Can an employer force you to be off sick!

GlasweJen

Not with covid!

Sister reported to work today, she's been on redeployment within a health job because she has heart issues (not quite as bad as me, no transplant) so no patient facing but two weeks ago she got notice of return to her own department. Last week she was on annual leave. 

Today she reported back, she's autistic as well btw - work aware. She says things were weird which she expected but she hadn't been warned that the hospital doors would be locked, some staff were not in uniform (which was unexpected as she keeps getting emails about uniform policy given that there's a pandemic), someone from a much lower band was given the job of explaining how the department was managing the pandemic but they made a bit of a meal of it since the woman was part time and not really sure herself.

So sister (who is a bit of a perfectionist and phobic about mistakes) goes in for a meeting with the senior nurse who apparently realised she was terrified and sent her home on mental health grounds. My sister doesn't want to be at home, she has been undertaking virtual counselling because of bullying during the redeployment and she was anxious about her return to work because of not knowing what to expect with the changes (she's been at a different hospital) but now she's worried that they all think she's mental and she's even more anxious about her return. 

I've told her to call her doctor but I'm not sure what that will achieve. Can a doctor certify that someone is fit for work? 

Grumpy_chap

If the employer is concerned about her fitness for work, then the correct thing to do is to allow her the time off.  Did she see occupational health?

She needs to see her GP and either get a "fit note" and return to work or get the medical support she needs plus the appropriate time.

Undervalued

GlasweJen said:

Not with covid!

Sister reported to work today, she's been on redeployment within a health job because she has heart issues (not quite as bad as me, no transplant) so no patient facing but two weeks ago she got notice of return to her own department. Last week she was on annual leave. 

Today she reported back, she's autistic as well btw - work aware. She says things were weird which she expected but she hadn't been warned that the hospital doors would be locked, some staff were not in uniform (which was unexpected as she keeps getting emails about uniform policy given that there's a pandemic), someone from a much lower band was given the job of explaining how the department was managing the pandemic but they made a bit of a meal of it since the woman was part time and not really sure herself.

So sister (who is a bit of a perfectionist and phobic about mistakes) goes in for a meeting with the senior nurse who apparently realised she was terrified and sent her home on mental health grounds. My sister doesn't want to be at home, she has been undertaking virtual counselling because of bullying during the redeployment and she was anxious about her return to work because of not knowing what to expect with the changes (she's been at a different hospital) but now she's worried that they all think she's mental and she's even more anxious about her return. 

I've told her to call her doctor but I'm not sure what that will achieve. Can a doctor certify that someone is fit for work? 

Yes, if that is the doctor's professional opinion. The doctor could write a letter to that effect (for which there would most likely be a charge). Unless or until the employer obtains medical evidence to the contrary, perhaps by paying for her to see a specialist,  they would either have to let her work or suspend her on medical grounds which would need to be on full pay.

GlasweJen

Grumpy_chap said:

If the employer is concerned about her fitness for work, then the correct thing to do is to allow her the time off.  Did she see occupational health?

She needs to see her GP and either get a "fit note" and return to work or get the medical support she needs plus the appropriate time.

I don't think so, she just said about this meeting with the senior nurse (who is her boss). She said she got given a phone number for people working on the covid front line who had psychological injuries but she's already getting counselling for the bullying and she's not had any psychiatric issues arise from treating covid patients because she got given an office job so that she could be at less risk so she's not sure why she got that phone number.

GlasweJen

So I've checked in with my sister and she's still off work, she's spoken to her GP who said that her work are being ridiculous and she should really be at work. He did some mental health scoring on her and the worst she had is mild anxiety so he's not signing her off sick and he's happy to talk to occupational health if they get in touch. 

She then spoke to her manager who said she referred my sister to OH but they might not get in touch, they usually would but due to the pandemic they might just leave it where it is. 

My sister said great, when can I come back then and her manager said well can you call next week and we'll discuss it? 

Now I get that the work are trying to do the right thing but shouldn't they be pushing for a more official review if they're not going to take her GPs advice at face value? No one is getting a written anything just now due to the pandemic, her GP is in a red zone and everything is being done electronically but they are happy to engage electronically with her work if they give her the correct place to send the information to. 

I've FaceTimed my sister and she's fine, she's eating, exercising, sleeping at night and maintaining conversations - this is not a person who is having a nervous break down.

I told her to get in touch with the National Autistic Society and see if they had any information for employers about managing employees who are reactive to the pandemic but it doesn't appear that they do from the website and their webform said that they have a 30 day turn around for queries at the moment. 

She's really keen to get back to work, she's stressing because she keeps being told no and she can't get a sick note (she's not sick), her manager told her to not worry about it but she's a rule follower and she is worrying about it. 

Not sure what she can do if even OH don't seem to be bothered.