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Quacks & Pseudoscience

scaramanga

scaramanga

Paul Miller
Staff member
Need a little help if anyone here has the expertise.

One of our employees went home sick yesterday with a bad back. I've received an email from her today telling me that she's seeing an acupuncturist and should therefore be better soon and able to return to work.

This employee is fairly vital to the throughput of our business and cover is stretched in that department at the best of times. In other words, we cannot afford to continue without her presence over any kind of medium to long term period.

So my question is; to what extent is one's employee required to seek proper, recognised medical attention, and to what extent am I as an employer able to insist she seeks it?
 
scaramanga said:
Need a little help if anyone here has the expertise.

One of our employees went home sick yesterday with a bad back. I've received an email from her today telling me that she's seeing an acupuncturist and should therefore be better soon and able to return to work.

This employee is fairly vital to the throughput of our business and cover is stretched in that department at the best of times. In other words, we cannot afford to continue without her presence over any kind of medium to long term period.

So my question is; to what extent is one's employee required to seek proper, recognised medical attention, and to what extent am I as an employer able to insist she seeks it?
Click to expand...

Poch says: You should always have 2 players able to play in each position. You have left yourself exposed without a Plan B, so must now risk playing someone out of position until your key player is match fit
Decision: indirect free-kick
 
Aldo said:
Poch says: You should always have 2 players able to play in each position. You have left yourself exposed without a Plan B, so must now risk playing someone out of position until your key player is match fit
Decision: indirect free-kick
Click to expand...
Those sound like the words of a civil servant - why spend one lot of wages when you can spend two?
 
scaramanga said:
Those sound like the words of a civil servant - why spend one lot of wages when you can spend two?
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Ive never been so insulted!
I'm talking about job covering key tasks. Pretty basic business practice, I'm surprised you don't seem to have this in place - if this woman is so key to the progress of your business it's an own goal to have left yourself so exposed in her absence.

But it's done now, so the first thing I'd do when she returns is have her upload her knowledge and essential tasks to someone else who will be able to cover her alongside their own role. Back injuries have a habit of recurring.
 
Aldo said:
Ive never been so insulted!
I'm talking about job covering key tasks. Pretty basic business practice, I'm surprised you don't seem to have this in place - if this woman is so key to the progress of your business it's an own goal to have left yourself so exposed in her absence.

But it's done now, so the first thing I'd do when she returns is have her upload her knowledge and essential tasks to someone else who will be able to cover her alongside their own role. Back injuries have a habit of recurring.
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We have cover, that can't be a permanent solution though.

Either she has to get well and return to work or we have to replace her. If she's not getting medical treatment then the former is unlikely.
 
monkeybarry said:
Can she work from home?
Could be a good option.
Did she say the back issue is work related?
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Not really. The role is production-related, she needs to go and look at work as it comes in pretty much every day.

Fortunately she's not the type to be claiming a flimflam injury at work. Even if she did, there's no way she'd get anything - the fact that some quack's been fudging about with her back would be plenty for us to show it could have happened elsewhere.
 
scaramanga said:
We have cover, that can't be a permanent solution though.

Either she has to get well and return to work or we have to replace her. If she's not getting medical treatment then the former is unlikely.
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She only went home yesterday!

As you say, you have cover. I doubt it will be long term (bad back is so 1980's).

I think what is needling :))) you is her choice of treatment and her matter of fact assumption that she'll be back fine and dandy in no time.

You may think it's gonads but as @Notmegov states....it's on the list. Let it play out for a bit or offer chiro or osteo sessions on the company.(if she's that valuable)
 
scaramanga said:
Need a little help if anyone here has the expertise.

One of our employees went home sick yesterday with a bad back. I've received an email from her today telling me that she's seeing an acupuncturist and should therefore be better soon and able to return to work.

This employee is fairly vital to the throughput of our business and cover is stretched in that department at the best of times. In other words, we cannot afford to continue without her presence over any kind of medium to long term period.

So my question is; to what extent is one's employee required to seek proper, recognised medical attention, and to what extent am I as an employer able to insist she seeks it?
Click to expand...

How long is she going to be off for Scara? If it is going to be a while, she has a doctors note and the doctor has sent her to see an acupuncturist, I doubt that there is anything that you can do.

Of course the treatment will do nothing for her above placebo and most (non-severe) back pain heals itself given a little rest.
 
ricky2tricky4city said:
She only went home yesterday!

As you say, you have cover. I doubt it will be long term (bad back is so 1980's).

I think what is needling :))) you is her choice of treatment and her matter of fact assumption that she'll be back fine and dandy in no time.

You may think it's cobblers but as @Notmegov states....it's on the list. Let it play out for a bit or offer chiro or osteo sessions on the company.(if she's that valuable)
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Chiropractors are quacks too and amongst the dangerous.
 
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milo said:
Chiropractors are quacks too and amongst the dangerous.
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Yep i know that, chiro more a waste of time imv, but now wondering what the other options are treatment wise, beyond rest. All three of the options mentioned have helped people (even if it is short term).

Prevention is better than cure with backs but obviously this lady is beyond that atm.
 
ricky2tricky4city said:
Yep i know that, chiro more a waste of time imv, but now wondering what the other options are treatment wise, beyond rest. All three of the options mentioned have helped people (even if it is short term).

Prevention is better than cure with backs but obviously this lady is beyond that atm.
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If it is not a serious condition, I would expect most doctors to tell the patient to get plenty of rest and take ibuprofen.
 
milo said:
Chiropractors are quacks too and amongst the dangerous.
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Sorry but that is just a nonsense statement, yes chiropractic does not work for all but it is a very well respected form of treatment. My wife is a chiropator and you would not believe the amount of people who's lives have been changed for the better due to her help. It's simple really she help peoples body to heal them self's by making sure all the parts are in the correct place.
 
ricky2tricky4city said:
She only went home yesterday!

As you say, you have cover. I doubt it will be long term (bad back is so 1980's).

I think what is needling :))) you is her choice of treatment and her matter of fact assumption that she'll be back fine and dandy in no time.

You may think it's cobblers but as @Notmegov states....it's on the list. Let it play out for a bit or offer chiro or osteo sessions on the company.(if she's that valuable)
Click to expand...
It's not really that her choice of treatment is needling me, more that she hasn't sought any real treatment at all.

My first concern is that I don't know where I stand in recommending that she sees a real doctor.

My second is that she may return to work and do some damage to what may be an underlying condition that she thinks is fixed because her chi has all turned blue or whatever the fudge chi does.

My third is that I might end up paying out sick pay to someone who is following the advice of a charlatan with no medical knowledge whatsoever. That advice may prolong the condition, at the very least it will obstruct a proper diagnosis and treatment.
 
milo said:
How long is she going to be off for Scara? If it is going to be a while, she has a doctors note and the doctor has sent her to see an acupuncturist, I doubt that there is anything that you can do.
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That's the one that really concerns me.

If a doctor has essentially washed his hands of the problem, then she will be seeing a charlatan until she is better.

I wonder how many acupuncturists have ever told a patient "Your back problems are cured, no need to come back"?
 
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