appreciate some advice around work issues please

lyna78

Hi all I was wondering if I could get some help/opinions from everyone. I work in an out of school club with children aged 3-13 years. I have worked there for 18 months now since it forst opened. I have had maybe 2/3 sick days until recently.
I damaged a disc in my spine 2 months ago and have since been in a lot of pain. I take strong pain relief attend physio and acupuncture sessions to help to try heal it.
I carried on working to the best of my ability for the forst 4 weeks. However eventually the pain lack of sleep and some other factors (connected to work problems and my depression) my GP put me on sick for 2 weeks.
Now fair enough work wont have been happy with it being the summer holidays as we work longer hours but I hoped to return after 2 weeks. However after the sick note expired the GP wasnt happy that I should return yet so signed another sick note. I took this to work and 3 days later came a knock at my door - my manager! She handed me a letter which invited me in to work to attend a meeting the following Monday.
When I attended the meeting they discussed what things could be put into place to help me return to work.The manager claimed my job as a playworker is the best for some one with severe back pain - ok it would keep me moving so muscles dont cease up - but my GP was concerned about the extensive sitting/standing periods, the constant bending / lifting etc that would put unneccessary strain on my spine. Also during the holidays we work 10+ hour days and that length of time is too much for me to deal with (I dont want to take my strong painkillers in work as they make me feel like I feel drunk and not fully in control and this is not how you want to be working with children).
The management agreed to reduce activities such as no cleaning toilets / mopping / sweeping etc. They then asked if anything else that could help. I asked if my 25 hour working week could be spread out so I work 5 days of 5 hours each instead of 2 x 10 hour days and a 5 hour day.
I also was requested to sign a form giving my comsent to contact my GP for a report on my back (even though I had provided 2 sick notes).
The next day I had a knock at the door - my manager AGAIN!. She passed me another letter. This one informed me they had sent off for the report and what will happen with that. It also stated that the request to spread out my hours would be considered in line withrecieving that report (but that report may not be back to them for a few weeks!)
I have been to the GP again today who still isnt happy with how I am so has signed another sick note.

Sorry for long post but wanted to get across as much info as I can. Now I know after a brief chat with someone from ACAS that employers can make requests for medical reports, but should it be after just a couple of weeks of sick?I had only just started into my 3rd week when I was requested to attend the meeting to discuss my return.
I also want to know is it right for them to come tomy home to bring letters etc? I've kept them well informed of my progress etc and unfortuanately as the GP and physio have said with my back problem there are no definitive answers to how long before I'm back to 'normal'.

Any advice/opinions will be greatly recieved thank you :0)

Aryndeneth

There's no rule that they can't come to your house but, if you want to, you can request that any written correspondence is posted and you are not contacted face-to-face. This should be adhered to. I imagine they hand-delivered the letters to speed up the process rather than waiting for snail-mail. They could phone/email you but would still need to issue written copies of the information.

As you have been signed off with a condition that, may not have been caused by but could be effected by your work, your employer has a legal obligation to demonstrate they've done all they reasonably can to support you. This is in part to assist you in a safe, manageable return to work and in part to protect them from a claim of "they knew I was ill and didn't help and that's made it worse". Not saying you yourself would make such a claim but it's not unheard of.

If you're signed off, an employer will make a judgement on how soon they need to request medical reports, if at all. As yours is a condition that currently isn't clear on how soon you will be better (you might be signed off for weeks or you might be able to return much sooner) it's just sensible for the employer to request the info sooner. They need to know what they're dealing with and what reasonable action might be required to help you when your ready to return or to plan how to cover your absence.

I wouldn't take it as a sign that they don't believe you.

gibson123

It sounds like your employer is being responsible and is making adjustments to your work pattern and duties to ensure that you are not going to be further incapacitated by the type of work you are doing. I am assuming they need to ensure adequate cover in your absence and getting suitably qualified staff at short notice to cover may not be straight-forward.
I don't think anything they have asked so far is unreasonable or unusual, in fact I think it is very pro-active and shows a concern both for you and also for the children you look after. I would not be overly concerned, you do not have a serious sickness record and assuming there are no other problems at work, the indications are that they are trying to adapt your duties so that they can retain your services.