Sick Day

[Psyber]

You said you fired her for sick leave. If she was reading confidential files then I have no problem with that.

The circumstances of her sick leave was why I decided she had to go - I objected to subsidising her alcohol abuse and its consequences.

The reading of the files was the first legal grounds I found to do so, once I started looking for grounds.
I probably wouldn't have found out she was reading files if I wasn't watching her for grounds to get rid of her.
Subsequently, paper files were put elsewhere and only accessed only by me, or by my wife whom I had then appointed as Practice Manager.

Oddly enough, computerisation and Medicare funded incentives result in medical files now being less confidential.
Most GP groups now give selected non-medical staff like practice managers/assistants, and nurses, some access to handle the reporting of results, and the chasing up those patients who don't come back for follow up, which modern Practice Accreditation requires.

In addition Medicare investigators can now demand to read them, and they are routinely subpoenaed in full in WorkCover cases as a cheaper option than paying for a report on relevant details only.

[Bully]

You can't. That's why I think Psyber is telling porkies, trying to big note again.
If it helps anyone, you can request your doctor write medical condition on your sick certificate, and if your employer asks, you can tell them its none of their business.

It is quite simple really if you use your brain.
If you know someone is abusing the situation you can find methods to sort them out.
In this case I eventually caught the person concerned reading patient's confidential files and used that as the trigger.
The instructions had been clear - staff got the files out for me and put them back, but were instructed to never open them...

Incidentally, my wife discovered when filling in in the job that patient who had given that receptionist a Siamese kitten had never been billed for several consultations.
There were a few squawks when those bills went out.


Your are right about "a medical condition" - that's what I wrote on most of the certificates I issued to patients.
It is up to the employer to work out whether their employees are milking the system, or simply making themselves a liability by their own behaviour.
However, I never wrote a certificate if I thought the patient was faking it - I'd rather lose the patient, unlike some "soft" medicos.

Later, as an employer, I decided to play safe and only employ part time casuals and pay the 20% loading for flexibilty.
That way I could decide to "economise" and my wife would do the job for a while until we got someone else, when it was "affordable" again.
When casual employees got extras like tenure and leave, on top of the extra rate that was originally compensation for the lack of these, and the right to multiple warnings, I stopped employing entirely, and moved into a serviced suite.

PS: TSG - I know you won't believe it, because you don't want to, but everything I've ever posted here has been absolute truth.

yes if they are abusing it, but havng a sick day here and there is not abusing. we all need to have a rest here and there, and most take there annual leave at once, also for companies that dont allow RDOs you can become very run down going 12 months without a break so a sick day is what you use, but not one every week or 2 weeks etc no. you cant by law i am sure, sacl someone for having one sick day in 2 months or 4 weeks etc. no way to prove it. If the boss seen you out on the day you called in then maybe so, but too hard and what company would send a manager out to your house to spy on you for that one sick day in 2 months etc, think there would be a trust issue there

[Mickyj]

oops

[Zelezny Chucks]

I saw this in the paper or on the TV .Funny the media never report companies that give employees RDO's .RDO's are issued on rosters then decided not to make a roster up as its way to hard .And yes if my employer read this i would get sacked lol .
My employer tells me we get 13 RDO's a year but are only allowed to use 12 .Plus the award I am under we get a day off for the union picnic day this is our "13th" rdo,weird and old fashioned .funny thing the rdo's dont come off for the union picnic day not certain how that works unless the union pays for it lmao as if. RDO's are supposed to be taken after every 4 weeks .At my work it can be 3,4,5,6 or in my case 8 or 9 weeks(i have one friday)What then happens my boss calls u into his office scratches his head and tells you.We can not work out why u have so many unused rdo hours lmao!!
Anyway I went to work on the friday just a normal .Same amount of work was pushed through .

And if pysber was my boss I'd be fired for writing any of the above .Hell if we mention work on facebook we can be fired lmao.

Yes Henry Ford is alive and well in Adelaide .

huh?

