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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:
KentuckyCriedFricken · 14/08/2021 20:41

Unless you are privy to the man’s full medical history you have no idea why he’s been signed off. He may have a muscle or joint disorder that means the sprain is more complex than usual. He may be on pain medication that affects some other condition that he has. Yes it’s a mess when it leaves a workplace short-handed but management should always take into consideration that someone could be off sick at any time when approving annual leave requests and factor that into the headcount. If the person had been in a hospital bed your husband’s work situation would be no different. Don’t blame the injured for poor resource planning by management.

It’s not the injured person’s problem that this leaves the workplace short of staff. Goodness, imagine if someone suggested that those on maternity leave should come back early and help out when short of staff, after all they could do the desk work. That’s what you have suggested for the injured man. If you’ve ever taken mat leave, did you feel guilty that it left the company short-handed? Or feel that you should go back immediately if you can sit at a desk?

Original poster
Trevorsarse · 14/08/2021 20:42

@stardrawers my husband is telling me this because it affects his work and he wanted to discuss it with someone. I'm posting on here cos I'm interested in what other people think about this situation. I was surprised at over three weeks off without any work at all. Not even from the sofa. Knowing this guy dh reckons he's probably milking it. It is a genuine sprain (pics of the bruise went on the WhatsApp when he did it) but he admits its not really as bad as he's making out to the boss.
Just seems like a hell of a lot of time to take off and the longer it goes on the more it affects the other workers. The pandemic has really hit their business and times are still tough. We have been worried that it would fold a few times. They don't really have enough staff but thats because the business can't afford them right now so everyone else there is pulling their weight to help. The boss owns the business and is putting in absolutely loads of extra hours himself to try and make it work.

OP posts:
Thelnebriati · 14/08/2021 20:44

Using crutches is not the same as using a chair. Its actually worse if you only use them for a few weeks; its takes some time to get the hang of them. If you fall while using them, there's a good chance you'll break your wrist.

PostMenWithACat · 14/08/2021 20:46

I have had a third degree sprain. Strapped up, reviewed in A&E, given a stick, had one day off. Also had two dc to care for and get to school.

Broke 5th metatarsal. Had a day off and went back to work. Tool two paracetamol. Consultant at the fracture clinic started writing a sick note for 4 weeks. I had to say "excuse me, I've been back at work for a week". He said I couldn't drive. It was my left foot, automatic people carrier with tons of room in the footwear and I had already checked with DVLA and my insurers admit was fine.

Few years later badly wedged a vertebrae - GP wanted to sign me off for a month. I asked to go a week at a time. I was back at work after 9 days. Same GP refused to refer me to a neurologist unless the pain prevailed for more than 10 weeks. When In asked the waiting time I was told it was 10 weeks. When I said that meant I could be off work for more than 20 weeks and might not in future be able to pay tax and NI for the benefit of the NHS, she slammed the referral on the desk and told me it wasn't personal.

I think the NHS culture is so skive driven those doing the signing off look at the cop out culture rather than what is right or what individuals are capable of.

StarDrawers · 14/08/2021 20:48

but he admits its not really as bad as he's making out to the boss. that could just be bravado. You have no idea. The GP does.

He might be on some lovely painkillers.

madamim · 14/08/2021 20:49

You get different grades with sprained ankles, sometimes it can be worse than a break

FatAnkles · 14/08/2021 20:51

I'm a veteran of sprained ankles. I also broke an ankle 6 weeks ago, and was restingit up for most of that time. Orthopaedic Reg says it's healing well and I'm now off crutches, but because of the way I fell foot went all the way forwards at some funky angles down some stairs the ligaments are buggered and I've been referred to physio. Altogether the ankle will take about a year to be as near normal as it was before. I'll be put on very light duties for some weeks yet. Ankles are very complicated. And yes, crutches are a total bitch (I have the shoulder injuries to prove it)

But besides all that, it's none of your business why your DHs colleague got a sick note from his GP. I myself told everyone I had a broken ankle at work on WhatsApp but then one of my colleagues had witnessed my fall, and a couple of others needed to organise my cover. I don't expect their spouses/partners to get so het up about it, to be frank.

LobotomisedIceSkatingFan · 14/08/2021 20:52

Meh. I can understand your (husband's) frustration, OP. People can advise you to keep your Mbeak out' 🙄 all they like, but I get it. I work with someone who had keyhole, day surgery. In and out in a few hours; nothing even found (it was essentially exploratory). That she got a doctor to sign her off for a fortnight was pretty odd; when she managed to get him to do another two weeks after that, my jaw pretty much hit the floor. I'd love to ask him how he arrived at that decision, honestly. She was covered, mostly, but sometimes she wasn't and it made our lives a great deal harder. She's also managed to self-isolate about half a dozen times, so at least she's managed to binge a nice lot of 'Pretty Little Liars' or whatever bilge she favours.

Badabingbadabum · 14/08/2021 20:53

It might be something else which he doesn't want to discuss with anyone at work. The badly sprained ankle might be what he is telling colleagues.

