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Original poster

How long off work with broken toe?

243 replies

turkishly · 21/09/2015 14:37

Hi there.
I broke my toe just over four weeks ago. Hospital signed me off sick for a month. It is still hurting quite a bit and swollen (though healing normally). I can only weqr ine specific pair of shoes for ut to feel ok.
I work in a busy a and e dept and I dont think im fit to go back and walk on it for hours.
Any thoughts? Or am I being a wimp. Im thinking should be a least 6weeks before feels ok. Though hospital said may take few months to feel normal.

OP posts:

HedgieRobin · 21/09/2015 14:43

It depends what your job is. If you're a receptionist behind a desk then I think you should go back, if you're on your feet all day and it's still painful you simply can't. Unless they want to offer you light duties? Is there something else useful you can do? Some filing or something?

MajesticWhine · 21/09/2015 14:44

Blimey, that must be a badly broken toe. DD broke hers and I sent her into school the next day. She was off games for a few days. My guess is you are being a wimp, but only you know how you feel.

Original poster

turkishly · 21/09/2015 14:47

Im a nurse. Will be run ragged at work.
Dr signed me off without me asking, said not to go to work!

OP posts:

Original poster

turkishly · 21/09/2015 15:03

I thought a month was a lot too but in all fairness I think ive needed it. No way could I have risked. Someone. At work trampling on my toe. Just dont know wjether to risk it now or not.

OP posts:

BestIsWestOfGallifrey · 22/09/2015 20:59

I think it's hard to tell. I've broken a few toes in my time and some have been more painful than others. The last one was bloody painful for about 6 weeks. I'm desk based so I had a week working from home. No way could I have done a job where I was continually on my feet.

However I also broke a toe two days before going on holiday, wore flip flops for a fortnight and walked everywhere on it. Only you wil know how painful it is.

Is there pressure on you to go back?

MatildaTheCat · 22/09/2015 21:26

As a midwife I went back on half shifts after a couple of weeks or so. Tbh it hurt for ages. It hurt less when strapped up and if I took meds. Mine happened at work when a piece of broken equipment fell onto my toe so they were quite accommodating.

If it's still really sore you aren't fit for long shifts in A&E. Any desk jobs you could do? If not then stay home.

Orangeanddemons · 22/09/2015 21:31

I think it depends on which toe. I dropped my laptop on mine and broke the 3rd. It was strapped up, and i had 2 days off work.

It bloody hurt when I went back, but hobbled round on it.

BumWad · 22/09/2015 21:45

Which toe and where? Great toe is different to little toe. What type of fracture? To be honest with you I think 4 weeks is plenty of time off if not your big toe. You just need a neighbour strap on it.

hiccupgirl · 22/09/2015 21:58

I think only you know how much pain you are still in with the toe. It sounds like a long time but as a nurse I'm sure you can judge how capable you are with coping on your feet at the moment. If there isn't a desk option and you're in a lot of pain then I'd ask for longer off. You want it to heal up properly so there aren't long term problems in the future.

Original poster

turkishly · 22/09/2015 23:01

Its the middle toe.

To be honest Im reluctant to return to work due to the sheer busyness of the place. Once im back they will expect full duties. If someone treads on my toe I will scream.
Im under no pressure to return.
Maybe its just me but im a bit baffled why someone woukd return to work after a couple of days
If you have full.sick.pay, are not self . employed, why? No one thinks any better of you.

OP posts:

nipersvest · 22/09/2015 23:05

have broken a toe twice and have to admit, i didn't have any time off work with either. but my job at the time was very different to being a nurse, i worked in a design studio so just took slippers in to wear during the day and kept walking to a minimum.

Truckingalong · 22/09/2015 23:13

Perhaps people return to work because they get paid to be present and have their own internal work ethic.

pieceofpurplesky · 22/09/2015 23:19

I had a day off and when I returned got told off for wearing fit flops (which were the only shoes I could get on)

Redlocks28 · 22/09/2015 23:21

Perhaps people return to work because they get paid to be present and have their own internal work ethic.

I agree with this actually.