[Bully]

I saw this in the paper or on the TV .Funny the media never report companies that give employees RDO's .RDO's are issued on rosters then decided not to make a roster up as its way to hard .And yes if my employer read this i would get sacked lol .
My employer tells me we get 13 RDO's a year but are only allowed to use 12 .Plus the award I am under we get a day off for the union picnic day this is our "13th" rdo,weird and old fashioned .funny thing the rdo's dont come off for the union picnic day not certain how that works unless the union pays for it lmao as if. RDO's are supposed to be taken after every 4 weeks .At my work it can be 3,4,5,6 or in my case 8 or 9 weeks(i have one friday)What then happens my boss calls u into his office scratches his head and tells you.We can not work out why u have so many unused rdo hours lmao!!
Anyway I went to work on the friday just a normal .Same amount of work was pushed through .

And if pysber was my boss I'd be fired for writing any of the above .Hell if we mention work on facebook we can be fired lmao.

Yes Henry Ford is alive and well in Adelaide .

huh?

agreed

[Mickyj]

I saw this in the paper or on the TV .Funny the media never report companies that give employees RDO's .RDO's are issued on rosters then decided not to make a roster up as its way to hard .And yes if my employer read this i would get sacked lol .
My employer tells me we get 13 RDO's a year but are only allowed to use 12 .Plus the award I am under we get a day off for the union picnic day this is our "13th" rdo,weird and old fashioned .funny thing the rdo's dont come off for the union picnic day not certain how that works unless the union pays for it lmao as if. RDO's are supposed to be taken after every 4 weeks .At my work it can be 3,4,5,6 or in my case 8 or 9 weeks(i have one friday)What then happens my boss calls u into his office scratches his head and tells you.We can not work out why u have so many unused rdo hours lmao!!
Anyway I went to work on the friday just a normal .Same amount of work was pushed through .

And if pysber was my boss I'd be fired for writing any of the above .Hell if we mention work on facebook we can be fired lmao.

Yes Henry Ford is alive and well in Adelaide .

huh?

agreed

Sorry guys went off the deep end .What I'm trying to say is the media is highlighting workers taking sickies .Yet employers can "FORGET" to give employees RDOS and thats not a media isue.And tell their employees it is against company policy to talk about work outside the work place.

[Zelezny Chucks]

Well why didn't you say so!

I guess it comes down to flexibility in your role, in my previous role with my company it was almost impossible to get annual leave for anything inside 4 weeks.

If anything popped up it was easier to not even try and then take a "sickie", not that I have ever used this method Psyber.

[Mickyj]

Well why didn't you say so!

I guess it comes down to flexibility in your role, in my previous role with my company it was almost impossible to get annual leave for anything inside 4 weeks.

If anything popped up it was easier to not even try and then take a "sickie", not that I have ever used this method Psyber.

funny u should say that I needed to see a specialist during work hours .Did the correct thing put in for 1 only annual leave day was shot down in flames .Something like how dare u ask for 1 day off to do something that can be done in 1 hour leave refused . even when I protested and said it would take me months to get another appointmmnet .Boss came back to me a week latter all best buds saying how did i get on repeated it would take me months lol .look on his face was priceless medical person told me it was illegal for him to have done so.
Ended up getting another time a month latter took a week off on annual leave.Without telling the boss it was just for my 1 hour appointment which turned into 4 hours lol
Next time i needed to see the same diabetic specialist I just phoned in sick and got a cert .Should have done that the first time .

[Bully]

yes you should have just taken a sick day instead of that drama

[Psyber]

yes if they are abusing it, but havng a sick day here and there is not abusing. we all need to have a rest here and there, and most take there annual leave at once, also for companies that dont allow RDOs you can become very run down going 12 months without a break so a sick day is what you use, but not one every week or 2 weeks etc no. you cant by law i am sure, sacl someone for having one sick day in 2 months or 4 weeks etc. no way to prove it. If the boss seen you out on the day you called in then maybe so, but too hard and what company would send a manager out to your house to spy on you for that one sick day in 2 months etc, think there would be a trust issue there

Sometimes exhaustion can count as sickness.

However, after my first 6 months as a new young doctor at the RAH, on duty up to 150 hours a week I was wrecked.
I fronted the deputy Medical Superintendent and said, "I just can't keep going like this."
He pointed out I was eligible for a few days in lieu of public holidays worked, and organised me to use those to catch up on rest and sleep.
(They normally worked you through the year and gave you cash in lieu of the days off at the end of the year.)

