Query on staff sickness

[Jammylou]

Recent scenario.
Thoughts please.
Staff member requested to reduce hours this was rejected on business needs. Reasons for reduction were questionable but didnt affect decision.
Then submitted a different request. Wanted me to just agree it without a formal request due to limits on numbers.
Advised to resubmit through correct process and that I wpuod consider it.
Following week she called in sick with a physical illness(I'd already thought this would happen as she has a pattern of throwing dummy out of pram when doesn't get own way). Done it before.
This illness is one that would have to have been debilitating for a while but no mention of any physical illness before. This wpuod have limited her mobility yet seen her in offices no issues.
Next day submits an electronic fit note without seeing a Dr for 2 months sick.
Does this sound suspicious ?
Would Drs just issue a fit note fir so long without seeing a patient ?
Is there anything I can do.

The doctor does not necessarily need to see the patient. The Fit note say "I have reviewed your case".
So if someone has a long term condition which can flare up, or has been treated at hospital and is likely to need recovery time the doctor can check the case notes to see what the patient has been recommended to do in certain situations and issue a note.
However issuing for 2 months without review in an acute situation wouldn't be good practice

Hmm I never use fitnotes as a genuine barometer of someone's health.

Sounds very convenient in this situation OP but there's sadly F all you can do about it.....

The fit note is either legitimate or you are saying there is fraud.

If the note is legitimate, then I think you are out of line really - a doctor has judged someone to need this time off work.

Not had a day off sick for a year.....no appointments or requests for time off before this.
Previous sickness was for something completely different.
For something so debilitating I would have expected at least some prior knowledge of this.

It's none of your business why someone is off sick.

Of course it is as a manager. Reasons have to be provided so it is a managers business.

It’s not your place to question the doctors decision.

I'm not questioning the drs decision I'm questioning the legitimacy of the electronic fit note.
Recently encountered people paying online for them that's why I'm wondering if anyone knows.

No, legally a reason doesn't have to be provided other than not being fit for work / being unwell. So it certainly isn't your business.

The fact that you don't know this is very concerning. Your HR dept will confirm that you're very wrong here.

That absolutely isn't true.
You should know this.

It sounds like you're trying to catch this employee out.

That I don’t know
but I do think there really isn’t much you can do about.
it would be very sticky grounds to start questioning the validity of it.

can you say what condition it is stating?

I have come across these online fit notes, and I'm disgusted that doctors are effectively selling them without ever seeing the patient in person, or even looking at their full medical records. I would be suspicious if it is not from their own GP...

Maybe they're burnt out and having their request to reduce hours turned down tipped them over?

Hopefully your company has a sickness absence policy procedure. Ours has something about more than one period of sickness or long term sickness triggering a procedure which can include the employee being asked to attend an occ health appt & company sick pay only being paid etc etc.

Do you have access to occupational health?
If so you could refer the employee if you have concerns the illness/fit note are not genuine

Just curious - I always thought reasons had to be provided to a certain extent so that it can be determined if an absence is part of a pre existing condition that constitutes disability, so that someone may as part of reasonable adjustments for their disability be allowed more time off than standard sickness policies allow? Or is that just guidance/practice and not actually enforceable I'm guessing?

Yes referral to oh will be made.

Follow your sickness absence policy.

Do not become an amateur sleuth.

I have ongoing really bad pain. I've had it for around 10 years. Sometimes it flares up. Other times (thankfully) it calms down. I haven't bothered my doctor about it before as I worry I won't be taken seriously. However, that's not to say the pain is not considerable. Last week I was speaking to the clinician about a repeat prescription and I happened to mention this pain. The clinician said they wanted to send me to get a blood test to check it out. If it turns about to be anything,I've had it for 10 years so I gather it will be quite advanced but I also take my job very seriously, and rarely even take time off and I hate letting people down (even when in pain)
i've never disclosed to anyone at work that I even have this pain (I literally take myself to a quiet place and wait for it to pass - even painkillers dont help. It's bloody awful)

You simply can't judge when it comes to someone's health.

So much mis-information here especially re med3’s.
You can ask for more information but I guess she’s setting up a disability claim.
You could play the waiting game and refer to OH (depending how good they are) and get them to ask for evidence of chronicity.

Have seen a few were the OH report comes back saying no evidence of chronicity and that kinda tells you all you need to know.