Going in on light duties. Yes or No ?????

[Johnny_Rad]

Hi
I was recently in a car accident (Not my fault). It was quite a bad accident, the car is a total write off, but I managed to escape with no broken bones, although I am very battered and brused.
I have been off work for 2 weeks now and am still in quite a bit of pain with back, neck, chest, and shoulder strains. I know they are going to ask me soon about going in to do light duties in the delivery office. I know once I am there they are going to be putting the pressure on for me to to get out on a walk before I feel I am ready. I have seen this happen many times and have seen people struggling around the office that look like they really shouldn't be there.

I was just wondering if anyone could advise on wether I should wait untill I am fully recovered. The doctor has advised that I should do light exercise and stretching but anything too heavy could make me a lot worse.

Would be gratefull of any advice..
Thanks

[dogfood]

Fcuk em get signed off until you are ready to return.

[madelin4]

HI, stay off till you are better. Go to your doctor and get a line. By the sounds of it that should not be 2 hard. They cannot force you back to work, tho they will try! Just tell them you want to get back but you are in pain and would they be liable if something was to happen you! Good luck.

[dinho1]

DONT RETURN TILL 100% FIT chance are you will return too early , have a relapse etc and be off longer giving them an excuse to give you a stage .
like everyone else has said , go to docs. and if you have an atos appt dont let them fob you off, make sure you tell them what your capable off and not them telling you.
good luck and i hope you make a full recovery. only downside is , how much jeremy kyle can you watch without going insane and returning to work early!!!

[Johnny_Rad]

Hi
Thanks for the replys! The doctor has given me 2 weeks sick paper but said if I was not feeling up to work he would extend it.
Royal mail will not lose out as I was told they will claim their losses from the third party insurers as the accident was not my fault.
I shouldnt feel guilty about not going back untill im 100% because at the end of the day my health is worth far more than any job.

[madelin4]

Hi
Thanks for the replys! The doctor has given me 2 weeks sick paper but said if I was not feeling up to work he would extend it.
Royal mail will not lose out as I was told they will claim their losses from the third party insurers as the accident was not my fault.
I shouldnt feel guilty about not going back untill im 100% because at the end of the day my health is worth far more than any job.

Any other problems just post us on here.

[DirtyHarry]

Hi
I was recently in a car accident (Not my fault). It was quite a bad accident, the car is a total write off, but I managed to escape with no broken bones, although I am very battered and brused.
I have been off work for 2 weeks now and am still in quite a bit of pain with back, neck, chest, and shoulder strains. I know they are going to ask me soon about going in to do light duties in the delivery office. I know once I am there they are going to be putting the pressure on for me to to get out on a walk before I feel I am ready. I have seen this happen many times and have seen people struggling around the office that look like they really shouldn't be there.

I was just wondering if anyone could advise on wether I should wait untill I am fully recovered. The doctor has advised that I should do light exercise and stretching but anything too heavy could make me a lot worse.

Would be gratefull of any advice..
Thanks

Your health has to be No.1 priority. Get your doctor to write out a certificate and only go back to work when you're good and ready, ie: 100% fit.

[pinstripe]

Don't go back until your doctor forces you to. Going back early onto light duties won't do your health any favours, it won't make management think you're a hard worker with the interests of RM and the public at your heart. You'll only be another target for their bullying approach and intimidation, a soft touch to be used and abused and paraded before their bosses as a symbol of how well they are curtailing sick absence in their office. Take my advice and suffer daytime telly. Going back early won't keep you from the stage warning system, and you might as well be hung for a sheep as a lamb.

[Throgg]

Hi
Thanks for the replys! The doctor has given me 2 weeks sick paper but said if I was not feeling up to work he would extend it.
Royal mail will not lose out as I was told they will claim their losses from the third party insurers as the accident was not my fault.
I shouldnt feel guilty about not going back untill im 100% because at the end of the day my health is worth far more than any job.

If they claim your wages back from the third party insurers, then none of the time you're off will go against your sick record.

