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

[Trevorsarse]

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?

[quote TSSDNCOP]@XenoBitch a colleague where I work "reported" a sighting of a signed off colleague in a local convenience shop.

Signed off colleague was apparently buying alcohol and did not stop and chat to reporting colleague.

The rude, alcohol buying, swinging lead bastard had just been diagnosed with cervical cancer.

[/quote]
Wow, see this makes me mad and sad. GP signed them off... job done. It is no one else's business after that.

Funnily enough I was just looking at some holiday photos on Facebook memories of DD when she was younger. She looked happy as Larry.

She had however on day one of the holiday very severely sprained her ankle. She was on round the clock painkillers that, together with the pain, completely messed her sleep patterns. She was extremely challenging to be around because she was so grumpy from the pain. She couldn't walk from one end of the caravan to the other without her crutches. Wed packed up several days early and she'd needed physio (on the nhs no less!) to recover. She was in a very bad way.

The first four days of photos there was no sign whatsoever. I even started to wonder if I had the right holiday. Then I eventually in one of the photos I spotted the crutches.

I know she had them, i know she was in horrific amounts of pain and really couldn't do much at all. But even knowing all that I had trouble spotting it, it was almost completely hidden from my social media posting.

You need to develop some empathy.

When I broke my ankle I was signed off for 8 weeks, I have dyspraxia & couldn't use crutches when none weight bearing. It took me all my time to get down the stairs on my bum & manage with a zimmer frame, everything took twice as long as normal, even getting washed & dressed.

@Trevorsarse

Gosh sorry yes. I’m sure whenever he’s not out having a great night with his mates, he’s in absolutely excruciating pain. Poor lamb. I’m actually going to start a fundraiser for the inevitable intensive physio and probably alterations to his home to make it accessible for him. I’ll get right onto it now.

This comment reminded me of the time an ex colleague of mine talked SHIT about an other coworker, constantly, every single f day and f second for 1 month because the coworker had 4 weeks off for "intestinal issue" (which was actually an ectopic pregnancy gone really really bad and multiple surgeries) and then needed 6 months off because she contracted Zika in South America and got constant fatigue.

The same rules that are protecting this guy are the same rules that protects you and your DH, be happy they are there and mind your own Business.

I sprained my ankle 15 years ago on my way to work. Went to work because I 'had to'. Could barely walk. Took my boot off and propped my foot on an upturned bin, couldn't get it back on at the end of the day. I had 3 surgeries over the course of 8 years, endless physio and intra-articular injections but am permanently disabled as a result. I'd love to turn the clock back and take 3 weeks off to rest... it might have made a difference. Knowing what I know now I'd have erred on the side of caution. I hope this guy isn't regretting his night out in 15 years' time.

I badly sprained my ankle and if took two years to fully heal.

I would follow doctor's advice to RICE (rest, ice, compress and elevate) it would start to look and feel better so I'd carry on as normal and it would blow up again.

I remember one night after dashing around all day, taking off my socks and boots and it was black and blue and swollen up like a football and that was months after I'd originally injured it.

The doctor had no sympathy and said what did I expect. He said a bad sprain is a complex injury involving ligaments, tendons etc and it needs to be nursed back to health.

8 weeks ago I fell and injured my ankle, from the loud crack we all thought it was broken. X-rays showed it wasn’t but I had ruptured a ligament/ badly sprained it. They no longer advise bandages or dressings but to use and physio exercises.
It was very painful, and difficult to walk, but after a few days rest could drive and get in to work even if I was a bit hobbly. The swelling has only just gone, 8 WEEKS later.
No idea why he’d need 3 weeks, he should be using it to keep working and not stiffening up.

OP, you should get a job for the DWP as a PIP assessor, you'd be great at it.

because the bottom line is that hes asked the doctor for the note and doctors tend not to want to upset their patients by refusing it .
at my doctors surgery you dont even have to see a gp for a repeat note , you just phone up , signs up on the wall by reception and they will sign you off
i also work in a store with a high level of sickness and i know because thats what the people getting signed off sick have told me , they make an appointment , walk in , lay it on thick , ask for a note and then they are good to go for however long they feel like milking it for

My husband sprained his ankle severely - A&E thought he’d broken it when we arrived there as it was hugely swollen and he couldn’t weight bear at all. He was on crutches for six weeks, and signed off work for the first few because he was in a lot of pain and had to keep it elevated or it balloooned to elephant proportions. He worked from home - luckily he had a job that could be done from home. A sprain can be anything from mild to requires surgery.

