Sick note confusion

[Leanne17]

My doctors are so confusing!!

Basically I've got a sick note until my maternity starts now in 3 weeks (due to a bad back and leg pain) he said I've got to take my sick note in and discuss it with my line manager and see if they can make any changes if they can and it's acceptable to me that's fine. If not I'm automatically on sick?

I've already had this discussion and they've tried given me support i.e a chair but it's not done anything really to help as I'm still up and down serving etc. Not to mention the fact I feel uncomfortable sitting down even for five minutes! So I would assume I'm
Automatically on sick as work have 'tried' helping.

I was going to get my partner to take it into tomorrow but now I feel like I need to go in even tho my backs playing up! As I have a feeling the doctor will have put may be fit for work?! (Phone consultation because of my back so have to go in and pick it up)

Help?!

Well it sounds like he's saying you're fit to work only if they can make suitable adjustments to make you comfortable. Which they can't by the sounds of it. You might have to go along with the meeting but ultimately it sounds as if the ball is in your court.

Disclaimer - I know nothing of these matters.

You'll have to wait and see what the note says, but they normally have check boxes, either 'is not fit for work' or 'may be fit for work with amended duties' or 'may be fit for work with reduced hours' then a space for the doctor to write any requirements (e.g. must not stand for more than 15 minutes per hour).

There is probably a bit of a difference between an employee saying 'my back and let hurts, is there anything you can do?' and an employee presenting a fit note that states that unless duties are amended they will need to take sick leave.

There may well be things they can do such as change of duties, change of hours, reduction of hours with partial sick leave, etc., if you want to keep going.

Bear in mind, though, that any pregnancy related absence in the 4 weeks before the week (Sunday to Saturday) that your baby is due, automatically triggers maternity leave, even if you have a fit (sick) note.