How to report sick

[MinisterofCucumber]

Hello NumptyBumpty,

I see you work in HR, specialise in Pay but are very knowledgeable on other subjects like the Attendance Procedure. You seem to be more clued up than the people I normally speak to in HR but this is probably because it may be management policy not to adequately train the staff who man the helplines. Nice to meet you.

I would be very grateful if you would answer these questions:

Is it reasonable for an employer to insist on telephoning or visiting an employee who has asked them to respect their privacy and only contact them by email?

Would it be reasonable for an employer to insist that an employee agrees to be referred to ATOS to get information that has already been supplied on the fit note issued by a General Practitioner?

[arnold cheshire]

[quote="MinisterofCucumber"]Let me make myself clear. Nowhere in my original post did I advocate breaking off contact with the line manager. I am recommending contact with the line manager be done in writing via email. I would advise a weekly email to the line manager to update them on your progress.

this is totally unacceptable i wouldnt try it you could get sacked

[hantsman]

Let me make myself clear. Nowhere in my original post did I advocate breaking off contact with the line manager. I am recommending contact with the line manager be done in writing via email. I would advise a weekly email to the line manager to update them on your progress.

this is totally unacceptable i wouldnt try it you could get sacked

I would not say this is unacceptable, I have once in the past sent my sick notes to HR Sheffield ( I did not want my direct manager to see them) and I actually did email HR each week as I viewed his attempted visit to my home as harrasment and I would not deal with him.


As everybody has said you do need to keep in contact with an employer (esp RM)

[wayoutman]

cucumber puts ups up a good argument on the issue of management bullying sick employees.

i have been testing the system and found it to be appauling.

[MinisterofCucumber]

Management go to great lengths to get the sick to give permission for their personal information to be sent to ATOS. They also insist that a sick person gives explicit permission for ATOS to send a report to their manager, using information from medical records held by management.

Why?

What extra information do they need to send to ATOS?

Medical records held by the employer are details of sick absence and any medical comments made by management. Why would ATOS need to know about anything unrelated to the sick person's current ailment?

Is the sick person allowed to see all the information their line manager sends to ATOS?

Shouldn't the sick person insist on having copies of all the information their line manager sends to ATOS?

[dogfood]

I would consider e mail as the only means of contact with your line manager after your initial calling in sick. Reason being, a written record is maintained of all that has been said and agreed. This prevents your dom from changing his story to suit his purpose at a later date.

[General Mannerheim]

Is the sick person allowed to see all the information their line manager sends to ATOS?

They don't like you seeing what they(managers)send to Atos regarding a persons health and they count on you not knowing about it.......but it is easy enough to see...just write to Atos for all your medical records under the Data Protection Act..it's free(unlike most data request)and you can then see exactly what questions they ask.....let me tell you it has been most revealing in one or two tribunal cases what they put in these business referrals.

[NumptyBumpty]

It's no big secret or conspiracy as to why RM have to seek written consent to refer someone to ATOS, they have to do it to satisfy the Data Protection Act as ATOS are an external company. This is so RM can share your absence record with them, again there is no conspiracy, they don't see your personal files just a list of your absence dates and reasons e.g. Flu, Bad Back etc. Not much detail.

I'm not an expert in the Attendance Procedure but I am aware of a few things that go on, probably because I'm a bit nosey (I am a woman after all) and talk to some people who are experts. I know that it is considered good management to keep in regular contact with employees and if agreeable, make home visits but it should all be with the consent of the employee. Personally, I wouldn't have any problem if my manager wanted to talk to me once a week on the phone. I know of people who have been on long term sick who have received home visits with a card and a bunch of flowers and it has had a very positive effect. I think most managers would find an email or text unacceptable as the only form of communication. Problems would arise if managers just turn up at your door unannounced, just to check that you really are sick. Or phone you everyday telling you to come back.

I think it is reasonable and good practice for a manager to refer someone to ATOS. The fit note doesn't really give much information to the employer. ATOS would be able to expand on the information provided and give the manager more relevant information about rehabilitation and possible disability cases. What people don't realise on here, is that ATOS sometimes write reports in favour of the employee. One of their major roles is to protect RM from potential disability discrimination incidents, so it is their responsibility advise on this.

[brothermagrew]

I think on here people are also reasonably astute as to realise that as employees if they do not wish their employer or managerial representative to contact their own GP then that to is their absolute right.

[arnold cheshire]

Let me make myself clear. Nowhere in my original post did I advocate breaking off contact with the line manager. I am recommending contact with the line manager be done in writing via email. I would advise a weekly email to the line manager to update them on your progress.

this is totally unacceptable i wouldnt try it you could get sacked

I would not say this is unacceptable, I have once in the past sent my sick notes to HR Sheffield ( I did not want my direct manager to see them) and I actually did email HR each week as I viewed his attempted visit to my home as harrasment and I would not deal with him.


As everybody has said you do need to keep in contact with an employer (esp RM)

ok try an e mail next time your off sick and see what happens . you could be in spain emailing in off sick utter rubbish

[Lateagainpostie]

Let me make myself clear. Nowhere in my original post did I advocate breaking off contact with the line manager. I am recommending contact with the line manager be done in writing via email. I would advise a weekly email to the line manager to update them on your progress.

this is totally unacceptable i wouldnt try it you could get sacked

I would not say this is unacceptable, I have once in the past sent my sick notes to HR Sheffield ( I did not want my direct manager to see them) and I actually did email HR each week as I viewed his attempted visit to my home as harrasment and I would not deal with him.


As everybody has said you do need to keep in contact with an employer (esp RM)

ok try an e mail next time your off sick and see what happens . you could be in spain emailing in off sick utter rubbish

Or with a mobile phone, so what's the difference ?
I would suggest you ring from your home phone, so that if the cheeky lino dials 1471, he knows you are at home, and not in sunny Spain.

We had an instance where a Postie phoned in sick on his mobile, after the call the lino phoned his home number, got no reply. Phoned him back on his mobile asked him where he was...result was an unauthorised absence.

[MinisterofCucumber]

If someone is suffering from severe depression, a change of scenery is often beneficial. Who says you have to remain in your own home if you are sick?

There are too many Daleks in RMG.

"Nation grew up during World War II, and remembered the fear caused by German bombings. He consciously based the Daleks on the Nazis, conceiving the species as faceless, authoritarian figures dedicated to conquest and complete conformity."

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dalek" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[hantsman]

Let me make myself clear. Nowhere in my original post did I advocate breaking off contact with the line manager. I am recommending contact with the line manager be done in writing via email. I would advise a weekly email to the line manager to update them on your progress.

this is totally unacceptable i wouldnt try it you could get sacked

I would not say this is unacceptable, I have once in the past sent my sick notes to HR Sheffield ( I did not want my direct manager to see them) and I actually did email HR each week as I viewed his attempted visit to my home as harrasment and I would not deal with him.


As everybody has said you do need to keep in contact with an employer (esp RM)

ok try an e mail next time your off sick and see what happens . you could be in spain emailing in off sick utter rubbish

Thats not what I said is it?