This is a difficult one without a diagnosis but normally we put employees in
this position back on full salary from day 1 of returning. Otherwise the
debate about salary just gets in the way of rehabilitation. However, this
is with the expectation that they will build up their hours and return to
full time working in 4 - 8 weeks. If after this period of time, they have
not returned to full time (or their normal full compliment of hours if they
are part time) the salary issue is reviewed. It is then that Managers and
HR may approach the employee and start discussing a temporary part time
contract for the hours the employee feels able to work until they can
increase their hours again. Obviously with some difficult cases, other
capability discussions are going on aswell.
The really difficult ones are chronic fatigue syndrome cases as, in our
expeience, a 4 - 8 week rehab programme is nonsense and you are usually
talking in months not weeks. It might be that an hour per day is all that
can be managed. We did have one case like this that unfortunately ended up
with dismissal on the grounds of capability. As you know, CFS can often
have a recovery period lasting years and due to the age of the employee,
they could not be deemed permanently incapable under our pension scheme
rules. This does not restrict them from applying for an ill health pension
at a later date.
Lindsey Hall
National OH Manager
Environment Agency
----- Original Message -----
From: "Bonser Julia" <[log in to unmask]>
To: <[log in to unmask]>
Sent: Monday, August 18, 2003 2:51 PM
Subject: RTW on reduced hours
> I am seeing an employee on Wednesday who has been off sick for 8 weeks, I
> will be discussing a staged RTW with her. She is a member of staff so is
on
> a salary, her usual hours of work are 28hrs/week. HR have suggested she
> return 1 hour per day for the first week and they only plan to pay her for
> the hours she works. This lady's health problems fall within the
Disability
> Discrimination Act.
>
> My question is, it is HR who have suggested 1 hour per day, which would
mean
> that in the first week she will earn less than what see would get SSP (her
> company sick pay has now run out) can they do that?
>
> She has been seen by the company doctor who is happy for her to RTW and
who
> thinks that she could manage more than 1 hr per day. He wondered where the
> 1hr had come from.
>
> The money side of things is obviously a worry to her so could exacerbate
her
> illness.
>
> I know that this isn't an occ health problem as such, but any advise would
> be appreciated.
>
> Julia
> RGN
>
>
>
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