unfit to work or so my employer says

[Madness2]

Hi,

I have bn off now for 4 days due to a flare up of a illness. I was previously off last month with the same the problem but i have had a medical cert to cover me. I am due to go back to work(kitchen assistant) monday but had a telephone call from my manager saying that they have decided i am not allowed to go back to work as she as bn advised by HR that they can not ensure for my safety at work and if anything happened to me they it would be uninsured and they would be arranging a meeting to discuss my health. I have since had another call to say they want me to go back to my doctors to get a doctors cert to cover me till they can arrange for a meeting to take place to discuss my health issues. Please can someone help as i dont understand if they are telling me i cant go back into work then why do i need a cert to cover me so i can get paid?Personally i think that there are just trying to get rid of me by saying i am unfit to work eventho my doctor as said i am ok to go back. If anyone has some advise please can you let me know.

[woofgang]

That would depend on what your health issues are. If doing your usual activities are likely to make you ill again (eg lifting, moving etcetera) or your illness would make you unsafe in a kitchen (eg epilepsy, falls) or the kitchen uses substances that would make you ill (eg nut allergy) then I could see that the employer would want to protect you and themselves.

[rowanwitch]

Because you will be paid sick pay and they need a cert to cover that.

As your GP has said you are ok they may ask for a little more info and let you back... They are protecting themselves and you... as surprisingly a number of people think they are fit to go back and do more damage...or slow their full recovery

[factor-fiction]

I agree with the otehr posts. The employer has a duty of care and probably wants to establish exactly what work you are fit to do.

If for example your work involves using certain substances and your illness was the result of an allergy to those substances, the company would want to establish the details and consider how best to get round the problem.
Or if it was due to stress they need to identify the triggers and see whether the role could be changed or what other measures could be put in place.

Can you tell us what the job is and what the illness was?

[boxtops]

I don't see anything underhand in this - they are concerned for your health (and for possible effect on their business) and if you have a sick note, they can pay you sick pay.

[EDDIE51]

Is your illness an infection ? If so they will not want you working in a kitchen where you may pass on the infection by handeling food or utensils. They are just covering themselves against a claim .

[factor-fiction]

Certainly if the same illness has arisen twice within a such a short peiod they will be concerned for you and for themselves.

[RATTER15]

I feel the OP would like to return to work as soon as poss as he/she is probably losing a lot of money being off sick. I would imagine that if you have signed to say you are fit to work but your employers has a different opinion and wont accept you back then it is their responsibility to pay you for your contracted hours.

[RATTER15]

>>>I would imagine that if you have signed to say you are fit to work *by your GP* but your employers<<<

[factor-fiction]

Hi RATTER15- yes, it would be interesting to know whether Madness2 is receiving full pay (OSP) or the lower figure of SSP. I assumed it was full pay as Madness2 hadn't mentioned the money issue, but maybe he/she can clarify this for us