To think this doctors note is ridiculous

[Bluesjies]

Okay this employer has always been a bit lazy but we’ve just had to put up with it.
She does around half the work of other colleagues but we’ve never been able to do anything about it as she does just enough to avoid her being sacked.

Anyway we allocated her a few tasks to do which include several in person meetings (can’t be virtual on this occasion for various reasons).
We knew she didn’t like attending meetings as she prefers just working from home so wondered if she’d say she was sick on the day or say she was not well enough to not work from home.
We can’t avoid attending meetings forever. She’s more than competent when she is in them. I think it’s just she lives an hour from the meeting place and she doesn’t like the commute, getting up early etc.
We do try to have teams meetings where we can but it’s not always possible.

Anyway the meeting on Monday has been arranged and she informed me she could not attend as she was having pain and struggling to walk 🙄”. I replied the meeting isn’t for four days. Will the pain be better then? She didn’t reply but then a couple days later submitted a doctors note saying she needs to work from home until her maternity leave (in 4 months) due to pelvic pain.
There’s not much we can do here really if there’s a doctors note. Or so I thought.

I happened to see her walking perfectly well down a road near her home today so I do have evidence she’s more than able to mobilise.

AIBU to think her note is just nonesense and challenge her on her perfect walking ability? I don’t know why these GP’s write these notes out when it’s not the truth.

Or am I best to silently seeth and get on with it.

One can dream! 😂

Protected characteristic, for a start. And pelvic pain in pregnancy can be absolutely brutal.

Don't be so awful.

Then I suggest you ask for immediate training on how to use Google.

When you're completed the training you'll be able to see that walking can be good for PGP.

I don’t know why these GP’s write these notes out when it’s not the truth.

Because they don't know they've been lied to by the patient? Your colleague clearly did not stride comfortably into the surgery before telling GP she has such crippling pubic pain she can't travel to work.

It's not difficult to end employment in the public sector if you're doing it for valid reasons related to performance.

If it's just a witch-hunt because you've decided you don't like a particular individual due to their pregnancy and preference to WFH then yes, that is (thankfully) harder to end their employment over.

Are you her actual line manager?

I had horrendous PGP during pregnancy - could take a short walk every day to stop my lower back seizing up but couldn’t sit on a chair or stand the rest of the time, I basically spent 4 months lying down with ice packs on my pelvis. Was brutal.

I'm disabled and I live with chronic pain that sometimes affects my mobility and sometimes doesn't affect it so much - it upsets me that I might choose to walk a small distance without my stick, be seen and assumed to be faking my medical condition.

People really don't understand fluctuating disabilities and conditions and have no clue about the knock on effects of some things. I might be able to walk around for a day on a good one without mobility aids - what you won't be aware of is that if I do I'm probably going to be in more pain than usual and bedridden with fatigue for several days afterwards on strong painkillers, tens machine and heated blankets etc

Seeing me doing one task seemingly fine gives you no insight into the consequences of me doing that one task.

I'd recommend getting some education as an employer about the law and management of staff sickness, disability and maternity leave

It’s an issue though as employees shouldn’t be able to get sick notes if they’re not true. Some proper assessment should be needed.

Presumably the doctor did a "proper assessment" and has access to her medical notes and all the information needed to do so?

You're assuming she's lying. Maybe she isn't?

I had pelvic pain in pregnancy and WFH by 17 weeks. I’d go in every few weeks but the 20 minute drive to work was agony due to the positioning- I can’t imagine doing an hours commute, I’d be crying. Sitting in an office chair was really difficult too. I was signed off eventually. YABU and I’d treat her lightly considering her pregnancy

How on earth do you know that a “proper assessment” wasn’t made?

You sound ghastly. Poor woman

It’s virtually impossible even with really good evidence unless it’s gross misconduct or a job with very specific expectations.

You've posted on the wrong forum here. First advice on any thread about work issues is "get yourself signed off sick". Never mind the employer who is then screwed paying your SSP, NI and Pension contributions, and leave they're accruing. How very dare you expect some to do what they're paid to do.....

If you don't have really good evidence, maybe that's because there isn't enough grounds to terminate employment.

Or you need to do a "proper assessment".

A proper assessment has been done. You may not agree with or understand it, but you aren't a medical professional and her GP is. Therefore she has a sick note

To be fair, OP has said this woman’s never been off sick or needed a sick note before. Doesn’t seem like a pattern of behaviour!

I’m currently under physio care due to a leg injury. I have to go for walks to keep active but I wouldn’t be able to do an hour commute just because my employer wants me to do a f2f meeting.

Your employee sounds like she’s a chancer but just because you saw her walking near her home doesn’t mean anything.

I know you’re probably well meaning but this kind of thinking is very damaging and puts unnecessary pressure on people with genuine conditions.

Oh come on people, the fact OP knows when she was going to play the sick card says it all. I hate working with lazy gits like her, do the bare minimum and always have something wrong when they have to do something extra at work.
I feel for you OP because you can't touch her. You know she's going to finish maternity leave then get pregnant again don't you?🤣😂🤣😆

It’s an issue though as employees shouldn’t be able to get sick notes if they’re not true. Some proper assessment should be needed.

Bit it might be true. Pain can come and go and be comparatively mild during one part of the day and more severe. And exercise can help so many conditions that gentle exercise is generally recommended as part of treatment.

OP, you don't know how to manage.

If you suspect something awry you should be holding an investigation meeting and offering an occupational health referral paid for by you the employer. Then should she choose to share their feedback, you can make reasonable adjustments.

It sounds to me though that you've managed this so poorly historically that it's created a precedent that now makes it the norm and as you say impossible to get rid. Even more so now she's pregnant, good luck getting that past a tribunal.

You’ve posted enough info on here that she and colleagues /other people who know her would be likely to realise you’re referring to her. This is highly unprofessional - her sickness and performance record should be confidential.

I think the bigger problem is that your workplace is apparently full of incompetent and unprofessional managers who think it appropriate to post snide remarks and judgements about their employee based on very little evidence.

She's never been off sick, her doctor thinks she needs to be in a position where she can rest if need be and she's pregnant.

Yet you think because she walked down a street near her home you are justified in making her do a 2 hour round trip to sit in a meeting?

You're a shit manager mate and you just dont fucking like the woman. Over promotion is rife in the public sector

You maybe need to be more supportive and as others have indicated pgp in pregnancy is really painful, you should be looking at an occ health referral to ensure her set up at home for working is suitable and not making it worse, although sounds like it is just travel at the moment, but may need other adjustments.