South Africa - Post Office worker 'not going back'

[TrueBlueTerrier]

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A Post Office worker who apparently suffers from severe post traumatic stress after the office in which she worked had been robbed twice, is embroiled in legal proceedings with her employer as she and her psychiatrist are of the opinion she is unfit to return to work.

But the Post Office has demanded she immediately return to work.

Amy Terblanche, who lived in Port Elizabeth, did return to work after the first robbery, only to face another armed robbery at the office two weeks later. Her psychologist told her employer she was unfit to return to work and suggested ill-health retirement.

The Post Office, however, insisted that its own expert examine her and issue a report on her condition.

This report was never given to Terblanche and she turned to the Pretoria High Court to obtain a copy of it. She needed the report to decide on the way forward.

The Post Office eventually conceded and gave her the report, but the court ordered it had to pay for her legal costs as she was compelled to turn to court to get it.

Her lawyer, Michael Randell, said they would now study the report and decide how to proceed with the matter.

Terblanche said in papers before court that she had twice fallen victim to robberies while working at the Post Office in Port Elizabeth.

The first robbery was in 2006 and the second, during which there was a shootout, was two months later.

After both robberies she was booked off sick for post traumatic stress.

The matter was also referred to the Compensation Commissioner.

“I was obliged to a apply for temporary incapacity leave from January 28 to April 16 last year. I also applied for ill-health retirement.”

This application was supported by medical evidence of the psychiatrist, who diagnosed her as suffering from post traumatic stress disorder as she was a victim of armed robberies.

Terblanche said she was forced to return to work after the first robbery.

She had not totally recovered when the second robbery took place and she suffered a relapse.

“I began suffering from panic attacks. I was hospitalised and had to receive psychotherapy and I continue using medication…

“My prognosis was described by my psychiatrist as very poor.”

She said he declared her unfit to work for some time, but her application for temporary total disability was declined.

The Post Office also wrote her a letter to say she owed it R25 434 for overpayment and told her to immediately return to work.

“This was in spite of medical evidence proclaiming me unfit for work,” she stated.

The Post Office meanwhile required her to be examined by its own experts, which was done.

When she asked for a copy of these reports, she was told she was not entitled to them as the Post Office had commissioned them.

Her psychiatrist had sent a letter to the Post Office, stating that Terblanche was ill, that she had been on optimal treatment for several years and that she should be considered medically disabled.

The Post Office never responded to this letter, she said.

According to her, the last word was that she was not entitled to these reports.

Also, that her applications for ill-health retirement and temporary incapacity leave were declined.

She had, however, not returned to work since the second robbery.

[NWpostie]

Terblanche sounds Boer, if I was her, I would get out of the Country asap never mind going back to work, the whole Country is going down the toilet, die blankes are the first to be lined up against the wall and shot