[Bully]

yes if they are abusing it, but havng a sick day here and there is not abusing. we all need to have a rest here and there, and most take there annual leave at once, also for companies that dont allow RDOs you can become very run down going 12 months without a break so a sick day is what you use, but not one every week or 2 weeks etc no. you cant by law i am sure, sacl someone for having one sick day in 2 months or 4 weeks etc. no way to prove it. If the boss seen you out on the day you called in then maybe so, but too hard and what company would send a manager out to your house to spy on you for that one sick day in 2 months etc, think there would be a trust issue there

Sometimes exhaustion can count as sickness.

However, after my first 6 months as a new young doctor at the RAH, on duty up to 150 hours a week I was wrecked.
I fronted the deputy Medical Superintendent and said, "I just can't keep going like this."
He pointed out I was eligible for a few days in lieu of public holidays worked, and organised me to use those to catch up on rest and sleep.
(They normally worked you through the year and gave you cash in lieu of the days off at the end of the year.)

most certificates are for stress or run down from the doctor anyway

[Psyber]

.. Sorry guys went off the deep end .What I'm trying to say is the media is highlighting workers taking sickies .Yet employers can "FORGET" to give employees RDOS and thats not a media isue.And tell their employees it is against company policy to talk about work outside the work place.

I agree employers shouldn't cheat on the RDOs and suchlike either.

As for seeing specialists - when patients saw me, and requested a certificate, I wrote one saying "X had an essential medical appointment with me this morning/this afternoon." (Whichever was appropriate.)
Most companies just accepted them on that basis.

[The Sleeping Giant]

I have no guilt or problems with taking the odd day. When your employer is raking in the profit, it does make it easier.

[Mickyj]

.. Sorry guys went off the deep end .What I'm trying to say is the media is highlighting workers taking sickies .Yet employers can "FORGET" to give employees RDOS and thats not a media isue.And tell their employees it is against company policy to talk about work outside the work place.

I agree employers shouldn't cheat on the RDOs and suchlike either.

As for seeing specialists - when patients saw me, and requested a certificate, I wrote one saying "X had an essential medical appointment with me this morning/this afternoon." (Whichever was appropriate.)
Most companies just accepted them on that basis.

Problem wasnt the cert Psyber it was me doing the correct thing and asking in writing well on the computer .For 1 leave day like my boss said it was an hour visit which lasted 4 hours . after working for this company for almost 2 decades you'd think I'd know not to do the right thing .
I am worried by two things can a boss demand to know what was wrong with you when your off sick with a cert .I actually told my boss a lie with a cert because I didnt want him knowing the exact problem i had .I just told him i was stressed from my marriage break up and doc gave me a cert for 1 day he seemed fine with that .
The other thing that worries me is corncerning my knee/knees. I think most long term forumites know I have knee issues .Have had a good run lately .But while asking about a job switch my boss gave me a lecture on how very bad my knee is(seeing most of 2011 I'd been fine) .And they couldnt move me to another section for fear of me doing more damage to my knee .The way he described my knee issues has me concerned that someone perhaps a workcover doctor has given my employer info they shouldnt have.
Why I say workcover doctor i have had 2 recent workcover issues 1 being this knee .All be it I just walked into some paneling with screws sticking out .This professional work cover doctors practice gave me the willies .Firstly the doctor was very and I mean very unimpressed(best way to describe it he was irate) that I was now taking diabetic medication .And then his nurse almost refused to give me the tetnus shot he ordered due to all the medications I take.Plus the amount of time he wanted me to miss or be on light duties had even me thinking wtf.
Plus the first time I was treated at this workcover practice their inhouse physio kept saying you need private hospital insurance but wouldnt give me a reason.

lol sorry for the very long reply

[Mickyj]

yes you should have just taken a sick day instead of that drama

lesson learnt

[Psyber]

Problem wasnt the cert Psyber it was me doing the correct thing and asking in writing well on the computer .For 1 leave day like my boss said it was an hour visit which lasted 4 hours . after working for this company for almost 2 decades you'd think I'd know not to do the right thing .
I am worried by two things can a boss demand to know what was wrong with you when your off sick with a cert .I actually told my boss a lie with a cert because I didnt want him knowing the exact problem i had .I just told him i was stressed from my marriage break up and doc gave me a cert for 1 day he seemed fine with that .
The other thing that worries me is corncerning my knee/knees. I think most long term forumites know I have knee issues .Have had a good run lately .But while asking about a job switch my boss gave me a lecture on how very bad my knee is(seeing most of 2011 I'd been fine) .And they couldnt move me to another section for fear of me doing more damage to my knee .The way he described my knee issues has me concerned that someone perhaps a workcover doctor has given my employer info they shouldnt have.
Why I say workcover doctor i have had 2 recent workcover issues 1 being this knee .All be it I just walked into some paneling with screws sticking out .This professional work cover doctors practice gave me the willies .Firstly the doctor was very and I mean very unimpressed(best way to describe it he was irate) that I was now taking diabetic medication .And then his nurse almost refused to give me the tetnus shot he ordered due to all the medications I take.Plus the amount of time he wanted me to miss or be on light duties had even me thinking wtf.
Plus the first time I was treated at this workcover practice their inhouse physio kept saying you need private hospital insurance but wouldnt give me a reason.

