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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To wonder why doctor would be certify someone as unfit for any work with just a sprained ankle?

212 replies

Trevorsarse · 14/08/2021 19:42

Someone my dh works with has been off with a sprained ankle for three weeks. Happened on the last day of his holiday. He has just sent in his fit note (very late) and it says he is not fit for work. He does the same job as my dh, some work on their feet but everyone does plenty of desk work too. So, he could easily just do all the desk bits and other people do all the walking/standing bits. Apparently the boss would be happy to have him do shorter/less hours and take longer breaks too but the guy has said he's not capable as he needs to rest.
It's really effecting their work because there are other people off on holiday on their small team so its putting them under loads of pressure.
I'm just wondering why the doctor signed off as completely unable to work on the grounds of a sprained ankle because surely there is work that he can do? When I sprained mine (and it was bad as I ended up needing an operation on it) I just had 4 days off and then went back to work on my crutches with my colleagues helping me out fetching stuff etc. Never thought to get signed off for over 3 weeks! Am I the mug here?

OP posts:
Happy36 · 14/08/2021 19:46

How will the person get to and from work?

To the toilet at work? Out of the building in an emergency?

Better that they rest and go to physio then return to work when fit.

Lunde · 14/08/2021 19:47

How do you know what is in his fit note? Huge breach of medical confidentiality.

You don't know the extent of his injury - some injuries with muscle or tendon damage can take longer than a break. He may be taking painkillers. He may be unable to commute

Original poster
Trevorsarse · 14/08/2021 19:48

The whole place is easy access, they already have one person who uses a wheelchair working there so crutches shouldn't be much harder. My dh has also said boss said he could have been doing some work from home too.

OP posts:
Original poster
Trevorsarse · 14/08/2021 19:50

the guy has just been telling them all this on their team mates WhatsApp so no breach

OP posts:
ArseInTheCoOpWindow · 14/08/2021 19:50

Are there stairs at the workplace? How will he get up and down those.

Sprains vary in their intensity. A bad sprain can be awful. If the doc thinks he’s not fit for work then he isn’t fit. No matter what you or anyone else thinks. You’re not medics, the doctor is.

FrankButchersDickieBow · 14/08/2021 19:50

Well the doctor has signed them off as not fit to work. The rest of it is really none of your business.

Orf1abc · 14/08/2021 19:50

You don't have nearly enough detail to make a judgment. That, and it's none of your business.

VladmirsPoutine · 14/08/2021 19:50

Nobody knows other than the worker in question and his doctor but for what it's worth it's this type of scepticism that upholds the presenteeism culture that's so engrained in British working life. It's why people seem to be proud of having never taken a sick day in 45years of working or whatever, or why people struggle to come in when they clearly can't manage incase they earn themselves a reputation of being a shirker.

ChequerBoard · 14/08/2021 19:52

What's it got to do with you?

Seriously, you have no business questioning someone else's reasons for being off work sick. He has been signed off by a doctor who a) is qualified to make this assessment unlike you and b) has access to the patient's full medical records and history m, again unlike you.

Beak out.

DysmalRadius · 14/08/2021 19:54

When I sprained mine (and it was bad as I ended up needing an operation on it) I just had 4 days off and then went back to work on my crutches with my colleagues helping me out fetching stuff etc. Never thought to get signed off for over 3 weeks! Am I the mug here?

In what way would you be the mug? By not injuring yourself more severely as this person has done? It's a weird way to look at it, but I suppose it's an option!

romdowa · 14/08/2021 19:56

I once sprained my ankle so bad I tore several ligaments and it took 6 weeks of physio before I could walk any big distance at all.

Imnothereforthedrama · 14/08/2021 19:57

@FrankButchersDickieBow

Well the doctor has signed them off as not fit to work. The rest of it is really none of your business.
This , it’s not even someone you work with but someone your dh works with . Like others say how is he expected to get to work and get to the loo with a bad sprain? Bravo to you hobbling back within a few days but you don’t know exactly how bad it is do you ? None of you business op and I really hope his colleagues aren’t like you .
NotAnotherPushyMum · 14/08/2021 19:58

I’ve had a couple of bad injuries in the last two years and even though I don’t do strenuous work I couldn’t work because of the painkillers I was taking. I could barely stay awake let alone work.

SunbathingDragon · 14/08/2021 20:00

The doctor clearly believes it’s a genuine reason to not be at work and having seen many sprains, it wouldn’t cross my mind to question it because some people can’t work with them for a huge number of reasons including the effect the painkillers have on them.

Bonmonkhouse · 14/08/2021 20:01

An actual doctor has decided he isn't fit to work so YABU.

Happy36 · 14/08/2021 20:04

it was bad as I ended up needing an operation on it) I just had 4 days off and then went back to work on my crutches

Possibly you needed an operation as you failed to rehabilitate fully from the original injury.

As another poster has said, presenteeism is a dangerous habit that needs to die out; one would hope the pandemic has made this clear.

Happy36 · 14/08/2021 20:05

they already have one person who uses a wheelchair working there so crutches shouldn't be much harder

?

Clocktopus · 14/08/2021 20:05

To add to what everyone else has posted, not everyone can use crutches. I was given crutches for a leg injury, got as far as the car park and had to go back in as I'd dislocated my wrist due to using them. I have hypermobility which is fairly common (around 1 in 100 people have it) but this is one of the small ways in which it makes some things awkward if not impossible.

If he can't drive due to his ankle and isn't able to commute due to the injury then he's not going to be able to come to work. He could be on heavy duty painkillers. He could have a complex sprain with ligament damage and unable to put weight on it at all. You don't know, you're not a doctor and even if you were, you haven't examined him. His doctor has examined him, or has had sight of the hospital report, and has decided he is not fit to work. That's all anyone needs to know about it.

IsItWorthTheHassle · 14/08/2021 20:05

I agree with pp.

The GP thought it was a good enough reason for him to be off work. You have no idea of what other stuff is happening or not and the reasons the GP decided he was unfit.

I don’t think any of us, including you or your DH can make a judgement on that. Just trust the GP.

IsItWorthTheHassle · 14/08/2021 20:06

FWIW, if you have strained ankle and can’t really put your foot on the floor, you aren’t insured to drive.

How do you expect that guy to go to work?

StarDrawers · 14/08/2021 20:09

Why is your husband even telling you this?
Why do you even care?
Why do you think you know better than this guy's doctor?

Tibtab · 14/08/2021 20:09

People are allowed to be off work sick.
The actual issue seems to be that if people are on holiday then their aren’t enough staff, sounds like they need to employ more people normally.

WrongKindOfFace · 14/08/2021 20:10

Some GPs will sign you off for pretty much anything - probably because they don’t have the time to argue to toss.

That’s said, we don’t know how serious the injury is - could be a bad sprain, could be swinging the lead.

IsItWorthTheHassle · 14/08/2021 20:10

Btw @Trevorsarse you were a mug to only take 4 days which impacted on your recovery.

I’ve done it myself btw. But I’m self employed and I just couldn’t afford to take those days off. It took me weeks to recover.
If I had had the choice, I would have rested first.

movingadviceneeded · 14/08/2021 20:11

How do you walk or drive with a sprained ankle? I appreciate people work with broken limbs / long term illnesses / etc but I badly sprained my ankle once and had to work from home for a week; I couldn't put any weight on it for 4-5 days, it really really hurt!!