VaccineSticker · 14/08/2021 20:54

Sprains can vary in intensity. My friend recently sprained her foot after a bad fall whilst runnin. She was advised to keep her foot raised for first ten days, then work from a seated position for the 4 weeks. She wore her boot for 6 weeks - ankle was still swollen at 11 weeks but by week 13 it started to look normal.
Sprains heal much slower than fractures.

IsItWorthTheHassle · 14/08/2021 20:56

[quote Trevorsarse]@stardrawers my husband is telling me this because it affects his work and he wanted to discuss it with someone. I'm posting on here cos I'm interested in what other people think about this situation. I was surprised at over three weeks off without any work at all. Not even from the sofa. Knowing this guy dh reckons he's probably milking it. It is a genuine sprain (pics of the bruise went on the WhatsApp when he did it) but he admits its not really as bad as he's making out to the boss.
Just seems like a hell of a lot of time to take off and the longer it goes on the more it affects the other workers. The pandemic has really hit their business and times are still tough. We have been worried that it would fold a few times. They don't really have enough staff but thats because the business can't afford them right now so everyone else there is pulling their weight to help. The boss owns the business and is putting in absolutely loads of extra hours himself to try and make it work.[/quote]
Three things that are coming to mind

  • has the boss proposed to be working from his sofa/do only the desk work. If he hasn’t, it’s hard to have a go at the coworker for not doing it.
  • there are other things going on that you don’t know about
  • he is a lazy a**e who doesn’t care either about his job or others

The problem is that you have no way to know if it’s the first, second or third….

ArseInTheCoOpWindow · 14/08/2021 20:59

I had keyhole day surgery and was in significant pain for 4 or 5 weeks. The hospital said l needed 6 weeks off work.

It’s still people rummaging around inside you and it’s still a GAConfused

Brefugee · 14/08/2021 21:01

just butt out OP. It is nothing to do with you, and nothing to do with your DH outside of how his managers are going to handle the workload.

And as pp have said - the sprained ankle could be true. Something else could also be true and the ankle a cover story. Stop digging it's intrusive.

StarDrawers · 14/08/2021 21:02

I work with someone who had keyhole, day surgery. In and out in a few hours; nothing even found (it was essentially exploratory). That she got a doctor to sign her off for a fortnight was pretty odd; just becuase it's keyhole doesn't mean recovery is easy. They might have pumped her abdomen full of gas, and then there are still incisions that have to be made. If a GP signed her off then it obviously wasn't a strange request.

She's also managed to self-isolate about half a dozen times and? Loads of people have had to do this.

CovidCorvid · 14/08/2021 21:03

If he worked from the sofa with his leg up and knackered his back the employer could be on thin ice from a health and safety point of view…..employers are still meant to do desk assessments for home workers to make sure it’s a correct set up.

ArseInTheCoOpWindow · 14/08/2021 21:03

Postmanwithacat what do you want? A medal?

Just because you’ve got a low pain threshold and seem to be dismissive of everything doesn’t mean other people are the same.

StarDrawers · 14/08/2021 21:03

@ArseInTheCoOpWindow

I had keyhole day surgery and was in significant pain for 4 or 5 weeks. The hospital said l needed 6 weeks off work.

It’s still people rummaging around inside you and it’s still a GAConfused

Exactly, even if they don't remove anything it doesn't mean it's simple to recover from otherwise everyone would be having it!
NotImpossible · 14/08/2021 21:03

I really hate this sort of thing. It is the responsibility of the business to have enough cover if someone if off sick - it is not the worker's responsibility to 'support their colleagues'.

Putting the blame for a poorly managed workload on a colleague is really, really unreasonable and is the sort of attitude that allows shit employers to get away with being shit.

If your husband and his colleagues can't handle the extra workload then pass the problem upwards, where it belongs.

DiscoDown21 · 14/08/2021 21:06

Sprains can actually feel worse than breaks. I sprained mine last year. I work on a ward on a higher floor. No way I could get up and down stairs or even walk around to patients beds etc. It was so swollen I couldn’t even get shoes on.

Not really anyone else’s business though is it? We all have reasons sometimes to be off sick.

BananaMilkshakeWithCream · 14/08/2021 21:06

How does this affect you precisely?

LobotomisedIceSkatingFan · 14/08/2021 21:07

The recovery time for diagnostic keyhole surgery is, on average, 5-7 days.

StarDrawers · 14/08/2021 21:08

@LobotomisedIceSkatingFan

The recovery time for diagnostic keyhole surgery is, on average, 5-7 days.
Average
Snoozer11 · 14/08/2021 21:09

Mind your own business, doctor.

SallyOMalley · 14/08/2021 21:10

I severely sprained my ankle in the late 90s with a third degree tear. The pain was absolutely horrendous and the only marginally comfortable position was lying on the bed with my leg elevated.

There was no way I could take the two flights down the stairs and out of my flat, walk to the station (usually 30 mins) and then sit on a train for an hour to work. It was the most painful thing I've ever experienced - and that includes childbirth x 2 and inflamed gallbladder.

I think it's hard to call - the colleague could be in severe pain..... or perhaps there is something else wrong and they don't want to say.

SallyOMalley · 14/08/2021 21:11

I meant to say ... because of my sprain, I had 3 weeks of work too.