My daughter has just returned to work after being off ill for about 4 months. Her employers have insisted that she return on a part time basis to ensure she is able to cope. She feels well enough to work full time and has now asked for her normal hours to resume but they are stalling and saying no. They are giving her no indication of how long they are going to make her work part time, and as while she has been off they have made another girl full time and given her my daughters desk she is becoming worried that they won't let her return full time at all. Can they do this does anyone know? How long can they make her work part time? She feels as though they are trying to push her out and she is quite upset as she has worked there quite a while and prior to this had never been off sick.
jane

Have a look at the UNISON web site which may be of some use to you.

I think that it is quite normal practice for people returning to work after a long time off sick, to be eased back into it :) Most people would be quite pleased not to have to do full time when they are probably still not 100 % better :) :) I am sure that they can't 'push her out' unless they can prove that she is not capable of doing the job :)

Daisy

Hi, I am off on long term sick at the moment after having two lots of major surgery and this is the route I will go down too.....
It is called ''phased return'' and I don't have a choice in the matter...... This is the rule of the hospital where I work and I will go back on an 8 week sliding scale (1 day a week for the first two weeks, 2 days a week for the next two weeks and so on)...... This is to make sure that I am fit to do the demanding job that I do and I also have to have a full medical with Occupational Health before this, because if they say I am not well enough to back, I won't be allowed to, regardless of how I feel.
This is so that the 'employer' is seen to be doing its very best to look after its' employees'......
I have someone doing my job now on an open contract as I don't know when I will be returning to work.....

Gabrielle x

my friend at work has been off here and there for over a year and a half, with stints well over four months in a row off, maybe managing only a few weeks at a time back. She does 'phased return', and comes in part time, working up to longer hours, eventually going to full time hours. She only does it (phased return) for a few weeks at a time (if she makes it being back that long), mostly because when you've been off and suddenly go back to work, it wipes you out. Even she says that she feels fine, but after a few hours of work work, she's ready for home. Like Gabrielle says, its the company doing its best to take care of the staff-or watching their back in my places case.

Hi Thanks to all for your replies. I agree that it is a good idea to return to work gradually, but she has asked for some indication as to how long this will continue as she is coping perfectly well part time. I understood that a phased return is a plan agreed by employer/employee to ease back into the work place building up to normal working hours. She has been told she just has to keep asking as to when she can resume her full time contract. I wondered how long she should be expected to "keep asking."
jane

It depends on the diagnosis as to how long would be appropriate to continue part time. For example with an appendicectomy or something the phased return is quite fast. I have  a colleague with a mental health problem and her return to work has been very slow indeed. I know this sounds funny but your daughter is not NECESSARILY the best judge of her fitness to work. I have worked with people before who have had health problems who thought they were coping perfectly well, but in fact I was slogging myself to death to support them. the manager has to look at the impact on the whole team, and not just your daughter. I suggest your daughter has regular visits to her GP, and discuss her working hours with them. When the GP thinks your daughter should be working full time, if the employer does not agree , your daughter can take a grievance against the employer asking for a hearing with witnesses and statements etc. If the GP makes a statement declaring her fitness to work full time then they are breaching the rules to not let her, but its going to be a medical choice.

Pinklillies,

It is not the responsibility of Jane's daughter to be going to her GP asking when she can work full time.  She has been signed back fit to work by her GP and it is her employer who is saying she can't work full time.  If Jane's daughter objects to the employer's view but the employer believes that she is not fit to work full time at the moment it is up to them to evidence this view properly, either by recourse to their own medical advisor or a properly carried out H & S risk assessment that shows genuine risks to the employee if they were to work full time.  A line manager may see an impact on a team, but it would not be appropriate for them to make a decision on the  person's hours without medical and/or health & safety evidence to back it up. 

My phased return after 7 months abscence was over 8 weeks and I increased my working hours each week gradually until I was back to full-time. I had occ. health appointments at work for a few months afterwards and a H&S assessment where certain duties were restricted (such as lifting and carrying). It was quite a straight forward process for me luckily :)

Hi Jane,

Whilst a phased return is an excellent idea after long term sickness absence, it is normally a well planned thing, often in consultation with an occupational health physician or other medical advisor used by the employer, but certainly discussing it properly with the employee and deciding a timescale for it, with possible reviews along the way to see how the employee is coping. 

I think that your daughter's arrangement seems vague and in my view it is not acceptable for her to have to "keep asking".   If she is a member of a trades union she should get in touch with her rep, or contact the ACAS helpline.

I agree with LF that the arrangements need to be made clearer. It's certainly not good practice to expect your daughter to 'keep asking' - this could cause her stress which she could well do without after a 4 month illness.
Hope everything gets resolved soon.

Thanks everyone. I think it is the fact that she feels that there are no "plans" being made for her return to full time that is bothering her the most. Her employers have not asked her to see any doctors or occupational health to assess her fitness. Her manager has agreed that she is fit for full time work but her area manager is saying she needs to "keep asking." I too hope it is resolved soon so that she is able to get back to normal.
jane