Hi

We have a member of staff, ‘A’, who has been out for a week with bronchitis (as diagnosed by his GP). ‘A’ has already been out sick for almost 2 weeks this year – one week and a bit for concussion, whiplash and a broken
arm following a car accident (certified by his doctor) , then the other 3 days for assorted colds, headaches, bugs.

‘A’ came back on Monday and is visibly still unwell, to the extent that one of his managers, ‘J’, suggested he should go home and asked him whether he had considered going back to his GP.

Well, according to ‘A’, he does actually have a sick note valid until the 24th Nov (ie all of this week too). He says that his OTHER manager ‘M’ phoned him at home to tell him he had missed too many days at work already and either he should come in or it would be the worse for him.

I’m really not sure where to start. ‘A’ is a new trainee in his late teens and while he has indeed had a lot of time off, the car accident was just that, an accident, and I am sure he did not elect to have bronchitis. We do have a sick policy which is designed to deal with ‘Monday-itis’ but there is plenty of evidence that ‘A’ is actually ill. Certainly the sick policy does NOT allow for other members of staff to play at diagnosing their colleagues and second-guessing doctors’ decisions.

Nonimous