Suspended, off sick - long term - may not return to work

I was suspended from work as my manager said I was acting suspiciously ans is basically saying that I have had my fingers in the till. we had a meeting and he already had another manager there (from a different shop) taking notes I had no idea what the meeting was about until I was in the office. He showed me some cctv footage of where I went on the wrong till (we are allocated tills), I presume I realised and came off that till and onto my own. He suspended me on pay pending an investigation, he would accept anything I said and eventually I walked out of the meeting.

I then had to go to the doctors as I have to have some serious major surgery and he signed me off sick for 4 weeks, the day after I rec'd a note from work asking me to go to a meeting on the previous day!!! I called and left a message as he was not there. I sent my sick note in by special delivery so it had to be signed for and it was clearly marked private and confidential. I have now found out that my sick note is on the wall of the office, so anybody who goes in there can read it if they want. I called his area manager and told him, and he said I should take to my manager. I called him and said I was not happy with my note being on the wall, he said that, that is where they all go so he does'nt forget about reviews etc. The surgery is of a very personal nature and I said I was not happy, he said that only managers were allowed on the office, but I have been there a long time and I know all staff go in there, and delivery people, and it is there for all to see. He has now said he will remove it and put it in my file ( bit late its been there just over a week!).

As for the suspension, he said am I able to get about and I have told him not really, and he said that they could still do the investigation or wait till I get back, he said that if I could not get to the meetings they would visit me a home (I have refused this totally!). I have an inkling that he wants rid of me and if he has to sack me to do so then that's what he will do, It looks like the area manager etc are all closing ranks

It is now left where I am on sick, I have to have some tests then a date for surgery and anything up to 4 months recovery... There is also a factor that because of the job I do I may not be able to return to work. and to be honest the way I feel at the moment I don't want to go back, but what would happen if I handed in my notice on the grounds of my surgery and recovery etc. And how far can they push it whilst I am off sick?

Any advice?

If you resign it doesn't matter what you say was the reason - you have already been suspended and so any reference can mention this, or, if a disciplinary is issued, this too can be mentioned. It also isn't the case that you are signed off sick so you don't have to co-operate with a disciplinary process - if your doctor says you are SPECIFICALLY unfit to attend meetings (as opposed to your normal work) then the employer must take this into account, by postponing any meetings (initially) or, eventually by offering you alternative methods of giving eveidence etc - written responses, change of location etc. But they do not have to wait until you return to work if the absence is prolonged.

Depending on what you want from this - in other words, whether you want to fight it or not - it may be possible that if you wish to resign the employer may be prepared to drop the investigation and give you a neutral reference. But remember that resigning has other implications - loss of benefits etc - which may kick in.

Thankyou for that, is has been helpful.

Has my manager breached my confidentiality by putting my sick note on the office wall for all to see??

I have come to the conclusion that when its boil down it will be basically my word and his word and I don't feel that I could win even if I tried!!!

Yes I agree. And frankly, even if he did, I think you might be hard pushed to come up with anything that you can realistically do about it.

wingwalker just a question you mentioned he showed you cctv footage of you on the wrong till did you actualy use this till or was it just the case you went to that till by accident?

did the cctv actualy show that you had your hands in the till.?