Employer wants me at work despite me being ill

[NotSmiling]

I been ill for a few days while at work but it just got worse and worse. At the minute i cant even sit up because i get so dizzy. I phoned in sick and said i wont be in rest of week and told them why. Their reply was that i couldnt know if i will be sick tomorrow or the rest of week so they ordered me into work tomorrow and called it a reasonable request. once at worrk they will decide if i am too ill to stay. but is it a reasonable request, considering i could easily injure myself if i fall over dizzy trying to get to work?

[echat11]

Have you booked a Doctor's appointment? If not book one, you need to get down to the bottom of the illness. The best person to make a 'diagnoses' is your Doctor, you need to explain to your direct managers that they aren't qualified to make any such 'diagnoses'. If they continue with such demands then you would like to raise a Formal Grievance on your return. It might be an idea to send HR an email summarizing the present situation.

ULA Can you please take a look and advise, many thanks.

[ULA]

Does your company have a sickness policy? Most of those I have seen ask an employee, or if the person is too unwell then a family member, to call in each day of sickness unless a Fitness to Work certificate has been provided covering a period of absence.

I suggest that if you wake up feeling unwell you call in sick to your employer explaining that you are still experiencing the same symptoms and that you will be calling your GP. Explain that once you have spoken to the Dr, you will update your employer on what they have said about when you will be able to return to work.

I would at this stage not be talking to your employer about grievances until you have spoken to your GP about your symptoms, get an understanding of whether you are going to be off work for a period of time and what reaction you may get from your employer.

If you have any further questions or issues with your employer just come back to this thread.

[Ukmicky]

They are right , you saying you won’t be in for all the week is not good enough as you may bd fine in a few days.

However your I employer has no idea what they are doing . For the 1st 7 days the law says you are the one who decides if you are fit enough to go into work , not your employer

After 7 days it’s your doctor.

Shame you can’t record the conversation and their demands just in case it’s required should you feel your job is at risk.

They can require you to keep in contact . What is reasonable is dependant on your symptoms. Every day is probably unreasonable . Every two days is probably ok . If you are unwell someone can contact them on your behalf


I take it you have been in their employ less than 2 years.

[NotSmiling]

I was severely ill and only went back to work yesterday. I asked about SSP as I wasnt paid any for 2 weeks. They said i wasnt paid because I didnt give a sick note. I live on my own and was too ill to deal with sicknotes. I asked them if i put a sick note in now will i get SSP, they said no because im paid weekly and both those pay periods have gone.

[ULA]

Did you keep your employer informed of your sickness absence or have you relied on the phone call you made on 23 Nov to inform them that you would be off sick that day and not in for the rest of the week?

[NotSmiling]

Did you keep your employer informed of your sickness absence or have you relied on the phone call you made on 23 Nov to inform them that you would be off sick that day and not in for the rest of the week?

Didnt contact them the first week as was too ill. I phoned them twice in the second week to update them and they phoned me once to see how i was. I didnt even think of SSP or sick notes and they never mentioned it.

[ULA]

Effectively for the first 7 days you would have been covered by completing a self certification form provided by your employer it is only once you have been off for more than 7 days that a Fitness to Work certificate from your GP is required.

If you think you’re entitled to statutory sick pay but your employer continues to refuse to pay it, you should contact HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) or HMRC's Statutory Payments Disputes Team.

[NotSmiling]

Effectively for the first 7 days you would have been covered by completing a self certification form provided by your employer it is only once you have been off for more than 7 days that a Fitness to Work certificate from your GP is required.

If you think you’re entitled to statutory sick pay but your employer continues to refuse to pay it, you should contact HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) or HMRC's Statutory Payments Disputes Team.

Thanks, will do that.

The thing I find strange about this is, if I tested positive for covid I would have got SSP automatically without even having to put a sick note in. According to the clinic that treated me it turns out that my sickness was a result of recently having covid, which I had no idea I had, but when I had my back to work meeting the manager would not write covid as the reason I was off, he only wrote the symptoms I had.

[Ukmicky]

Your should be entitled for SSP for part of the first week provided you fulfil the legal criteria and can put in a doctors certificate after your return on the second week . Your employer has no idea what they are doing . What if you were in a coma ,how would you be able to get it to them. A bet they are a small outfit.

[EnglandPi]

Your employer doesent deserve or appreciate you best find a better one as soon as your well enough. Best of luck to you.

[NotSmiling]

UPDATE:

I contacted HR who were very understanding and said I should have been paid. They have now sorted that out. It seems different managers deal with sickness differently so HR have informed all stores that sick pay is to be paid automatically if the person off sick cant physically hand in a sick note themselves, as in my case. And, managers must also remind the person off sick that they are required to hand in sick notes for the period they are off on their return to work.

[ULA]

Hi NotSmiling thank you for the update and glad that everything is now sorted out.

it would seem that your issue has highlighted a problem, which can occur within business structured like the company you work for and at at least there has been a recognition that a reminder of the correct process needed to be sent out.