HR Attendance Meeting

netbeatz

Hi all,

I was looking for some advice.

Over the past few months I have been absent from work on a number of occasions due to Covid-19.

I have two kids (one in primary and one in secondary school) and my wife works in manufacturing.

All of us have been tested at one point or another due to having symptoms of Covid-19, but thankfully have stayed negative.

Personally I have only been sick myself twice over the last six months but I have had to remain out of work while a family member received their test and results (normally 2 days max).

I have now received a letter stating I am to attend with HR for a "Managing Attendance Pre Counseling" meeting.

Has anyone here attended one of these before or could tell me what they are?

I understand that if someone is out of work multiple times due to Illness in a short period of time a meeting may be held with their supervisor to discuss, but as I have been out solely following guidelines and have not been actually sick myself I was surprised by this meeting.

Any advice would be welcome as to what I can expect from this meeting.

Thanks

YellowLead

I’m surprised this wasn’t cleared up when you were requesting the absence - did you apply for sick leave or annual leave?

As far as I know if you are isolating and can’t work from home it’s treated as sick leave. So you may have used up more sick leave than you are entitled to as per your contract.

It doesn’t sounds like a disciplinary meeting - it’s probably more of a warning, an assessment they need to make of your ability to work consistently.

netbeatz

YellowLead wrote: »

I’m surprised this wasn’t cleared up when you were requesting the absence - did you apply for sick leave or annual leave?

As far as I know if you are isolating and can’t work from home it’s treated as sick leave. So you may have used up more sick leave than you are entitled to as per your contract.

It doesn’t sounds like a disciplinary meeting - it’s probably more of a warning, an assessment they need to make of your ability to work consistently.

Apparently any abscence for restricted movements / isolation are classed as "Covid paid leave" and should not affect any sick leave entitlement per the companies own policy

YellowLead

netbeatz wrote: »

Apparently any abscence for restricted movements / isolation are classed as "Covid paid leave" and should not affect any sick leave entitlement per the companies own policy

Where did you hear this? When I google covid paid leave US articles come up.

Not saying you are incorrect but just wondering what your source is. Your employer? When you applied for the leave did they call it covid paid leave?

ari101

Bring a list of your days taken off and why, so that if there are any discrepancies you can explain; this was sick, this was covid related, etc. Maybe they are doing this despite covid and there is no issue, but they will meet anyone over the max number uncertified days even if they incl covid restricted days, or maybe they have an error in their records.

netbeatz

YellowLead wrote: »

Where did you hear this? When I google covid paid leave US articles come up.

Not saying you are incorrect but just wondering what your source is. Your employer? When you applied for the leave did they call it covid paid leave?

I was simply told not to attend work (despite my own wishes) and the leave was coded as Covid Paid Leave.

endacl

netbeatz wrote: »

I was simply told not to attend work (despite my own wishes) and the leave was coded as Covid Paid Leave.

Do you have that in a piece of paper, or was it all verbal confirmation?

netbeatz

endacl wrote: »

Do you have that in a piece of paper, or was it all verbal confirmation?

No I have everything documented on paper (text, email)

Smee_Again

netbeatz wrote: »

No I have everything documented on paper (text, email)

Was the leave actually recorded correctly? If not it might have created a task for HR to complete this meeting.

It might be worth checking with HR that.

netbeatz

Smee_Again wrote: »

Was the leave actually recorded correctly? If not it might have created a task for HR to complete this meeting.

It might be worth checking with HR that.

Yes I checked into it and these abscences were recorded as Covid abscences.

I don't understand why this meeting is happening considering I simply followed what I was told to do

YellowLead

netbeatz wrote: »

Yes I checked into it and these abscences were recorded as Covid abscences.

I don't understand why this meeting is happening considering I simply followed what I was told to do

Is there any documentation on your internal stances or that was emailed around? I imagine if they introduced a new type of leave - covid leave - there should have been a policy update around it?

Tzardine

netbeatz wrote: »

Personally I have only been sick myself twice over the last six months but I have had to remain out of work while a family member received their test and results (normally 2 days max).

I understand that if someone is out of work multiple times due to Illness in a short period of time a meeting may be held with their supervisor to discuss, but as I have been out solely following guidelines and have not been actually sick myself I was surprised by this meeting.

