Advice regarding sick pay

Mads1962

Hello all

I hope you can help with this query.

I had a heart attack in January this year, and was off work for approximately 2 months. My employer contacted me to say that I had not sent in one of my sick notes in time. I got a sick note from the doctor, which was backdated, sent it to my employer and heard nothing more until yesterday. I have now been told that I owe the company £1,800 because of my sick note being late and they want to claim it back in 3 payments of £600. Can they do this if the sick note was backdated? If they can then my salary for the next 3 months will be about £400, which won't even pay my rent. Will I qualify for any benefit in that time? I am already on a reduced salary because I've exceded the company's maximum 8 week sickness at full pay. (I work 31.5 hours a week normally).

Undervalued

Any company sick pay you get (over and above your entitlement to statutory sick pay) is governed but the terms and conditions of your employer's sick pay scheme.

If you didn't comply with those terms then they are entitled not to pay (or claim back any overpayment). You need to check the terms very carefully and see whether you complied.

That said, it does seem very pedantic! Do you think this is some minor HR person being a jobsworth (in which case a friendly word with somebody senior might sort it) or, more worryingly, a decision to be as hard as possible?

Can't answer the benefit question I'm afraid.

Mads1962

Thanks for your response. I don't know why they are doing this. Considering I was off sick due to a heart attack largely caused by strees, this treatment isn't helping. And the decision to take £600 a month is very unhelpful.

Savvy_Sue

It might help to know whether you let your Fit Note run out, or whether you just failed to post it at the right time, or you posted it and it did not arrive so you replaced it with another, backdated one.

And are you now back at work?