When I broke my arm my workplace wouldn’t let me go back for 5 weeks. I could travel etc but they weren’t insured if for example I fell downstairs during be a fire drill as I couldn’t hold the bannister.

The manager should not be discussing what duties he thinks this employee can do.

Apart from what everyone else has said, you have no idea if what he's said is why he's off is actually why he's off. When I was younger I had some sick leave that I told nosey colleagues was for a physical issue, it wasn't a lie that I had the physical issue but it wasn't why I was off - I was off for MH reasons. Maybe he is off for reasons he doesn't want to share with you and your gossipy husband.

Sometimes a sick note only has a small amount of detail. There could be other issues you are not aware of such as complications or underlying reasons why it might be slow to heal such as vitamin deficiencies.
Or even severe pain that prevents concentration at work

Either way the medic has assessed and certified and really it isn’t the business of his colleagues

@Trevorsarse

Update The guy has posted pics of himself on his Facebook. He was out Saturday night with a group of friends. Looks like they had a really great time, pints and a curry. Even got a full length pic of him, no sign of any bandage or strapping (wearing shorts so would be very obvious) and did not appear to be even in the slightest pain, laughing and raising his pint (definitely not his leg). Maybe of course, he was using crutches kept out of pics, but it doesn’t seem like he is in a particularly serious condition. Still, he’s signed off unable to do any work even from home for at least several more days.

thats because hes milking it for all its worth , iv worked with more than one mickey taker like this

Jesus OP, you're a right stalker! How about focusing on your own life? Your obsession with this man is plain weird!

I had a very serious ankle injury a few months ago that needed emergency surgery. The day I was released from hospital I was back at it (self employed, had no choice had a deadline to make).

Was able to use wheelchair & crutches (50:50 moving & computer work) to make it work. Was actually very glad I still had my work to occupy my mind during that time or I think I would have went crazy doing nothing. My friend had the same injury a few years ago, her work wouldn’t let her back for 8 weeks. She was ringing begging to go back as she was so bored. Nothing she could do from home.

A sprained ankle is actually torn ligaments.

"A sprained ankle is the stretching or tearing of ankle ligaments, which support the joint by connecting bones to each other. A sprain occurs when your ankle is forced to move out of its normal position, which can cause one or more of the ankle's ligaments to stretch, partially tear or tear completely"

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

🥇

A doctor has said they’re unfit for work...who the fuck do you think you are questioning it?

Because they’re bloody agony and walking about is hard going 9n the first week, if I sprain mine and badly as well I’m off feet for a week.

I remember a colleague breaking her leg in several places, she had to be airlifted to hospital because she was in such a mess. She was off work for months, understandably. She managed to go to the pub a few times though with help from friends and why the heck not? Having a broken leg doesn't mean you can't enjoy a pint.

MYOB.

I’d imagine the doctor used his or her medical knowledge and an assessment of the patient that was in front of them to make a clinical judgement. Likely to be a far more accurate assessment of the situation than speculation by colleagues and their spouses.

I broke my ankle a couple of years ago, I was supposed to be non-weight bearing for 6weeks, in a boot, with crutches. I was lucky in that after 6weeks, I was able to start walking without crutches or boot. I took the time off I needed to heal, and had private physio. I was unable to get to work as I walk to cycle there. My office is on the top floor, which means 5flights of stairs. In an emergency like a fire, I would be a liability. My boss was very keen for me to go back to work at 2weeks. I stuck to what the orthopaedic consultant had advised, and signed me off for. Our service (NHS) was under extreme pressure, and my absence obviously impacted colleagues. Much as I love my job and care about my colleagues, my health comes first. I was back when I was fit, and the doctors happy. My boss picked me up from home a couple of times so that I could have lunch with my team, and went out a couple of evenings, with someone doing the driving. Should I have stayed in and had no contact for weeks?

Another colleague sprained her ankle and was off for 3 months. Her sprain had more impact on her life than my fracture. There is no comparison between individual cases like this, and should be no judgment. A doctor has assessed a patient , and it is up to them, occupational health, and the bosses to manage sickness absence.

I can't believe the grief OP is getting. It's normal for a Dh to share news of his day, what happened, big project, someone new joining, someone leaving.

I see loads of sick notes in my job. Whilst being caring and having empathy, from a business POV having someone off sick is a real pain for their manager.

OP your DH must be called Trevor right ?

@Saoirse82

Jesus OP, you're a right stalker! How about focusing on your own life? Your obsession with this man is plain weird!

Couldn't agree more...!!