachers nowadays, remember they are the ones who literally locked us out 2 yr ago.

Please don't generalise based on your own experience, it's no better than the general public making sweeping statements about our profession.

judeboy101

TheDriver wrote: »

judeboy101 wrote: »

Managements care very little for teachers nowadays, remember they are the ones who literally locked us out 2 yr ago.

Please don't generalise based on your own experience, it's no better than the general public making sweeping statements about our profession.

So my school was the only school where a lock out was sanctioned by management? Wow, TiL.