This is a contradiction.

You do not have to self-isolate while somebody you live with is waiting for results. You would only have to do so if they tested positive, or you started displaying Covid symptoms.

Perhaps your employer feels that you should have been at work during these instances. Added to this you have also been out sick twice in six months.

So from your employers point of view, you have been out 4 times in 6 months.

They may be justified in calling a meeting and asking you to explain your absences.

Schrodingercat

Tzardine wrote: »

This is a contradiction.

You do not have to self-isolate while somebody you live with is waiting for results. You would only have to do so if they tested positive, or you started displaying Covid symptoms.

I think you do


https://www2.hse.ie/conditions/coronavirus/test-results/when-you-will-get-your-test-results.html#waiting-for-results


If you live with someone who has symptoms, is self-isolating and waiting on test results, you should restrict your movements.

netbeatz

Tzardine wrote: »

This is a contradiction.

You do not have to self-isolate while somebody you live with is waiting for results. You would only have to do so if they tested positive, or you started displaying Covid symptoms.

Perhaps your employer feels that you should have been at work during these instances. Added to this you have also been out sick twice in six months.

So from your employers point of view, you have been out 4 times in 6 months.

They may be justified in calling a meeting and asking you to explain your absences.

Restricted Movement was instructed at all times by my GP and Employer (I let my boss tell me what I was supposed to do which I also have documented for each occasion)

beauf

netbeatz wrote: »

....

I have now received a letter stating I am to attend with HR for a "Managing Attendance Pre Counseling" meeting.

Has anyone here attended one of these before or could tell me what they are?
...

No idea. Never heard of it. I'd print out the policy and have relevant documentation emails etc. and dates to hand to refer to.

In fact you could ask them for the policy on these types of meeting on advance. See if they've actually thought it through.

OMM 0000

netbeatz wrote: »

I have now received a letter stating I am to attend with HR for a "Managing Attendance Pre Counseling" meeting.

It may be a relaxed meeting where they just want to go over some potential issues.

I wouldn't freak out yet.

Please let us know how it goes.

jrosen

The restrict your movements, it says stay home unless you can go to work and work alone avoiding other people. Could you have gone to work and avoided other people?

How many days out of 6 months did you actually miss?
It could just be a chat to touch base.

Tzardine

Schrodingercat wrote: »

I think you do


https://www2.hse.ie/conditions/coronavirus/test-results/when-you-will-get-your-test-results.html#waiting-for-results


If you live with someone who has symptoms, is self-isolating and waiting on test results, you should restrict your movements.

It depends whether they had symptoms or not. If they are waiting on a test and have no symptoms, then you still go to work.

Living with someone who is a close contact
You do not need to restrict your movements if you have been in contact with someone who is a close contact and has no symptoms. You can continue to go to work, school, preschool or childcare as long as you also have no symptoms.

If the OP told the employer that their family member had no symptoms then the employer would expect them to be at work.

https://www2.hse.ie/conditions/coronavirus/close-contact-and-casual-contact.html#living-with-close-contact

Schrodingercat

OP had said

All of us have been tested at one point or another due to having symptoms of Covid-19, but thankfully have stayed negative.

So they were properly following the rules, and being responsible. Its a dangerous step for a company to tell people to take risks, so I'd hope the meeting is a box ticking exercise. A lot of places have rules where you need to have a hr meeting if you miss a certain number of days.

netbeatz

Schrodingercat wrote: »

OP had said




So they were properly following the rules, and being responsible. Its a dangerous step for a company to tell people to take risks, so I'd hope the meeting is a box ticking exercise. A lot of places have rules where you need to have a hr meeting if you miss a certain number of days.

Yes absolutely, if I had personally been out sick excessively I would understand and would expect to be called to a meeting with my Supervisor

Granted, I am transitioning roles within the organisation and therefore my supervisor this week would not be the same next week so that could well be why HR are conducting the meeting.

I just find it strange to be having the meeting at all, considering my abscences were insisted upon by the organisation, and working from home could not be facilitated despite my request. I felt embarrassed each time I had to notify them that a member of the family was getting tested due to having Covid symptoms but I also couldn't just roll in to work and say nothing...

Catch 22 eh?