How long off work with broken toe?

[turkishly]

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.

Crikey, are you still going on?

reallybadidea, report where you think I've broken the guidelines and I will apologise.

What I said was true, though.

what a monumental lack of class

Says the person who is telling people to fuck off

OP, if the doctor wrote you a sick note for four weeks, without you trying to influence him, that should be the end of it. No one has the right to evaluate your medical circumstances or how fit you are to do a specific job.

Perhaps the doctor in question is fed up of dealing with long-term problems from people going back to work too soon. Perhaps you have a difficult break. Perhaps he is aware of how difficult it is to have a weak link on a very busy ward, especially one where emergencies abound. It's questionable whether you are helping a situation to return to it when you're unable to fulfil all the requirements of the job description, any more than a stressed-out trauma doctor with shaky hands and poor decision-making capacity would be helping the team by showing up. I agree with you that there's no point struggling on if you will end up below-par for longer - it's a false economy for the workforce. And you clearly do work very, very hard when you're present. But this is mumsnet where everyone is bolshy and has an opinion and that's what you sign up for when you post. So hide the thread and forget it.

feather andblack thanks
I absolutely did not influence doctor. He just said I give you a note for work. And just wrote it out.

I still cant get work shoes on comfortably.
Just flipflops.
I lovr mumsnet and habe been on here many years but I still cant fathom how posters get sooo irate about other peoples busineds. Strangers that they dont know!
Even im a bit shocked that im now been compared.to an amputee survivor. Wtf

I apologise for bad typing, before another poster with nowt better to do, tells me I can't spell.

And yes, featherandblack, I do work extremely hard. In fact, ive had several jobs over the years, but this is the hardest job ive ever had physically. Its a killer.thats why I think its difficult to do it if not 100% fit.

shouldnthavesaid
What do you mean surprised my manager allowing me this much time off. Allowing? Im an adult at work not a schoolchild.

6 weeks is a long time off for any reason, 6 weeks for a toe is laughable!

If I took 6 weeks off a few years ago when self employed as sole employee, I wouldn't have had a decent job to go back to as would have lost lots of clients having 6 weeks no contact at short notice. I could now as have several employees but it would still be tough as I do the majority of travelling and major contracts.

12 hr days aren't that rare either, I would say at least 50% of people I know do 12+ hr days. On a typical day very few sit down at all.

Yawn at yet another martyr.
12 hr days arent rare, I agree. Maybe most are not 12 hrs in a hospital
Physical work. Emergency situations. Or 12 hrs staying up all night. Without a rest break.
Amd with my travelling mine is a 14 to15 shift.
Not that I need to justify myself. As I know what my job involves. You DON'T.

Not a martyr, you just sound a bit of a numpty if you think your job is the hardest/ worst/ most hard working compared to everyone else.

Numpty? My job is hard. Didnt say harder than any anyone else but hard compared to some of the posters on here it would seem.
What do you do? If you're talking clients and contracts im guessing nothing physical. Some kind of managerial role maybe. Driving around and doing contacts by phone and meetings sure as hell aint the same as grafting all night in a hospital. Fact.

You have to be a troll no one can be this selfish, thick skinned and lazy and have a job.

Why the fuck am i lazy. Please tell me? You do not know me or anything about me. Even someone who.knew me personally. Wouldn't have a right to say that.
I.work full time have a very busy life. Ive worked for nearly 30years.
I am having a one off long term of sick. The only one ive ever had. How the hell does that make me LAZY? Just because you think its too long for the injury. How do you know. Have you looked at my xray? Or seen my toe? Or the area where I work?
I value opinions but saying im lazy is crap.
Lazy is sitting on your arse not working at all.
I really would love to hear what some of you posters do for a living! Probably the ones who pay for cleaners (lazy) while driving round in company cars.

Its funny how being behind a keyboard gives people the guts to talk shit they know nothing about or wouldn't dare say in real life!

Since you ask, I think 1 week for a toe would be about right. Maybe 2 for a big toe if you are on your feet a lot.

Am currently at work with a broken toe (broke last Sunday). Am a woodland manager, so plenty of walking around and not on nice smooth floors either. Currently have dh's boot on foot as can't get mine on. It's not nice but it's a busy period for us right now. 4 weeks off seems ludicrous.

You may find that you feel a lot safer with your foot inside a sturdy shoe, rather than flip flops. You could buy a pair in a bigger size, if you did decide to go back.

In real life I would definitely be at taking 6 weeks off work for a sore toe.

The only shoes I can wear are trainers or flip flops. None suitable for work. Work shoes are sturdy (closed in) but they too uncomfortable.
I think asking someone how long someone should take off work is a bit silly really. Everyones Different.

Im.sure many posters on here have had various episodes of sick for reasons other than broken bones. I might think that there illnesses or injuries didnt need so.long off.
A colleague if mine sprained her wrist a while ago. Had 7-8 wks off.
It was a stupid thread for me to start.
If I had posted saying id gone straight back to work then no doubt some contrary poster would have said that was too soon and my colleagues would have to carry me, or I would compromising care.

Yes but you wouldn't say it to my face would you chickens?
I can guarantee that.

And you forget barbarian, that doctor gave me the note for a month. I didn't ask. He just said keep off foot, analgesia etc and stay off work. I didn't plead for the bloody note!

And its broken, not Sore chickens! Hilarious.

You could go back to the doctor and ask to be certified fit for work - if you feel fit for work, that is. His certificate was a guess, after all, that's why they are sometimes extended.

In your position I would try strapping up my toe and sourcing a suitable shoe in a bigger size. If I could walk with a reasonable degree of comfort in it, I would try and be reassessed as fit to work.

But that would be my choice. You may not be able to walk, you may not wish to do so, and you are paid in any case. Morally though, I think it would behove you texplore the possibility of returning early.

I'm sure trainers would be accepted at work even if it's not your usual shoe. I guess that most workplaces would rather have someone come in the wrong shoes than lose a person to several more days of sick leave.

My toe is strapped up. I guess trainers would be accepted if I chose to return early.

Hi Turkishly I'm a podiatrist who sees a lot of toe fractures.

Here's how to walk comfortably with a toe fracture:

Buy rigid soled shoes, with a wide and deep toe box, even better if you can get toe protector built in, that way no pain if someone stands on your foot.
Stick 5mm semi compressed felt across the plantar of the metatarsals. That will stop your toe flexing when you toe off.

With that you could easily do a phased return. I have certainly heard of NHS staff taking a month off for toe fractures. Any more than that and I expect occy health will think you are taking the piss.

Feel free to disregard if you don't want to go back to work.
You sound totally disillusioned by your job though- can you make a job change?

Lazy is sitting on your arse not working at all.

That's me, but in the real world I'm too sick to work. However, I did struggle in everyday, on crutches, in agony until I couldn't any longer. I was, even, thanked by my manager for coming into work and not leaving them in the lurch!

I've seen loads of nurses and doctors in hospital settings wearing trainers. I bet they'd rather you had them on than were sat at home tbh.