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Original poster

Is it normal for a new employer to ask for GP letter?

66 replies

Sabire9 · 27/10/2021 11:25

Son, just turned 18 was interviewed and offered a job with a national pizza chain on Friday. When he filled out the paperwork accepting the job he checked the box which asked him if he had a health condition - he has a mental health diagnosis and revealed this to the manager when asked.

He was due to start training this week but he manager of the restaurant has now told him he needs a letter from his GP confirming that he's safe to work in a kitchen. I called the GP's surgery and the receptionist told me a) this is a fairly unusual request and b) it'll take 28 days. In the meantime son has no income and no start date.

Has anyone else been asked to do something like this? I know that if you've been off sick for a while employers sometimes ask for a letter to confirm you're ok to return to work, but my son isn't currently unwell or asking for time off. He wants to work!

OP posts:
Rupertpenrysmistress · 27/10/2021 12:38

What a horrible situation, this is why people don't tell anyone about MH problems. I am a nurse with MH problems,this has never caused anyone to question me. Should I not be doing my job either? Where do you stop with this rubbish? Op you sound like a great mum and I would do the same for my 18 year old.

Your ds needs to know it's ok to work with MH problems. Do we say someone with epilepsy should not be in certain jobs incase they have a seizure and cause an accident? no of course not as that is discriminatory.

tiggerwhocamefortea · 27/10/2021 12:38

Yes it's reasonable

DH has a back condition and mentioned it on a job application - desk job by the way - he was asked to provide a GP letter to that effect

He had declared a MH issue - best will in the world and to be fair to the employer - they don't know how it manifests itself - for all we know he could have a tendency to violence etc therefore working around sharp objects might be worth the employer knowing don't you think???

Carboncheque · 27/10/2021 12:40

’for all we know he could have a tendency to violence etc therefore working around sharp objects might be worth the employer knowing don't you think???’

And again …

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Carboncheque · 27/10/2021 12:42

Well done for not running rampant with the sharps RupertPenrysMistress.

CaddieDawg · 27/10/2021 12:45

I work in HR and this is not on at all. As others have said, too cheap to pay for occ health and putting unnecessary additional stress on the NHS.

As someone up thread has mentioned, get him to play at being confused and ask in writing for the purpose of the letter. If there is a charge from your gp for this (likely), then also ask if they'll pay that or if he is to?

I'd then call ACAS with the response and get proper advice.

In the meantime, your son probably doesn't want to work there so maybe best finding him something else?

ftw163532 · 27/10/2021 12:46

@Flipflopblowout

The employer is duty bound to make a work place health and safety risk assessment. He will most likely use the letter from the GP as a part of this in your son's case.
Yes, but doing so in a prejudiced fashion is unlawful.
girlmom21 · 27/10/2021 12:48

@LaBellina

Are they worried that having a mental health condition makes people more prone to tampering with food and they’re trying to legally cover themselves in case this happens Shock Confused? It sounds like a very bizarre request anyway and I wonder what that tells you about how much they value employees privacy…if I were your DS, I would start looking for another job.
What a strange assumption. Depending on the condition, it's much more likely it's the knives they're worried about.
Original poster
Sabire9 · 27/10/2021 12:48

@Rupertpenrysmistress

What a horrible situation, this is why people don't tell anyone about MH problems. I am a nurse with MH problems,this has never caused anyone to question me. Should I not be doing my job either? Where do you stop with this rubbish? Op you sound like a great mum and I would do the same for my 18 year old.

Your ds needs to know it's ok to work with MH problems. Do we say someone with epilepsy should not be in certain jobs incase they have a seizure and cause an accident? no of course not as that is discriminatory.

Thank you.

It's awful to have to tell our children that they need to treat their mental health condition as a secret so people don't discriminate against them in employment.

But maybe it's a valuable lesson learned.

OP posts:
thenewduchessofhastings · 27/10/2021 12:51

I think maybe your DS should pass on this job and apply for others;I don't think I'd want to work for an employer who's showed discrimination against me before I'd even started with them on the basis of my mental health condition.

Theremustbemoretome · 27/10/2021 12:51

Contact ACAS for advice.

ftw163532 · 27/10/2021 12:51

Trying to persevere with a job for an employer so comfortable openly discriminating unlawfully against people with his disability isn't worth it. It will just cause him harm.

It's wrong, it shouldn't be this way, but they have warned him upfront they discriminate against disabled people. I would walk away.

girlmom21 · 27/10/2021 12:52

It's awful to have to tell our children that they need to treat their mental health condition as a secret so people don't discriminate against them in employment.

But he hasn't had the offer withdrawn. He's still got the job as long as the GP can confirm he's well enough to do it.

Shehasadiamondinthesky · 27/10/2021 12:52

It's fairly common, I work in the NHS and have a mental illness, complex trauma with hallucinations auditory and verbal. But I am fully aware they are hallucinations, I know they are not real.
I'm not dangerous but they insisted on a full assessment and I have to speak to the hospital psychiatrist every 6 months to ensure I'm ok with my meds and so on.
I do work with vulnerable people so that's to be expected.
It depends what your son has really, depression, anxiety not a risk but paranoid schizophrenia, I'd want a GP letter.

uncomfortablydumb53 · 27/10/2021 12:56

This is for Occupational health to asses and not the responsibility of the GP. By law, the employer has to make reasonable adjustments for employees also.

ftw163532 · 27/10/2021 13:03

@girlmom21

It's awful to have to tell our children that they need to treat their mental health condition as a secret so people don't discriminate against them in employment.