I'm a teacher and apart from not having had a day off in 5 years (I am only part time so not a total martyr) I can picture the reaction I'd get from the parents of the children in my class if I were off for more than a month for a broken toe. They'd probably all be on AIBU moaning about me ;)

reallybadidea · 22/09/2015 23:27

I'm an ODP. I had a compound fracture of my big toe last year. I was back on 13 hour nights after 2 weeks.

Hissy · 22/09/2015 23:43

Toes take AGES to heal! Even at the best of times!

I've broken my little toe twice (different joints) 1st time it hurt like hell, no shoes possible at all, only flip flops or bare feet, even then I limped like hell and had to ask others to walk ds the rest of the way at school, and I have a desk job!

This time it's same toe, different joint, been about a month now, doesn't hurt like the last time, but am still very limited on shoes. And going up hill...

Op, it will be a good 6 weeks before you're back up to speed, and that is with proper rest.

All the best!

Butterflywings1682 · 22/09/2015 23:47

Yeah it's strange - my broken foot wasn't that bad after a few days, but my non-broken 'just badly bruised' foot was agony and I screamed when I stepped on something left lying on the floor after several weeks.
As a pp said only you know how bad it is. YANBU as you're a nurse so on your feet, as you say risk further injury if it got stood on/ something dropped on it etc...there's no pressure on you to return... In your shoes I'd take more time.

nancy75 · 22/09/2015 23:51

I fell down the stairs and broke all toes apart from big toe on one foot, I went back to work the next day, it was Christmas and I worked in a shop, if I'd had a month off I probably wouldn't have had a job

Original poster

turkishly · 22/09/2015 23:53

Thanks so much for those offering support (and sympathy). Those who return to work (ie odp) so soon I'm baffled. Desk jobs yes. Busy front line jobs in yhe NHs where no one really cares(dont kid yourself they do), no!
I have a great 'work ethic'when im fit and at work. However I have no loyalty when I've got a problem and need to put myself first.

OP posts:

kickassangel · 22/09/2015 23:56

0 days, and I'm a teacher, so on my feet all day and high risk of someone standing on it. It was about 2 or 3 months before I could walk on it properly.

m0therofdragons · 23/09/2015 00:07

I returned to work after a day as I've been through 3 redundancy reviews in 6 years and each time you get scored on numerous things including days sick taken. Plus you had to have cancer to have more than 3 days a year - seriously, I had a massive bleed and tightening at 32weeks pg and was in hospital for a week (luckily baby stayed put due to meds). After 1 day the md was demanding dh move my car from the car park as I want in work so wasn't entitled to it - dh was with me in hospital an hour away at the time. Md also demanded to know when I would be back and when I did return I had to justify why I wasnt in work! Some employers are crap. I was part of the management team.

Clobbered · 23/09/2015 00:48

Six weeks off for a broken toe? You jest, surely. I broke several toes and some ribs while working in a busy frontline NHS job and never took a single day off (SHO), so yep, you are being a wimp, sorry.

turdfairynomore · 23/09/2015 01:07

P1 teacher. HUGE risk of having my three broken toes stood on by my little darlings! I had the day off that I broke them....slid down stairs at home and into stairgate....but was back the next day. I couldn't drive or wear shoes so I got a lift, wore slipper socks and sat in a big chair in the middle of my story carpet with my foot under a large desk! The children learned very quickly that if I was on my chair, they should move around the room but if I was out of my chair.....they didn't move!!!!

reallybadidea · 23/09/2015 01:35

My manager might not care that I came back the second I could (I would have gone back sooner but I actually broke it at the beginning of my annual leave) but I care that my colleagues would have been even more short staffed. I also care that if I don't come to work people might not be able to have their operations, because our staffing levels really are that tight. And I also care that my career will not progress if I'm considered a piss-taker if I take too much sick leave.

I hope your toe feels better soon.

Orangeanddemons · 23/09/2015 07:37

I'm a teacher too. I sat on my wheelie chair and wheeled myself round the classroom to avoid walking on it. It was quite fun!

The kids said I was like Grandma from Benidorm

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