lol sorry for the very long reply

Yeh, I got that Micky - I was just confirming my support for patient privacy with the policy I adopted.
When employers tried to ring and pump me occasionally I'd say you have the certificate and the medical details are none of your business.

I agree they way they react makes it simpler to not try to do the right think and just opt for the "sickie".
I've had patients told they have to see me "after hours" in future and I've given them a letter for the boss pointing out I'm not a GP and like most of my colleagues don't run after hours clinics.

Regarding confidentiality:
One of my friends who was a GP down the Port way used to ring me and say, "I'm wearing my hat as a doctor employed by GMH (who whoever ) to ask this."
Then he'd say about another patient, "I'm now wearing my private hat as the local GP."
I knew he would keep the information in confidence according to which role he asked in, but some may blur the edges more.
Another problem is that if there has ever been a claim that involved medical reports some former employers will forward copies to new employers.

I did a lot of WorkCover work myself but only as part of my practice.
I was bothered by some doctors who did nothing else but WorkCover opinions and case management because I felt they developed a slant I didn't like.
They don't all, but they can tend to get dependent on the good will of the insurance agencies that manage the claims.

Also, my experience was that in SA (and Victoria) WorkCover has tended to get rid of the fair minded agencies due to pressure to save the state government money.
This became more noticeable after the late 1990s.

As for Physio's, one I respected took the line that a good Physio should be able to teach you to treat yourself in six sessions, and any who tried to sell you "appliances" was a shonk..

Private insurance? One of the problems is that some of the top specialists just won't touch anything that involves WorkCover.
They figure that if something goes wrong in a procedure, which can occur in the best hands, the agency may decide to accuse them of careless work and run up a suit.
This again relates to the agency's need to make their own budget look good to the relevant Minister so they don't get dumped off the list next year.

Those top specialists figure they have plenty of work and don't need the hassle, nor the pressure on their own liability premiums.

[Mickyj]

Problem wasnt the cert Psyber it was me doing the correct thing and asking in writing well on the computer .For 1 leave day like my boss said it was an hour visit which lasted 4 hours . after working for this company for almost 2 decades you'd think I'd know not to do the right thing .
I am worried by two things can a boss demand to know what was wrong with you when your off sick with a cert .I actually told my boss a lie with a cert because I didnt want him knowing the exact problem i had .I just told him i was stressed from my marriage break up and doc gave me a cert for 1 day he seemed fine with that .
The other thing that worries me is corncerning my knee/knees. I think most long term forumites know I have knee issues .Have had a good run lately .But while asking about a job switch my boss gave me a lecture on how very bad my knee is(seeing most of 2011 I'd been fine) .And they couldnt move me to another section for fear of me doing more damage to my knee .The way he described my knee issues has me concerned that someone perhaps a workcover doctor has given my employer info they shouldnt have.
Why I say workcover doctor i have had 2 recent workcover issues 1 being this knee .All be it I just walked into some paneling with screws sticking out .This professional work cover doctors practice gave me the willies .Firstly the doctor was very and I mean very unimpressed(best way to describe it he was irate) that I was now taking diabetic medication .And then his nurse almost refused to give me the tetnus shot he ordered due to all the medications I take.Plus the amount of time he wanted me to miss or be on light duties had even me thinking wtf.
Plus the first time I was treated at this workcover practice their inhouse physio kept saying you need private hospital insurance but wouldnt give me a reason.

lol sorry for the very long reply

Yeh, I got that Micky - I was just confirming my support for patient privacy with the policy I adopted.
When employers tried to ring and pump me occasionally I'd say you have the certificate and the medical details are none of your business.

