Doctors Note - Employer not actioning straight away - Can they do this?

[stush]

A colleague at my place of work has been given a doctors note to work reduce hours for a month due to her condition and change in medication.

 

This note was supposed to start from today, but the employers are asking them to work their usual shift today until they can get the employee to speak to occupational health which would be tomorrow, before they can arrange their reduced hours.

 

The employee had informed the employer last week of the situation and gave them some notice for them to arrange this, but the employers said to just sort it out today, but they haven't done so and are saying they cant start it today even though the note states this.

 

Can the employers do this?

[SarEl]

I thought the new fit notes were a great idea until I realised that nobody understands them!

 

A doctor has no power or authority to tell your employer what they must or must not do. A recommendation for reduced hours is not a prescription. The status of the note is a recommendation to the employee (not the employer!) that they are fit for work under certain circumstances. If the circumstances are not able to be met then the alternative is that the employee is not fit for work. It's that simple.

 

It is worth nothing that sick notes, as they used to be referred to, have always been advisory only - no employee can be forced to take one or to abide by it.

[doggiebag]

Thank you for explanation, my employer did the same to me it was for 3 months reduced hrs and the reduction was not much either. Manager wanted to have a meeting first to discuss the reduced hrs but I knew that I could not work the hrs I was on due to a disability. I had to fight to get them to recognise my GP certificate.

Employer did not pay for reduced hrs, they only pay some employees company sick pay and not pensioners that work for them.

If my employer did not recognised my GP recommendation then I could have taken the whole time off work and maybe sacked.