Hi David,
I have also recently looked at this issue for one of our manufacturing clients. In reality however there is little to do from oh perspective - SSP entitlement will continue, as long as they are eligible i.e up to 26 weeks, and they are fully entitled to have this sent to Poland!! Mad but true. Policies to check this need to avoid any racial bias!! Catch 22 I think its called.
The business is of course entitled to have regular contact however this really is a difficult situation.The absence policy could state that suitable and appropriate work will be accommodated AT ALL TIMES no matter the reason for the absence?? The risk is then that they all move over to 'stress'. Leave it to HR David - its not worth your efforts until the Med 3 issue is resolved! Frustratingly yours,
Jane Fairburn
OH Services Director
Tel 01925 227 000
Mob 07770 638 268
-----Original Message-----
From: "David Wadsworth" <[log in to unmask]>
To: "[log in to unmask]" <[log in to unmask]>
Sent: 31/01/08 20:35
Subject: [OCC-HEALTH] Polish Workers and sick certs
Dear list
I am looking for some advice on how to tackle the following problem.
I work for a company that has approximately 150 Polish workers. We have a
significant problem with them obtaining sick certs for "4 weeks" for "Bad
back/ Abdo pain etc" from the same Polish GP who operates from a practice
20 miles away (The majority of employees live within 5 miles of the company
premises, inner city area). Once they obtain the sick cert they invariably
return to Poland to seek "treatment".
HR have rasied concerns that the sick certs are easy to come by and rumours
abound that they may even have a price.
Whilst I accept that I too may travel a fair distance to talk to a GP of
mother tongue, I have concerns that his sick certs are for too long a
period and that we cannot ask the employee in for OH assessment because
they are in Poland "seeking" treatment.
Thoughts along the lines of..... challenging length of GP sick notes, SSP
legal entitlement if out the country, company policies to address,
insisting
employees are registered with local GPs etc etc greatly appreciated.
Many thanks
David
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