Advice needed please!

x.jem.x

Hi all, I hope everyone is well.

I need some advice please (this may just be a misunderstanding on my bosses part but I need some advice anyway just incase!)

Yesterday, I had a half day's holiday in the morning due to attending an interview (which my boss knew about).

I have IBS and I had a flare up of my IBS on Saturday (30th March).

I decided to book a doctors appointment but, as it was Easter, I couldn't book one until yesterday morning.

I managed to book an appointment for the same day (yesterday) but the only one they had was in the afternoon whereas I had wanted to get one in the morning after my interview.

This was not possible as the only appointment they had was for for the afternoon.

After my last sick day, my boss informed me that I should go the doctors and get checked out as my IBS was recurring more often (my mum has Crohns Disease also which causes me worry).

I thought me booking the appointment wouldn't be a problem (as my boss wanted me to book an appointment). It was just a shame that I couldn't get it earlier on in the day or after work but there was a 3 week wait!

Anyway....I spoke to my boss and informed her that I was ill on Saturday (not a working day) and that I had called the doctors and managed to get an appointment for the doctors that afternoon. She agreed that it was short notice but let me take the rest of the day off as unpaid leave.

I have now come into work today and she has presented me with a sick form??? I understand that I have to let her know of any sickness that I have but on the sick form it asks for you to declare that the sickness stopped you from coming to work and that my boss can contact my doctor to confirm what I have told her?

Now, as far as I am aware, I do not have to disclose ANY information regarding a doctors appointments that I have attended as I wasn't sick on the day in question (yesterday).

I would understand if I had called in sick yesterday and was going to attended the doctors the same day but this was, in essence, a routine doctors appointment that I had booked in regards to a long standing health problem I have rather than something that was affecting me that day.

She let me leave work early last month as I had a nasty infection of my nail bed. As far as I can see, the doctors appointment I had yesterday is no different? I just had to take the afternoon off to attend?

I am sorry I've rambled on about this, it probably doesn't require me to go into such detail so apologies in advance!

Thanks

Fluff15

I think it might be just a formality - your boss doesn't sound like she's about to sanction you. Just fill it out and put something like 'as discussed with xxxxxx, I sometimes have IBS flare ups and it was agreed that I attend the doctors asap if it happens again.'

After all, you went to the doctors about your IBS, and you told your boss you were going for that, so you've got nothing to hide. Your doctor will only confirm this, don't worry about it. I'm not really sure there should be a problem, seems pretty straight forward.

(I tried working it better but I couldn't, so I'm sorry if I came off as brisk!)

x.jem.x

Fluff15 wrote: »

I think it might be just a formality - your boss doesn't sound like she's about to sanction you. Just fill it out and put something like 'as discussed with xxxxxx, I sometimes have IBS flare ups and it was agreed that I attend the doctors asap if it happens again.'

After all, you went to the doctors about your IBS, and you told your boss you were going for that, so you've got nothing to hide. Your doctor will only confirm this, don't worry about it. I'm not really sure there should be a problem, seems pretty straight forward.

(I tried working it better but I couldn't, so I'm sorry if I came off as brisk!)

Thank you for your reply I understand that but I am just unsure as to if she is actually allowed to have contact with my Dr regarding my confidential information? I don't really want her knowing about my treatment etc as I find it very private. Also, I am struggling to understand why she wants me to fill in a sick form when I wasn't off sick yesterday. The declaration I have to sign on the sick form indicates that I have to declare that 'I certify that I was incapable of work because of my sickness on the date shown above and that this information is true and accurate'. I wasn't sick yesterday! I was sick on a non-working date so I can't sign it as that would be false information and then apparently they can issue me with a disciplinary??

Maybe I should just not fill in the form and have a chat with her when I see her on Friday??

Thanks

Fluff15

No that's fair enough! I would talk to your employer before filling it out and ask her what it's for, but you might find the following helpful:

http://www.nhs.uk/chq/Pages/2313.aspx?CategoryID=190&SubCategoryID=190

x.jem.x

Fluff15 wrote: »

No that's fair enough! I would talk to your employer before filling it out and ask her what it's for, but you might find the following helpful:

http://www.nhs.uk/chq/Pages/2313.aspx?CategoryID=190&SubCategoryID=190

Thank you very much, that is very helpful! That is good to know that I don't have to tell her anything if I don't want to and also, she cannot go to my GP and dig around for information. I just feel this issue is very personal to me and I have suffered with IBS for 10 years now and I don't wish to be disclosing information about it to someone I have known for 5 months, as I'm sure you can understand! x

Phil_68

They cannot get in touch with your doctor without your permission, and they have no reason to at this stage.

As for the form, it sounds like a generic form for sickness, best bet it to ask for an absent from work or holiday form and fill that out stating it was unpaid leave and sanctioned by your manager.

Talking is usually the best way to resolve any misunderstandings.

Phil.

x.jem.x

Phil_68 wrote: »

They cannot get in touch with your doctor without your permission, and they have no reason to at this stage.

As for the form, it sounds like a generic form for sickness, best bet it to ask for an absent from work or holiday form and fill that out stating it was unpaid leave and sanctioned by your manager.

Talking is usually the best way to resolve any misunderstandings.

Phil.

Thanks for your reply, Phil Yes I think you're right, I think I need an absence from work form, rather than a sickness form as I wasn't sick yesterday. I was just attending a doctors appointment. I think she has got her wires crossed somewhere down the line.

I will have a chat with her and see what she says. Thanks again

jacquij123

Although you were unavailable for work due to your sickness, although the sickness wasn't yesterday it still caused you to take the afternoon off. Where I work you would be paid if off sick but not for a leave of absence so maybe she is doing you a favour?

Phil_68

x.jem.x wrote: »

Anyway....I spoke to my boss and informed her that I was ill on Saturday (not a working day) and that I had called the doctors and managed to get an appointment for the doctors that afternoon. She agreed that it was short notice but let me take the rest of the day off as unpaid leave.

jacquij123 wrote: »

so maybe she is doing you a favour?

No favours being shown above

x.jem.x

jacquij123 wrote: »

Although you were unavailable for work due to your sickness, although the sickness wasn't yesterday it still caused you to take the afternoon off. Where I work you would be paid if off sick but not for a leave of absence so maybe she is doing you a favour?

Unfortunately, I don't get paid sick pay. I would rather take it as leave of absence as this is the truth. I wasn't sick yesterday so I should have to sign a declaration saying that I was.

Also, I had a half days holiday yesterday morning for my interview so I would rather just take it as a whole days holiday. Surely that's a lot easier? Then she can just deduct it from me if I leave to go to a new job and I have taken more holiday that I am allowed.

Thank you for your reply!

x.jem.x

Phil_68 wrote: »

No favours being shown above

Good point Phil! My boss had already told me that yesterday afternoon would be taken as unpaid leave for my Dr's app. I had a half day holiday yesterday morning which I am getting paid for (unless I leave and I have used more than my allocated holiday allowance) and then she authorised me to take the afternoon as unpaid leave. She agreed it was very short notice but that was it.