Fit Note Amended Duties

[Anxious2018]

Morning all

Just after some advice. My sickness record at work is not great as I've had some issues with depression and anxiety for various reasons. I'm not any official warnings but I worry that it doesn't reflect well at work.

So due to having a miscarriage I have been trying my best to keep working and my manager has been supportive and allowed me to work from home. I've been feeling very down and depressed because of what's happened as well as some other personal reasons.

So I have had my medication increased (citolopram) and I compromised with my doctor to have a fit not to say I can work from home for the next 2 weeks instead of full time off.

I know my employer doesn't have to accept this. I spoke to my manager this morning and he has said just get rest and put your out of office on and do some work in the background when I can. And he will let senior management know that I'm signed off for 2 weeks.

So what does this mean? Does this mean I will have this down as sickness absence for 2 weeks? Surely I can't do that and work from home at the same time? The whole point was that I could do work at home and not have to worry about more sickness on my record.

Confused!!!

If your employer doesn't want to accept or accommodate the amended duties, they have to take the fit note to mean you aren't fit for work for that period.

Either they let you work from home or they say you're off sick. They can't have it both ways. You need to clarify with them how they're treating it, and don't work if they're treating it as sick.

See if you can get the Dr to give you a more specific drs note that says working from home as opposed to just "amended duties"

I had trouble with this at my work place with very severe morning sickness... When I got out of hospital work were being very funny about "amended duties" but Dr can give a specific note that says what you actually need... I needed to change my day off to the middle of the week (so I could sleep midweek as vomiting all night), then workplace HAD to follow it.

Hope that helps, you poor thing having a miscarriage, hope you're ok

I needed to change my day off to the middle of the week (so I could sleep midweek as vomiting all night), then workplace HAD to follow it.

They don’t have to follow it. It’s guidance only. Your doctor doesn’t run your employers business so while they can make suggestions they can’t tell them what to do.