Employer states sick note period finishes earlier than I think.

tonythetigeruk78

Hi

I have been signed off work by my doctor for the past 5 weeks for depression. The first week was self certification and I was then given a sick note with the dates of 10 February 2014 - 24 February 2014.

On 20 February I was certain I would be unable to return to work after the current sick note expired so I rang the doctor for an appointment. They were busy of course and the next appointment wasn't until 26 February. Because that was after my current sick note expiry date, I was worried that if for any reason the doctor thought I was able to return to work then I would have been off work without authorisation for 2-3 days. The receptionist suggested I ring early the next morning and get an emergency appointment, which I did and I was seen on 21 February.

He agreed to sign me off work for a FURTHER two weeks.

The problem I am having now is - because the latest sick note is dated 21 February and states is for two weeks, I have just had a phone call and email from my employer that I will be expected to be back at work tomorrow, Saturday 8 March.

Due to the reason I'm off work I have gone to stay at my parents until Sunday and I had bought a train ticket home for that day with the view on returning to work on Monday 10 March.

Surely the latest sick note is two weeks from the expiry of the previous sick note? What is the point of obtaining a sick note that covers a period of illness that is already covered by a previous sick note.

Can anyone help me?

My employer has always been awkward about this and in all honesty I could go back to the doctors and request more time off as I am not fully better, but I am embarrassed to have to explain to work, in full, my reasons for being depressed and as it is now over 4 weeks they want me to go for a meeting at work to explain why I am off for so long and if there is anything they could do. I would rather just go back in now and try to get through it.

Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Thank you all.

Anthony

bll78

If the doctor has written 2 weeks and signed it the 21st I'm afraid your work are in the right. They cannot assume the GP meant 2 weeks from when the other sick note ended. I'd call the GP and explain the situation and ask them to do a sick note that carries you over until Monday.

Tiddlywinks

Each fit note is a standalone document - if that says two weeks from 21st then that is all it covers.

tonythetigeruk78

I also assume that the doctor probably thinks my working week is Monday to Friday and that by putting 2 weeks on it and covering me until today is sufficient.

He already hates how pedantic employers are around sick notes and this is gonna pee him off more when I go back and ask for a sick note to cover me for one day.

To me it is also ridiculous that my employer cannot 'assume' nor use common sense that i do not need a sick note for period of time that I am already signed off work and that it is obvious it is for a further two weeks.

Theres me thinking I was doing the right thing in not waiting until the first sick note had ran out .

Undervalued

bll78 wrote: »

If the doctor has written 2 weeks and signed it the 21st I'm afraid your work are in the right. They cannot assume the GP meant 2 weeks from when the other sick note ended. I'd call the GP and explain the situation and ask them to do a sick note that carries you over until Monday.

I agree.

I'm a few years out of touch with all this but it used to be that a GP could issue a certificate without actually seeing you. With the old style sick notes (i.e not the new "fit" notes) they were a different colour if the doctor had not seen you.

Generally speaking, if the doctor thinks you are genuinely ill and work are harassing you and contributing to the problem, then there is quite a lot they can do to help. If it reaches the point of work wanting a report from your doctor a GP friend once said to me "I can make that process take six weeks if I have a mind to"!

bargainbetty

Doctors do not generally offer sick notes for one or two days. Anything up to seven days is covered by the self certification form, and doctors will typically only issue notes for 8 days or more for that reason.

If you intend to return to work on the 10th, explain the misunderstanding to your boss and ask him if you can return on the Monday. What are the implications of your not returning tomorrow? Had he issued a work rota without arranging cover? Had he advised you of this earlier than today? Has he contacted you regarding your fitness to return to work?

If you intended to return at the end of this sicknote, then I'd offer an apology about the confusion and get back as quickly as you can. The sicknote ends today. If you intended to/need to stay off for longer, then call your GP and ask if you can have a telephone consultation.

Glennn

From an employers view

Fit note ends on the 7th. They pay SSP based on this and possibly reclaim based on this. They can't just change the rules and add a day. I would go back to the docs and explain the situation and get another fit note to cover the time off. You won't be able to self cert for that day as you can only do that for the first week of the absence.

Also talk to your employer and maybe take it as holiday?

sniggings

I'm not sticking up for the employer here as I know they can be nasty but a sick note is to say when you can return to work, you can not expect the doctor or your employer to keep a track of when an old sick note was dated and add on to it, it was up to you to explain to the doctor the situation and get a note that covered you for the correct time, when the doctor saw you he/she would have been basing their opinion on when you would be well again, he/she thought that would be 2 weeks from that day, not two weeks from the last note as I believe they will not post date a sick note, it is generally from the day you get it, I know in the past I was not able to get a new sick note to follow on from the previous one until the old one was 1 day from ending.

Simple thing to do is get another one for another couple of weeks