Help! - return to work after company sick pay exhausted

Happydaze

I have just returned to work following an operation to my foot. I have exhausted my company sick pay (13 weeks full salary) and also had 1 week of SSP when company sick pay ran out. I attended an interview with occ health for back to work rehabilatation. OH advised that I was unfit to wotk my full 12 1/2 hr shift so have started me back on 7 1/2 hr shift (I stand for long periods of time and shorter shifts was to avoid foot swelling) No other option was made available with regards to an alternative temporary job working my normal hrs.

I returned to work on Sunday and this morning was informed that as I had exhausted company sick pay i am now only to be paid for 7.5 hrs instead of 12.5 hrs each day. Can the company do this even though it is on their advise I am working short days as my rehabillitation.

On speaking to HR I was informed that I should've been aware of company policy which is 13 weeks sick pay and as I am only able to work for 7.5 hrs I am in effect sick for the remaining 5hrs of my shift. My arguement is that I am fit for work and no longer claiming SSP and it is the company telling me what hours to work - surely i can't be fit for work & sick at the same time. Totally confused and don't know what to do!!

McKneff

You cant be sick and fit for work at the same time.
Do you think you could cope working the 12.5 hour shifts. You have exhausted the CSP so cannot expect to be paid it for another 5 hours a day when it something thats being done for your own benefit. Hopefully working short hours will cut the healing time down.

I think you just will have to put up with being paid for the actual hours you work.

Surely it wont be too long before you can work your full shift.

-BA-

It seems that you are on a, sort of, phased return. If OH have identified that this would be appropriate, I don't think your company are obliged to find an alternative role or to pay you for your normal hours. Could your job be done with a perching stool? Do you have to stand to be able to do your job role?

Happydaze

I agree that this is for my benefit, to aide healing however should I not have been made aware of the reduction in my salary prior to actuallt starting back at work? There have been cases in the past where it has been at line managers dicretion as to whether CSP can continue after 13 weeks.

if I had known that starting back on reduced hrs would affect my salary I could've arranged to take holidays to cover the latter part of sickness prior to the end of my paid CSP. I feel this has been very badly handled by HR through lack of communication. Can i retro spectively ask for my dr to sign me off as fit to work from an earlier date and then take holidays to cover the remaining period?