But he hasn't had the offer withdrawn. He's still got the job as long as the GP can confirm he's well enough to do it.

He has been discriminated against though.
ftw163532 · 27/10/2021 13:06

This employer hasn't asked for an occupational health assessment to ensure they meet their duty of care under health and safety legislation or to make any reasonable adjustments under the Equality Act.

They've jumped straight to an assumption that "mental illness = dangerous" and asked him to prove otherwise, which is discriminatory.

Original poster
Sabire9 · 27/10/2021 13:07

"But he hasn't had the offer withdrawn. He's still got the job as long as the GP can confirm he's well enough to do it. 
He has been discriminated against though."

If he isn't getting paid and they won't allow him to do the work or even start the training until this is done - and they're not offering to get occupational health involved or cover the costs of the GPs letter which could take up to 28 days?

OP posts:
WhatDidISayAlan · 27/10/2021 13:07

I wouldn’t normally pipe up here but I do have previous experience of this. 30 years ago I was a Saturday girl at Sainsbury’s and worked in the meat room. We had a butcher who had not declared his schizophrenia and we didn’t find out about it until he had the head butcher against a wall with a filleting knife at his throat. He wasn’t sacked - but moved to a safer department. Pizza Hut may not be going the right way about it, but they have a duty of care to your son, other employees and customers.

Incidentally, I also had a brother with epilepsy. There were jobs that he could not do due to his condition and lack of an aura or warning symptoms, such as driving, or operating machinery or tools. It’s not discrimination, it’s common sense. My brother was a soldier when he was diagnosed, and had to be medically discharged. He would be the first to agree that he should not be holding a gun or be in charge of large arms in case he had a seizure.

Original poster
Sabire9 · 27/10/2021 13:12

'I knew a mentally ill person who was violent'

🙄

OP posts:
ftw163532 · 27/10/2021 13:14

@WhatDidISayAlan

I wouldn’t normally pipe up here but I do have previous experience of this. 30 years ago I was a Saturday girl at Sainsbury’s and worked in the meat room. We had a butcher who had not declared his schizophrenia and we didn’t find out about it until he had the head butcher against a wall with a filleting knife at his throat. He wasn’t sacked - but moved to a safer department. Pizza Hut may not be going the right way about it, but they have a duty of care to your son, other employees and customers.

Incidentally, I also had a brother with epilepsy. There were jobs that he could not do due to his condition and lack of an aura or warning symptoms, such as driving, or operating machinery or tools. It’s not discrimination, it’s common sense. My brother was a soldier when he was diagnosed, and had to be medically discharged. He would be the first to agree that he should not be holding a gun or be in charge of large arms in case he had a seizure.

So everybody with a mental illness should have to verify they're not dangerous when commencing employment? You're saying it's ok to assume anybody with a mental illness is a danger. You are wrong and prejudiced.

If this was about discharging the employer's duty of care they would have simply asked for an assessment to identify all areas where support was required or there might be a risk.

Making the assumption that anybody with a mental illness is violent and dangerous until proven otherwise is discriminatory.

Your epilepsy example is an entirely different scenario to the one under discussion here.

Carboncheque · 27/10/2021 13:21

I’m sorry that your DS is having to deal with this on top of his health issues. It’s upsetting to find out that seemingly normal, reasonable people are so quick to assume that mental health condition = violence or that they think people need to be assessed before they’re safe to have jobs and work around the public. He’ll need to think about who his discloses his health issues to and when in any personal or professional relationship to do so.

Original poster
Sabire9 · 27/10/2021 13:22

Thank you for saying that.

I'm so shocked and disturbed by the responses here. It makes me feel so sorry for my son that this is the reaction his diagnosis engenders.

OP posts:
WhatDidISayAlan · 27/10/2021 13:28

@ftw163532 - I wasn’t saying that at all, and you know it. Don’t put words into my mouth.

girlmom21 · 27/10/2021 13:32

@Sabire9

"But he hasn't had the offer withdrawn. He's still got the job as long as the GP can confirm he's well enough to do it.  He has been discriminated against though."

If he isn't getting paid and they won't allow him to do the work or even start the training until this is done - and they're not offering to get occupational health involved or cover the costs of the GPs letter which could take up to 28 days?

Sorry OP but not all companies have occupational health and I think it's unfair to blame the 28 days on them. Why does it take 28 days for a letter from the GP? That's on the GP.

They have a duty of care to their staff and customers. You may find this is well within the recruitment policy.

It's shit for your son but they're not doing it to discriminate against him.

TwistMyOlive · 27/10/2021 13:32

I’ve had it twice when I’ve put on forms when I had MH issues how long for. Both times I’ve had an appointment with a doctor chosen by the company (maybe a specialist I can’t remember) anyway it was a chat about how I felt about working in X place, how I feel etc, they then wrote to employer and they recommend or not employment. Guess it’s to keep you safe

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