Sick leave due to stress. Can your manager contact you.

[RebeccaSmackbadger]

Hi all.

I’m current on sick leave due to ongoing stress at work and home.

I’ve sent in my Drs sick note to my manager (I have two weeks off from next week - currently on annual leave)

My manager said he will contact me next week for a catch up. Is he allowed to do that?
That’s already given me anxiety because last time when I was ill due to a chest infection he contacted me every other day to try and get me back into work.

If anyone can let me know I’d be really grateful.

Regards

[Woody Guthrie]

Yes he can.
You are obliged under the sick absence procedure to maintain reasonable contact with management.
The level and nature of contact should be agreed on day one of the absence.
One short phonecall a week would be considered reasonable.
Every other day would not.

[RebeccaSmackbadger]

That’s great. Thank you for your swift reply I appreciate it.

[cobrakai]

Once a week. My mate was off with a long term issue and in the end he said to manager I talk to you more than I talk to my doctor are you a trained health professional? If this carries on I’m contacting a solicitor. It was strange how he suddenly stopped phoning.

Making a mental health issue worse seems to be a Royal Mail speciality.

[fallenworld2022]

once a week my arse if u are off for mental health, it should be first week, week 12 ,week 22 spaced out, as they refer u to optima health, so u don't need all this stress, hard enough going to doctors, dealing with optima health and getting a phone call every week from manager thats no exactly going help ur mental health thats no rest, just get a monthly sick line and bang them in the post

[Woody Guthrie]

once a week my arse if u are off for mental health, it should be first week, week 12 ,week 22 spaced out, as they refer u to optima health, so u don't need all this stress, hard enough going to doctors, dealing with optima health and getting a phone call every week from manager thats no exactly going help ur mental health thats no rest, just get a monthly sick line and bang them in the post

Try to leave the diagnosis to the professionals.
At the moment the Doctor has given her a fit note for two weeks.
I think we all hope that banging in monthly sick notes proves unnecessary as does talk of week 12 and 22 and referrals because that kind of talk is not exactly going to help her mental health either.

Hopefully she feels better soon.

[fallenworld2022]

week 12 and week 22 are on the attendance procedure , seems heartless being contacted every week its a poor call, someone with stress shouldn't be contacted every week about their stress it causes more, ive worked in other bigger organisations they take mental health seriously and with care they leave u alone to be dealt with your doctor and pressuring a work colleague every week was never on the cards, yeah leave it to the proffesionals something u are not

[RebeccaSmackbadger]

Hi guys thanks for the replies.

When I receive my phone call tomorrow. What should I say.

I don’t want to go off the rails over a phone call having to reiterate my stress symptoms.

I want to keep it short and sweet and end the phone call as soon as possible.

What advice would you give to say?

Thanks again

[Boltonian-White]

Hi guys thanks for the replies.

When I receive my phone call tomorrow. What should I say.

I don’t want to go off the rails over a phone call having to reiterate my stress symptoms.

I want to keep it short and sweet and end the phone call as soon as possible.

What advice would you give to say?

Thanks again

They'll likely ask how you are.

What they can do, if anything to help you.

Ask if you've spoken to Feeling first class.

Just answer honestly.

Also be very careful what you post ( and your friends) on social media as they may well be monitoring that. That may seem paranoid but I know they monitor people who are off sick.

[RebeccaSmackbadger]

Hi guys thanks for the replies.

When I receive my phone call tomorrow. What should I say.

I don’t want to go off the rails over a phone call having to reiterate my stress symptoms.

I want to keep it short and sweet and end the phone call as soon as possible.

What advice would you give to say?

Thanks again

They'll likely ask how you are.

What they can do, if anything to help you.

Ask if you've spoken to Feeling first class.

Just answer honestly.

Also be very careful what you post ( and your friends) on social media as they may well be monitoring that. That may seem paranoid but I know they monitor people who are off sick.

Thank you. I never post anything on social media anyway. Im quite a private person as it is.

[crazyshrew]

When I receive my phone call tomorrow. What should I say.

Yes
No
I don't know
Not at the moment
We'll just have to wait and see
(We instead of I. Tiny little psychological trick, funnily enough often used by management, gives the impression that you are working together even though you really aren't.... remember Mr Thompson's sickening overuse of the word "team", that was a very poorly executed attempt at this)


Keep the answers short and firm.

Manager may make all kinds of false promises or ridiculous threats to try to get you back in.
Don't engage, don't try to be reasonable by agreeing or even saying "maybe if..." to anything that may seem like a compromise, because they will not keep their end.

[aiden01]

It's simple really when you tell them you will be back when your doctor signs you off the sick how hard is that.

[redlen]

week 12 and week 22 are on the attendance procedure , seems heartless being contacted every week its a poor call, someone with stress shouldn't be contacted every week about their stress it causes more, ive worked in other bigger organisations they take mental health seriously and with care they leave u alone to be dealt with your doctor and pressuring a work colleague every week was never on the cards, yeah leave it to the proffesionals something u are not

Am afraid that is very poor advice.

Contact is agreed on medical advice from a health care professional, does not have to be every week

Your employer has a duty of care with your welfare, especially if absent through stress/depression.
That is why it is left to professionals, not unqualified social media good intentions

[RebeccaSmackbadger]

Update. I had a call today (Wednesday)

He says he going to call me at the end of the week/start of next week. So that’s twice in one week, if he calls me again this week. (If he calls me Monday fine)

Basically said (not word for word) that my absence is causing issues then quickly corrected himself along the lines of well not just you, other issues.

If he calls me end of the week Fri/Sat. I will be ignoring the phone call.

[redlen]

That is not a good idea as you currently only have a doctor's chit for two weeks.