In my opinion, at the heart of the matter is:

 

Under what circumstances is it appropriate for someone to be paid, by the employer, NOT to work.

 

Even guidance on carers request for flexible hours, or extended parental leave during summer holidays, does not dare to suggest that employers must foot the bill for these activities. And probably rightly so.

 

In Occupational health we can recommend reduced hours etc for the benefit of a return to work programme but we do not comment on whether people are paid or not, for working less hours than their contracted role, even when there is a clear benefit to  the organisation for them to do so. Pay is an operational issue not a medical one.

 

Sometimes, I feel we are being used to justify expenditure by having OH legitimising the illness – the managers don’t want to be the bad guys and say No or they’re hoping we’ll say yes so they can pay them because they are having a fairly normal emotional response to someone else’s difficult circumstances but know as a manager they should not pay them, as, after all, where does it end. So if they can get OH to make the decision for them, they can be absolved from the responsibility either way…

 

With all the sympathy in the world for the situation, it is not appropriate for a doctor to give access to sick pay entitlements because someone has a heavy burden of caring responsibilities. We can advise  on anxiety management strategies for people who are worried but being sad is not the same as depressed and I would caution people from projecting how they would feel in a similar situation into the assessment. Medicalising this is not going to solve the problem for the employee or the employer.

 

Is paid sick leave appropriate for individuals who are having a perfectly  and probably somewhat predictable reaction to a difficult situation? What if it goes on for weeks, months? Should leave be paid or unpaid? Should it be called carer’s leave, career break, parental leave etc??

 

It is the managers choice to grant the leave and their choice to pay the leave or not, I agree that all we can say is they would otherwise be fit for work so at least they can come back to it.

 

Susan Gorton | OH Nurse Manager | Occupational Health Department | Great Ormond Street Hospital NHS Foundation Trust | Level 3, Ormond House, 26-27 Boswell St., London WC1N 3JZ |020 7405 9200 Ext 0247 | DD to OHD 020 78138554 | Direct Fax 020 78138355 | Mobile 07833294568

 

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