DR's Note and working

[jamiec2008]

Hi

I've been signed off work for two weeks as my partner has been diagnosed with post natal depression. My employer has said I wont get SSP as it is not me that is ill and my partner has suggested that I go into work 4 days a week for just 4 hours a day as we need the money and working those hours will just about tie us over.

My question is;

Can I do those hours when the doctor has signed me off totally for 2 weeks or would I need to back to the doctors on Monday to ask, for insurance purposes etc????

Thank you

Jamie

[CleverClogs]

Re: DR's Note and working

It is not immediately obvious why you should have obtained a "fit" (sic) note suggesting that you refrain from work because your partner has post-natal depression. Did you have a difficult labour or are you at home to stop her from killing your darling sprog?

[jamiec2008]

Re: DR's Note and working

The doctor has said to provide her with support as there is no immediate family and we have an 8 yr old too

[jamiec2008]

Re: DR's Note and working

And he has colic badly. Hardly sleeps and cries all nigh and most of the day

[Eloise01]

Re: DR's Note and working

I am afraid the doctor has far exceeded his or her authority. Caring responsibilities are available in law, but they are unpaid. There is nothing wrong with you, and the doctor should never have provided a fit note signing you off work. Not only that, but in the employers position I would be doubting any fit note that ever comes from that doctor again, and that puts you in a very difficult position.

In terms of returning to work, and working reduced hours, you must speak to the employer - it is their permission you need, not the doctors.

[jamiec2008]

Re: DR's Note and working

2thanks thats what I thought originally. I phoned the gp surgery nd they saaid I had to get a new note allowing me to go bk to work.. The dr signedd me off to help my partner aspnd can be quite serious and they said if I went to work whilst signed off im not insured. The drs sais I have to abide by the note as it is a welfare issue?

[Inca]

Re: DR's Note and working

I've never heard of a Dr signing a fit person off to help out family. My OH had to completely give up work to care for me and anytime he took off to take me to important hospital appointments were always unpaid (and once or twice refused)

[wales01man]

Re: DR's Note and working

Have to agree with Inca very strange i think the Dr might be aiding a fraud here

[Eloise01]

Re: DR's Note and working

2thanks thats what I thought originally. I phoned the gp surgery nd they saaid I had to get a new note allowing me to go bk to work.. The dr signedd me off to help my partner aspnd can be quite serious and they said if I went to work whilst signed off im not insured. The drs sais I have to abide by the note as it is a welfare issue?

Your GP and their staff are idiots. If you read the note you were given, the doctors ADVICE was that you refrain from work. Advice can be ignored. I give people advice they ignore all the time!!! Your doctors surgery do not decide insurance matters for your employer - your employer does! It's their insurance!

A fit note determines advice based on your medical fitness for work. Your GP has ignored their responsibility to tell the truth about your medical fitness. That is against he law. You are not sick ad they know that. This is not school, and they don't have a "get out of gym" card! Speak to your employer - they are the ones who decide here. They may or may not be sympathetic. But they won't be if they are being lied to - and your GP is lying to them!

[Inca]

Re: DR's Note and working

Purely out of interest (as your Dr seems to make his own rules up)...what is his diagnosis? My money is on 'stress'.
Have you worked for your employer for long?
Personally I think you are treading on dodgy ground,your employer knows you are not sick,,and also,a colicky child won't suddenly decide it doesn't have colic in 2 weeks.
How old is the baby??

[jamiec2008]

Re: DR's Note and working

Purely out of interest (as your Dr seems to make his own rules up)...what is his diagnosis? My money is on 'stress'.
Have you worked for your employer for long?
Personally I think you are treading on dodgy ground,your employer knows you are not sick,,and also,a colicky child won't suddenly decide it doesn't have colic in 2 weeks.
How old is the baby??

He is 4 weeks old today which I think is too early for colic. The d(ctor has wwrote 'family illness' onthe note. Iphoned the companies hr people services this morning and they have said that I have to get my dr to produce a new note due to their employers liability insurance. Surely its my choice if my partner can cope and I can go to work?

