Fit to Return from Sickness

[Breeze5]

Hi

A newcomer here to the site, I wonder if anyone can help me with the following please. Any advice or experience on this would be great.

At the end of Sept (on a weekend, not work-related) our apprentice broke his left wrist (he is right-handed). He has been unable to work since and remains signed off with a sick note until the end of November. During this time he has been attending college due to a mutual agreement between us so that he could keep on top of the work, his writing hand is not affected. Whilst on SSP during this period my husband has personally paid the apprentice's travel expenses to attend college from his personal bank account.

He has asked the hospital when he can return to work and they have said it is up to him, the wrist probably should have been pinned at the beginning (it has never been pinned), and if he returns he should not use the wrist.

How do we stand as an employer? He works in a manual role, using drills and tools, lifting and carrying heavy loads, and installing and servicing air conditioning units so he would be unable to do this satisfactorily and safely if he has been advised to not use the wrist. We do not have office roles for him to undertake.

Should we tell him he needs to remain off sick until he is fully fit to do the job role (with a new sick note) or can he return and do ‘what he can’ and be paid full pay?

 

[Newchodge]

Hi

A newcomer here to the site, I wonder if anyone can help me with the following please. Any advice or experience on this would be great.

At the end of Sept (on a weekend, not work-related) our apprentice broke his left wrist (he is right-handed). He has been unable to work since and remains signed off with a sick note until the end of November. During this time he has been attending college due to a mutual agreement between us so that he could keep on top of the work, his writing hand is not affected. Whilst on SSP during this period my husband has personally paid the apprentice's travel expenses to attend college from his personal bank account.

He has asked the hospital when he can return to work and they have said it is up to him, the wrist probably should have been pinned at the beginning (it has never been pinned), and if he returns he should not use the wrist.

How do we stand as an employer? He works in a manual role, using drills and tools, lifting and carrying heavy loads, and installing and servicing air conditioning units so he would be unable to do this satisfactorily and safely if he has been advised to not use the wrist. We do not have office roles for him to undertake.

Should we tell him he needs to remain off sick until he is fully fit to do the job role (with a new sick note) or can he return and do ‘what he can’ and be paid full pay?

He needs to get a proper medical note from his GP stating whether he can return to work and under what conditions.

You need to carry out a full risk assessment to decide whether the limitations caused by his injury mean he can safely carry out appropriate work. If he comes to work it will be on proper pay for the hours worked. If your assessment is that he cannot safely come to work then he stays on SSP. (or nil pay except for the time at college, if he is not eligible for SSP)