I agree they way they react makes it simpler to not try to do the right think and just opt for the "sickie".
I've had patients told they have to see me "after hours" in future and I've given them a letter for the boss pointing out I'm not a GP and like most of my colleagues don't run after hours clinics.

Regarding confidentiality:
One of my friends who was a GP down the Port way used to ring me and say, "I'm wearing my hat as a doctor employed by GMH (who whoever ) to ask this."
Then he'd say about another patient, "I'm now wearing my private hat as the local GP."
I knew he would keep the information in confidence according to which role he asked in, but some may blur the edges more.
Another problem is that if there has ever been a claim that involved medical reports some former employers will forward copies to new employers.

I did a lot of WorkCover work myself but only as part of my practice.
I was bothered by some doctors who did nothing else but WorkCover opinions and case management because I felt they developed a slant I didn't like.
They don't all, but they can tend to get dependent on the good will of the insurance agencies that manage the claims.

Also, my experience was that in SA (and Victoria) WorkCover has tended to get rid of the fair minded agencies due to pressure to save the state government money.
This became more noticeable after the late 1990s.

As for Physio's, one I respected took the line that a good Physio should be able to teach you to treat yourself in six sessions, and any who tried to sell you "appliances" was a shonk..

Private insurance? One of the problems is that some of the top specialists just won't touch anything that involves WorkCover.
They figure that if something goes wrong in a procedure, which can occur in the best hands, the agency may decide to accuse them of careless work and run up a suit.
This again relates to the agency's need to make their own budget look good to the relevant Minister so they don't get dumped off the list next year.

Those top specialists figure they have plenty of work and don't need the hassle, nor the pressure on their own liability premiums.

Thanks Psyber wasn't trying to be funny .Was worried about the sharing of my medical knowledge. As both my boss and this workcover doctor at different times both told me the same information re my knee .
As this knee was only injured by me walking into paneling with screws sticking out .And the 3 clean outs i had were not work cover .I still find it amusing both of the people i mentioned above .Have told me how I could make this badly injured knee(my bosses words) of mine worse by stepping up and down from a company forklift .
While I am a little slow on the uptake at times .It took me sometime to workout WTF are they saying .I moved into a two storey townhouse feb 2011.Easter 2011 was the last time I had any "serious pain"in this joint .Yes i do get arthritiss pain from time to time but the damn knee has felt so much better with me having to walk up and down a staircase !!
So while a forklift may casue me to injure my knee a staircase wont lmao !!!

And while on gthis workcover group of doctors I think its a pitty .That they run clinics in 3 suburbs that I know off and they can continue to practice the way they do.My first contact with them was with an injured wrist .Doctor was convinced it wasnt from me doing the same lifting job for 17yrs .By the end of my WC claim the physio gradully conceded that 17yrs of the same lifting could be the problem .The doctor on the other hand wanted me to stay on WC and get more tests .He wouldnt listern to me I was lucky the physio saw me and wrote done that I was recovered .they tried the same with knee if I'd seen my local GP as i wanted I would have only lost the 1 day and been back to normal on the monday . Even I admit it was just a knock that bled a little lmao

[FlyingHigh]

yes if they are abusing it, but havng a sick day here and there is not abusing. we all need to have a rest here and there, and most take there annual leave at once, also for companies that dont allow RDOs you can become very run down going 12 months without a break so a sick day is what you use, but not one every week or 2 weeks etc no. you cant by law i am sure, sacl someone for having one sick day in 2 months or 4 weeks etc. no way to prove it. If the boss seen you out on the day you called in then maybe so, but too hard and what company would send a manager out to your house to spy on you for that one sick day in 2 months etc, think there would be a trust issue there

Sometimes exhaustion can count as sickness.

However, after my first 6 months as a new young doctor at the RAH, on duty up to 150 hours a week I was wrecked.
I fronted the deputy Medical Superintendent and said, "I just can't keep going like this."
He pointed out I was eligible for a few days in lieu of public holidays worked, and organised me to use those to catch up on rest and sleep.
(They normally worked you through the year and gave you cash in lieu of the days off at the end of the year.)

150/168?

[Strawb]

Not allowed sickies anymore because it is fraud. If caught having a sickie and not really Sick my company has said they will sack you.

[Lightning McQueen]

Not allowed sickies anymore because it is fraud. If caught having a sickie and not really Sick my company has said they will sack you.

Sick doesn't have to be physical though.