 |
 |
Hi Julie Some facts I would want to know, which may help brainstorm the problem for you: 1. How many weeks he has been off sick, does your policy state a length of time the company will support an employee? 2. Is he stil trying to stop his habit, or has he stopped his habit? Because if he has not it could be an H & S issue depending on the type of job he is meant to do? How does he travel to work, when he is fit? 3.Does he like his work, has he got a hidden agenda, could it be that he is being bullied at work? 4.If the liklihood is that his abcence will continue for the foreseeable future there could be a capability issue? 5. I would have thought that if he realy wanted to stop he would want his GP's assistance as well, I wonder if he has told the practice nurse, if not they cannot be treating him with the full knowledge of his condition? 6. I would suggest that he is referred to an OH physicain, if he refuses then your employers will have to make a decision without the full medical picture. Hope this helps Cheers Clare Haddow Ocupational Health Specialist Quoting Julie Lawlor <[log in to unmask]>: > Hello, > > any advice will be much appreciated here. > > We have an employee who went to his manager stating that he had a drug > dependency (cannabis) and wanted some support to help him stop his > dependency. This is line with our Drugs and Alcohol policy. We brought in > an independent drugs counsellor who has supported him etc over the weeks. > > During this time, the employee has been off sick with anxiety and stress > related illness. His counsellor and manager thinks that he may > be "milking" his sickness absence and could come back to work even on > reduced hours and restricted (office based) duties. > > OH were asked to get involved at this point as the employee stated that he > was seeing his Practice Nurse who was signing him off sick. I queried this > as I thought it was unusual for a Practice Nurse to sign Med 3 notes.(As it > happens, the PN writes the Med 3 note and the GP signs it) I also asked him > to sign a Release of Medical Information form so that I could write for a > medical report from his GP. > > The employee, who doesn't want his GP to know he is taking drugs, found out > that I contacted his Practice Nurse for the above reason and was upset over > this. The employee is now refusing to sign a release form, and is refusing > to see his counsellor or meet with his managers. > > He has since seen his GP (today) who has phoned up his Manager and has > basically told his manager that the employee is ill and to leave him alone. > > I believe that it would be beneficial for the employee to come back to work > as part of a rehabilitative programme, but he seems reluctant to do so for > whatever reason. The Company itself has a strict sickness absence policy > where they like to see employees at work on restricted/precautionary duties > rather than be off sick. > > So where do we stand from an OH point of view to try to get him back to > work. I feel that we may come across a barrier now as far as his GP is > concerned. The Company has been supportive of him but feel that he needs > to return back to work. > > I would appreciate your thoughts on this matter. > > Regards > > Julie Lawlor RGN > Occ Health Adviser > > ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ > Please remove this footer before replying. > > For list archives and documents, go to > http://www.jiscmail.ac.uk/lists/occ-health.html > > For jobs in Occupational Health, go to > http://uk.groups.yahoo.com/group/OHJobs/ > ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Please remove this footer before replying. For list archives and documents, go to http://www.jiscmail.ac.uk/lists/occ-health.html For jobs in Occupational Health, go to http://uk.groups.yahoo.com/group/OHJobs/