Carers Employer says no to 8 week leave form

[therese]

My son has been in an Adolescent health Unit due to a reaction to ADHD medication. His admission has been 9 weeks... I did have 5 weeks off work when it happened and I have asked work for 8 weeks off.. So we can bring him home and I can support him ie recovery... We need to decide whether he is going back to school or off to TAFE .... Work said no to the leave. I requested unpaid leave... They said when he is better to re apply ... Can they sack me?????????

[Former-Member]

Hi @therese,

A warm welcome to the SANE Forums. This is a great place for sharing stories and support and learning new strategies from other members.

I’m really sorry to hear about what you’re going through with your son. It must be so worrying for you. I can understand that you want to be there with him to support him during his recovery and help him make decisions about his future.

There are other members on here who care for a son or daughter with a mental illness. You might like to check out our recent Topic Tuesday: Do carers have a right to be happy?

If you’d like to find out about your rights as a carer, it might be useful to contact Carers Australia in your state or perhaps get in touch with the Fair Work Commission to find out how anti-discrimination laws apply in this situation.

Again welcome to the Forums and I look forward to seeing you around.

Acacia

[PeppiPatty]

You could take them for unfair dismissal. They sound very unfeeling. Are you strong enough do you have enough emotional push to call the PR ?

[NikNik]

Hi @therese

Welcome to the Forums.

Other carers must come across this challenge too. I'm wondering if any of our new community members would like to help answer this question or even share your experiences juggling work and other responsibilities - @AngelHeart68 @Bowie @Djneesha @Doorz @Gregory @JDH @Lucirose @macme

Nik