Not allowed to return to work after sick leave

moredough

I've had to take some time off work because of a painful foot condition, Plantar Fasciitis, which has eased up a bit with the rest, but not totally. I work as a driver fitter and my job aggrevates my feet.

My employers, now won't allow my return even though my sick note has expired, saying they have a duty of care. They want a note from the doctor to say that I am fit to work with my condition and taking my medication, Co-codamol and Diclofenac. I've already asked my doctor and he said the fact that the sick note has expired is enough.

My employers are still insisting on a doctors note to say I am fit.

What can I do, I can't win!:mad:

bap98189

You can go to your doctor and ask for a note?

Emmzi

you can explain to your boss and ask for an occupational health referal?

moredough

bap98189 wrote: »

You can go to your doctor and ask for a note?

I've already been.

moredough wrote: »

I've already asked my doctor and he said the fact that the sick note has expired is enough.

moredough

Emmzi wrote: »

you can explain to your boss and ask for an occupational health referal?

I have explained that the doctor has said I'm fit for work, and the fact that the sick note expired is enough for me to return to work but they won't have it.

Might suggest the occupational health referal though.

Zazen999

Have you tried sleeping with a splint? [Not a joke....]

moredough

My employer has just phoned me to say they've phoned my doctors surgery and the receptionist has asked them to ask me to put it in writing. Don't think that I'll have any success though as I've been reading several articles on the internet that say Doctors won't write fit notes.

Zazen999

If your sick notes runs out; then you are fit to return to work.

They are probably worried that they have not taken any precautions - and thus it could reoccur.

They could get you to sign a disclaimer saying that you are aware of the problem...so that you can't sue them in the future for this problem.

Uncertain

Seems to me your employer doesn't understand the purpose of a "sick note".

It simply confirms that the Dr has ADVISED you to refrain from work for XX days / weeks. It is accepted as proof that you are ill for the purposes of SSP.

If your firm want your doctor to write anything else they need your permission (not a problem here) and may well have to pay the doctor's fee as it is outside his NHS duties.

moredough

Zazen999 wrote: »

Have you tried sleeping with a splint? [Not a joke....]

Nope. not yet. thanks for that. I've had orthotics made by my podiatrist and been given stretching exercises and told to roll my foot on a golf ball or bottle of frozen water.

Although my employers have it in their head they're not going to let me back to work whatever I sleep with. They want a letter from my doctor.

Bean_Counter

moredough wrote: »

They want a note from the doctor to say that I am fit to work with my condition

I must admit that we always insist on this as well for employees as well. However we have never had a doctor refuse to give one.

The latest instance was where someone had broken their arm (not at work) but told the doctor he was a supervisor and did paperwork all day. However he was a labourer on a building site and did physical work all day and wantd to be earning rather than on SSP. The doctor changed their mind about the return to work note in light of the full facts.

At the end of the day the main reason for doing this was not only to make sure that the employee is safe in the work environment but also that their colleagues are safe and not put at risk by a peson coming back to work when not fit.