How long off is reasonable for a Broken Finger?

Uncertain

Savvy_Sue wrote: »

DH has an employee with a long-term absence, that's more complicated than this, but he was advised that if he got a permission form from the employee then he could contact that person's GP and ask for more details about the reasons for their sick leave, whether any adjustments could be made etc.

The procedure for this is as follows.

Firm writes to GP (with employee's permission). GP confirms that patient has given permission and checks if he want to see report before it is sent (legal right). GP sends employer a bill (£180 a few years ago) and waits for payment. GP writes a report as to how the patient's illness / injury may affect their work. GP must give the minimum personal medical information necessary for this (GMC rules). GP sends draft to patient. If patient has concerns he sees GP. GP either amends report to reflect patient concerns or, if they are unable to agree, GP must include a statement of the patient's views. Patient cannot however veto content having given permission for report to be written. Finally, GP sends report to employer.

As a very experienced GP once said to me "If i genuinely believe a patient's work is making them ill then this process can easily take a couple of months"!

Jinx

In our company anyone with that amount of time off with 'fit for work' notes would be sent to occupational health. 150 quid a time and its in the sick policy that if the employer requests it the employee must attend or face disciplinary action. Also for regular absence the employee only gets SSP, company pay on top is withheld at management team discretion.

Additionally our 'triggers' are 3 occasions and or 6 days. So it could be 3 one day absences or any absence of over 6 days and they would trigger which starts with an informal chat and progresses all the way to final written and dismissal.

Uncertain

Jinx wrote: »

In our company anyone with that amount of time off with 'fit for work' notes would be sent to occupational health. 150 quid a time and its in the sick policy that if the employer requests it the employee must attend or face disciplinary action. Also for regular absence the employee only gets SSP, company pay on top is withheld at management team discretion.

Additionally our 'triggers' are 3 occasions and or 6 days. So it could be 3 one day absences or any absence of over 6 days and they would trigger which starts with an informal chat and progresses all the way to final written and dismissal.

As you say, this is YOUR company policy. As such it may well be enforceable within certain limits.

I suspect the problem here is this is a small business and doesn't have a proper policy (or one at all).

If so then they need to take care (or take a risk)!

CFC

Gingerdad, if you have no absence policy then I think you just need to suck this one up. I would advise you to document and brief out an absence policy to avoid more serious problems arising in the future. Common triggers for disciplinary are 10 days sickness absence or on the occasion of the fourth absence - rolling year is best.

Lovelyjoolz

westv wrote: »

If true, then that really was extracting the urine - from the other side of the fence

Tis true. And urine was definitely being extracted. The problem with big organisations like RBS is that they have one rule for all. Because you always get people who push their luck with regular "hangover Mondays" and the like they have to have something that clamps down on this. Unfortunately, the one rule for all policy doesn't take into account people who have genuine illnesses. At the time I said that they should have one rule for people with real sick-notes and another for those who take random days off. Big corporations never do this though. There's just too much bureaucracy to deal with individual cases.

scheming_gypsy

Lovelyjoolz wrote: »

RBS discipline after 30 days sick - even serious illness. In fact I know someone who ended up on a final written warning because he had stomach cancer and had to take time off for Chemo.

Good luck!

Where i worked a few years ago, somebody tried to commit suicide in the toilets.. As you'd expect he got carted off to hospital but HR were ready to hit him with a disciplinary when he returned.

paddedjohn

Savvy_Sue wrote: »

I think that's discretionary. If he'd had leave booked after he broke his finger, then he'd have been entitled to ask for it to be paid as leave rather than SSP, or the OP would have had to allow him to take it later.


not discresionary at all, if you are sick on your hols you can claim the time back off your employer, if you are sick then you may have to pay back your holiday pay but it is the law now that you cant forgo holidays if your ill

Mimi_Arc_en_ciel

bengalknights wrote: »

You forget the op will also be paying employers nic contribution which in some cases means the temp is actually cheaper to use then keeping the employee.

Ah so i did - but on a weekly basis N.I and tax would still only be £44.37 so its still more money hiring the temp than the regular worker.

drrat

I had a fortnight off for a broken wrist which needed surgery. Went back to work in a lovely cast. But if I had asked my doctor for a sick note for longer I am pretty sure I would have got one.

If he can provide a doctors note, surely "The sack" is not an option.

He would not be able to drive with a broken finger I don't think, I am pretty sure that would invalidate insurance, i have not driven for over 5 weeks now with my wrist. But i am sure they are other things they could do.

FBaby

Have you actually spoken to him, see the finger? Surely if he is still sign off because of an infection or complication, you would expect him to inform you of this. The problem is that you don't know what he is telling his GP. For all you know, he is telling him that the job involves lifting and he's been told there are no alternative jobs within the company. A GP is unlikely to go and check this out....