The other thing to remember is, when you are off you receive basic pay from RM, but RM are entitled to, and will claim from the 3rd party insurers your average wages per week for the last 4 years. That means if you usually do overtime RM will claw back more than they actually pay you while you're off sick. Wonder where that extra money goes

[TrueBlueTerrier]

Hi
Thanks for the replys! The doctor has given me 2 weeks sick paper but said if I was not feeling up to work he would extend it.
Royal mail will not lose out as I was told they will claim their losses from the third party insurers as the accident was not my fault.
I shouldnt feel guilty about not going back untill im 100% because at the end of the day my health is worth far more than any job.

If they claim your wages back from the third party insurers, then none of the time you're off will go against your sick record.

The other thing to remember is, when you are off you receive basic pay from RM, but RM are entitled to, and will claim from the 3rd party insurers your average wages per week for the last 4 years. That means if you usually do overtime RM will claw back more than they actually pay you while you're off sick. Wonder where that extra money goes

Conversely he can also claim for lost wages under the same rules. My advice is to go a see a snake charmer, sorry No Win No Fee Solicitor.

[Johnny_Rad]

Hi
You mention that if they claim from my third party insurers then it does not go against my sick record. Does that mean they can't put me on a stage??

Cheers Johnny

[Sparrowhawk]

Hi Johnny. If you are still in a lot of pain , get your doctor to sign you off and stay off until the pain either eases off or is under control. Ask your manager to refer you to OHS. Also ask your doctor to refer you for physio or better still , if you can, get yourself seen by a chiropracter. Chiropracters / osteopaths / physiotherapists are the best people to see regarding pain of this kind. They will give you the best treatment and exercises you need. NHS doctors will just fob you off with hundreds of tablets and not much else. I'm off with back pain at the moment. I went privately to a chiropracter and trust me , it may be expensive but it works. I have to take 28 painkillers a day , but that just masks the problem instead of treating the cause of the pain. Only the correct exercise advised by someone qualified will help long term. As for light duties , I believe this is harder to get in a D.O. For that reason , it is better that you take as much time as you need to recover , and make sure you do get physio at least , to strengthen the muscles and ligaments around your injuries. All that will happen if you go back too soon , is you may be able to manage for a short while BUT the pain will get worse and you will need to go sick again. You need to get the cause of the pain treated , not just cover it up with painkillers. I'm in a Mail Centre so light duties are easy to get. I've been off for 3 months , and OHS have recommended I go back on light duties. No longer than 4 hours , no lifting , bending , pushing yorks or anything physical at all . I have to sort letters only and this rehab is to be indefinite. I have a suspected slipped disc and I'm waiting for an MRI scan. OHS have recommended RM pay for this scan as it is taking far too long on the NHS waiting list. I'll find out soon about this but my light duties will be as long as required , so no pressure to overdo things and make the problem worse. Is it an option for you to transfer to a nearby M.C. to do rehab & light duties ?

[Sparrowhawk]

Just another point , you should claim from the third party's insurance for any treatment . That means you could go private to the best chiro / osteopath/ physio you can find.

[dvbuk55]

Just another point , you should claim from the third party's insurance for any treatment . That means you could go private to the best chiro / osteopath/ physio you can find.

Quite true. My wife was in the car when someone ran into us quite unexpectedly from a side street. I just caught a glimpse of the car a second or so before impact and so I had braced myself but my wife, who had her seat belt on, was shaken up a bit. Cut a long story short she went for physio privately and the other party's' insurance paid for it. If your Doctor thinks you need it then get on to your insurers to make the claim for you. Although you are being paid by RM you should claim for loss of earnings for any overtime and allowances you may have lost and you should also bear in mind that RM can claim back from you the cost of the wages from any compensation you may receive.

[dr maturin]

Throgg wrote,

If they claim your wages back from the third party insurers, then none of the time you're off will go against your sick record.

Yes it will. Your absence is nothing to do with what you are paid. It is do with time/days off, simple as that. Based on what Throg is saying, if you are ever in the unfortunate position to have more than a year of and then cease getting sick pay from RM, than that is the maximum time the business could use to deal with you under the process. It does not make sense does it? And to underline what a daft statement it is, new starters don't get paid for being on sick in the first year. If you have any in your office ask them how many are on a stage.

What paying you on sick does confer on the business is the right to dicate - to some degree - how Royal Mail can make you attend ATOS or interviews with your DOM as they see fit.