[jamiec2008]

Re: DR's Note and working

And I have been with the company for 1 and a half years. I havent been off sick and only took 3 weeks out 6.5 holiday last year. I love it there which is why I dont want the time off. I did tell the GP that but he said I had to take it to help with the baby. My guess is the GP maybe trying to cover the NHS's back as we were to supposed to see the midwife and also the health visitor a few times but alas we have seen a midwife once! (the day after he was born) and spoke to a health visitor 3 days after he was born......on the phone! Which i dont think has helped my partner much!!

[Inca]

Re: DR's Note and working

Wow,,I didn't expect the baby to be a teenytiny.
PND isn't usually diagnosed until baby is 6 weeks and over,,before that it's usually classed as the baby blues,,although I'm certainly no expert nor am I doubting your wife's condition.
Colic can certainly appear in the first 4 weeks of babys life,and it's horrible but there are loads of 'remedys' out there,from Infacol to old wives cures,it's a case of ploughing through them to find one that works.
Maybe changing what is being fed?

I have absolutely no idea what is what regarding your Drs and work..I just don't understand it,,sorry..hopefully some others can pop by and help you.
Good luck + bear with it.......it does pass although it seems never ending when it's happening

Sorry,,just saw your other post...Times certainly have changed since I had a baby...Midwife came for 10 days post birth back then.
Is there no such thing as Mother/Baby clinics?
My niece has had 3 kids in 5 years,,I'll try to get hold of her later and find out what support is out there you may be able to source in your area .

[jamiec2008]

Re: DR's Note and working

Wow,,I didn't expect the baby to be a teenytiny.
PND isn't usually diagnosed until baby is 6 weeks and over,,before that it's usually classed as the baby blues,,although I'm certainly no expert nor am I doubting your wife's condition.
Colic can certainly appear in the first 4 weeks of babys life,and it's horrible but there are loads of 'remedys' out there,from Infacol to old wives cures,it's a case of ploughing through them to find one that works.
Maybe changing what is being fed?

I have absolutely no idea what is what regarding your Drs and work..I just don't understand it,,sorry..hopefully some others can pop by and help you.
Good luck + bear with it.......it does pass although it seems never ending when it's happening

Sorry,,just saw your other post...Times certainly have changed since I had a baby...Midwife came for 10 days post birth back then.
Is there no such thing as Mother/Baby clinics?
My niece has had 3 kids in 5 years,,I'll try to get hold of her later and find out what support is out there you may be able to source in your area .

Well we,ve tried normal milk, comfort milk and we are using Dr Browns bottles. Funny enough he has slept 'like a baby' all morning!!! And we got our first our smile today which made mother melt

There are baby clinics where there are health visitors but they are open once every 2 weeks in our village and full. Things do seem better today but its only this morning so far. My manager who is nothing to do with people services has told me to go in tonight, have sunday, tuesday & wednesday off. See if things are better and if so then simply dont produce my sick note! Apparently if he isnt aware of the note then it cant affect their liability as I have disregarded the note altogether. It's like i've just asked for a few days off under 'parental leave!'. And he has said if things don't improve then he will just give me holiday and I can work the middle shifts during the day i.e between 10 and 6

[Eloise01]

Re: DR's Note and working

He is 4 weeks old today which I think is too early for colic. The d(ctor has wwrote 'family illness' onthe note. Iphoned the companies hr people services this morning and they have said that I have to get my dr to produce a new note due to their employers liability insurance. Surely its my choice if my partner can cope and I can go to work?

No it isn't. That's why I said that you had to speak to the employer. The whole "you aren't insured if someone goes to work whilst on a doctors note" is actually something of a myth, but many employers believe it. Like anything else, reality is more complex than that, and so employers may decide to simply take it as "black and white" to cover their own backs. But the bottom line is that you work at your employers pleasure - if they say you can't return to work, then you can't.

By the way... (a) annual leave is there for a reason, and more fool you if you don't take it - loving your job won't make a jot of difference if you become sick because you are not taking the rest and recuperation which the law says you should have, and (b) it may seem sort of obvious, but have you asked the employer if you can take holiday? Since you are paid for holiday, and you don't seem to use it anyway, then using your time to help your wife, instead of the employers time, is the right way to go about this.