Employer giving grief for sick leave

[Hold my coat]

Hi
Any pointers on how to proceed with this issue would be greatly appreciate. My daughter has been having seizures for the last four years. Her employer gradually cut her hours down to 10 hours a week “to help her out” !!! She is claiming benefits to survive. The doctors have signed her off work for 6 months. She seems to get stressed and have seizures when the employer contacts her. Its that bad that she passed her workplace on a bus and had a seizure almost immediately. This led to an ambulance and 24hr hospital visit with sbout 7 seizures. The doctors are trying her on various meds, some which cause increased number of seizures. Her company called her a couple of days ago and grilled her on her meds she was taking, asked if she is trying any alternative cures and now want to see her medical records. She unfortunately had another seizure after this contact. As parents, we just want her to leave the job but don’t know if it will affect her measly benefits. Can i call her employer and instruct them to only deal with me? Does she have to show her employer her medical records? Sorry it was such a long post. Thanks

[ULA]

It would not be for you to call her employer and instruct them only to deal with you, this request will need to come from your daughter. So I suggest that she emails them on the basis of the affect that contact from work is having on her health she requests that you (her father) is the prime point of contact and then she provides an email address for you. Emailing means that there is a record of all communication.

In terms of her employer asking to see her medical records, they will not get access to her full records, it would in fact be a request for a doctor's report which will only contain the information they need to support your daughter's health at work.

The employer must ask your daughter's permission to ask for a report about her health and in doing so should tell her:

* why they are asking for the report
* that they will not get access to their full medical records, only the information they need
* who will see the report

Your daughter has the right to:

* ask their doctor not to give information they think could be damaging or is not relevant
* ask to see the doctor's report first
* not agree to the doctor's report being shared with their employer if they disagree with what it says