Sick Note - Not Accepted By Work

[Alex C.]

Hi,

My friend recently had an ectopic pregnancy and was given a sick note for a week by the nurse. When the hospital doctor reviewed this before she was discharged, he changed it to 2 weeks by crossing out the original 1 week and putting 2 weeks in.

Her employer have now told her it has not been accepted due to this and she needs to get a new one from the hospital and take it in to them.

Do they have any right to do this? She's not in the best way and it's stressing her out trying to sort it, she's presented a valid sicknote, should it not be up to them to validate it if neccesary?

Thanks in advance for any advice.

edit: I'm actually quite shocked they'd be so petty - they don't even pay company sick pay, just SSP, they knew she was pregnant and she's got all the discharge documents from the hospital. This seems to be a purely 'red tape' decision.

 

[KateCB]

Sadly this stems from employees amending dates on sick notes, and the doctor should technically have written a new note, not amended an existing one - the hospital should issue a new one if she explains the circumstances.

 

1 phone call would sort it out so someones being bloody minded.

Earl

 

[Alex C.]

1 phone call would sort it out so someones being bloody minded.

Earl

I'm not sure if you're talking about my friend? she spent 30 minutes on the phone the other day being passed between various people and didn't manage to get it sorted. She can get it done, but it seems to be a case of spending time sorting it, and at the moment she doesn't even want to think about the hospital...

 

I'm not sure if you're talking about my friend? she spent 30 minutes on the phone the other day being passed between various people and didn't manage to get it sorted. She can get it done, but it seems to be a case of spending time sorting it, and at the moment she doesn't even want to think about the hospital...

I meant for the company to make 1 phone call to the doctor who signed the sick note.

Earl

 

[jonesj07]

I am currently going through the same thing I has a sick note from the doctor on the 31st and he put 30th by mistake so I changed it to do the 31st and now I am being took into a disaplinary for gross mis conduct and I think they are going to to sack me I cant help but feel this is a little petty.... can they do this ??

 

[jonesj07]

can you get sacked for amending a sick note my company are tyring to get me on gross mis conduct for changing the date from the 30th to the 31st as the doctor put the wrong date on and after work said they couldnt accept it the doctor wrote me a new one with the right date on it

 

[internetspaceships]

I meant for the company to make 1 phone call to the doctor who signed the sick note.

Earl

Err Earl. You're way out of touch. It's down to the employee to prove they have a valid sick note.

No bloody mindedness involved here.

 

[Employment Law Clinic]

can you get sacked for amending a sick note my company are tyring to get me on gross mis conduct for changing the date from the 30th to the 31st as the doctor put the wrong date on and after work said they couldnt accept it the doctor wrote me a new one with the right date on it

Do you really think you need an answer to this? You received a medical certificate from your doctor. You decide to alter it - fraud. And now you're facing disciplinary action. Of course you can get sacked!

If you had a problem with the first note, you should have asked the doctor for a new one, not took upon yourself to decide the doctor was wrong.



Karl Limpert

 

Err Earl. You're way out of touch. It's down to the employee to prove they have a valid sick note.

No bloody mindedness involved here.

Quite lets not muddy the water with common sense.

Earl

 

[internetspaceships]

Oh do shut up you old goat

Shoo

 

[thebiznizdotcom]

KateCB's reply is bang on!