Employer checking hospital appointment!

burnsguitarman

By the way I work for the local authority. I have contacted the hospital who told me that if there was a general enquiry about a procedure, they would have answered it, and told them that the after the procedure itself. A person should not need time off, but other symptoms as a direct result of the tests i.e. no medication may mean you need extra time. And if it was put to them from an employer, they would not have told her anything, so I wonder how her approach to the hospital went?

bestpud

Oldernotwiser - I think it is paid sick leave rather than paid annual leave? If it is annual leave then you are correct - it is no concern of the employer at all. Clearly the company have said they will pay the OP but they want to ensure they don't pay for any more time than they have to.

I have to say (again from your managers point of view), you have deliberately disguised information which states you will be able to work your afternoon shift. It may have been better to have been upfront about the procedure itself in the first place, but explained how the lack of meds etc will have a bigger impact than the procedure? Hindsight is great I know.

I think all the stuff about late appts and travelling etc is a bit exaggerated to be honest. Yes it may be late but that is a fact of life and if it happens on the day, well you ring your boss and say I am held up at the hospital.
Essentially though, you have ample time to make this appt and get to work on time and, if I am thinking that, you can rest assured your manager is too.

Do you normally get sick pay? If so, why not wait and see how you feel and ring in sick if you find you are not up to going in for the afternoon shift on the day?

Or, perhaps your GP would provide you with some evidence that the lack of meds will affect you? Will you recover that quickly anyway? How long does it take for your meds to get back in your system? Some take longer to work than others so in that case, you may not even be ok for the following day?

Overall though, time wise and procedure wise, there seems no valid reason for you to take the second afternoon off. It is the medication issue you need to push imo - especially if you can get evidence of the likely effects. Even a web print out would be useful - from a reputable medical site obviously!

FWIW, I think you should be able to take the whole day off to get your meds back on track and because you may not sleep as well with the tube in. If it were me and I was lucky enough to get sick pay for a day and a half (me and OH get none at all unfortunately), I would take it unpaid. But that's me!

Good luck with it.

olly300

bestpud wrote: »

They are entitled to know if it is genuine and the employee refuses to give them the full details (ie the bits stating they will be fine to drive home and should not be at the hospital later than 11.05am).

So essentially, as long as the employee has an appt letter stating they have an appt that day, they could refuse to come in during the afternoon and the employer cannot question it at all?

Say I had an appt at 9am for a non-invasive procedure? I can say I need the day off and they couldn't question why I 'need' the whole day? Is that what you are saying?

There is a legally a relationship of trust between an employer and employee therefore if you are ill or going for a medical appointment the employer should be able to trust that you, the employee, are telling the truth.

In cases where you look like you are abusing this trust for example always taking sick days on Monday or Friday, or taking a sick day when you were turned down for a day off, the employer can investigate the issue and discipline the employee if there was not a true reason for the absence.

However if on investigating the reason for absence, the employee gives the employer a medical note stating that the employee has a medical condition the employer has to be careful as to take certain actions like disciplining the employee in this case means they may fall foul of the disability discrimination act.

burnsguitarman

I didn't deliberately withold any evidence which she needed to know. I just thought that it was too personal having to send her a copy of the letter, when an appointment card should have been suffice.
I have taken very little sick leave in the 14yrs with my employer, and have taken time for hospital only when this problem flared up quite seriously. I would have gladly explained about the medication, if I had been asked, but wasn't given the opportunity.

burnsguitarman

Best pud.. I haven't got an appointment time for the Weds, so say at the worst it was for 11am, It would be extremely unlikely that I will be out for 11.05, more like 11.30-12 at the very least.

Due to the nature of my job and the distances travelled my employer would be most upset if I called at 12.00 to say I wouldn't be able to do the afternoon journey. A stand in will have to be found for 1 1/2 days surely it would be much easier for all concerned to have cover arranged for both days and then cancelled if it is not needed. I do not have a problem returning to work if I am home in time and am well! In fact I enjoy my job.
Another thing I was asked was why could I not work Tuesday afternoon! ( I am having a tube taped to my face up my nose and into my stomach. I think not!)

Oldernotwiser

bestpud wrote: »

Oldernotwiser - I think it is paid sick leave rather than paid annual leave? If it is annual leave then you are correct - it is no concern of the employer at all.

Right, that makes sense then; I hadn't come across anybody who referred to sick leave as "paid leave" before. (Perhaps I should get out more.)

burnsguitarman

It's not 'sick leave' its paid absence apparently! If I stay off longer than my 1 1/2 days because I am unwell, it will be classed as sick leave. So they will still need to cover my shift, (and pay me)!

bestpud

burnsguitarman wrote: »

Best pud.. I haven't got an appointment time for the Weds, so say at the worst it was for 11am, It would be extremely unlikely that I will be out for 11.05, more like 11.30-12 at the very least.

Due to the nature of my job and the distances travelled my employer would be most upset if I called at 12.00 to say I wouldn't be able to do the afternoon journey. A stand in will have to be found for 1 1/2 days surely it would be much easier for all concerned to have cover arranged for both days and then cancelled if it is not needed. I do not have a problem returning to work if I am home in time and am well! In fact I enjoy my job.
Another thing I was asked was why could I not work Tuesday afternoon! ( I am having a tube taped to my face up my nose and into my stomach. I think not!)

Oh, I thought the appt would be between 9 and 11 am and was thinking that should mean 11am would be the latest.

I'm not having a go (hope I've made that clear?) as I agree it would be better all round just to give you the two days. I was just trying to point out the other view of things as it sometimes helps to think why people might react the way they do.

tigtag02

burnsguitarman wrote: »

Thanks everyone for their views, I think the information given to my employer may have general, rather than about me personally, but given the fact that this isn't our local hospital, the details from my letter were obviously used for her enquiry to the department. And I envisage not feeling too well by next Wednesday because I am unable to take any medication to keep my condition in check, until after the procedure.

Hi BGM

My OH had this done a few weeks ago. He WAS allowed (although NOT when the tube was in) to take rennie/settles etc so DO check with the hospital.

He too is insufferable if he cant take his meds

burnsguitarman

I have been told I can take rennies until 12 hours before, but to use sparingly. Was he able to drive to and from his appointments alone? Also if you don't mind how did he feel during and afterwards? Thanks in advance