Can an employer do a home visit if off sick in first week?

Question

The personnel dept at a friends work is insisting that all employees receive a home visit from the HR dept after 3 days off sick. Is this an invasion of privacy?

Answer 1

It is VERY unusual for employers to visit employees in person unless they are off on long term sickness. SSP only kicks in after 3 days!

I would not say that was normal by any means.

There is no law to prevent this but it is very rare and bad practice to do so

Answer 2

That seems excessive, after 3 days you have to get a cert or get in touch/ go to the Docs, usually. Get your friend to read her contract and the sickness policy for the company. Also try ACAS, check the website or they have a number you can call for free advice (also on the website). But usually if it is going to state anything about a home visit, this may be arranged where someone is off long term and only in the best interest of the employee. To discuss staggered return, anything that may make returning to work easier etc. I personally would say that is an invasion of privacy and ridiculous, how much time would be wasted!

Answer 3

find a new job, I worked for a company like that for a short time where they wanted to know every single thing in my life going on even when I was not schelduled to work. Then if you where sick just for 1 day they wanted a doctors note and the doctors note was unexcused if the doctor did not state the reason why you where sick and in my opinion it is none of their business why I am sick and what virus or disease I or anyone else has out there. In my opinion all that kind of stuff my employer and your employeris doing is against the hippa laws and ADA. I would call a lawyer and talk to other co workers about a lawyer. I talked to a lawyer but a lawyer told me there was not much he could do unless I was actually fired for being out sick with a doctors note and if I was fired for refusing to state my reason on the note. I just got so tired of it and I was always sick cause of their dumb rules that everyone would come to work sick and we would pass it on to each other, but otherwise since I left their and got a new job I am never sick and the company I work for treats us like a human being instead of slaves at a sweat shop.

Answer 4

Depends on person's contract. Details should be covered in the document and the company's policies and procedures. In the UK you can generally self-certify for the first week, after which you need a medical certificate. If you were to refuse a visit then it could be argued that you were hiding something. Personally I've only known home visits to happen after lengthy absences or in situations where a person's recovery time is difficult to determine. Generally these visits are supposed to be about supporting the employee but I suppose they could be seen as intrusive.

Answer 5

I think this is nothing but a "lame duck" policy meant to intimdate the employees. Visiting you at home doesn't prove you were sick...it only proves you were HOME. All that is required for a more than three-day absence is a doctor's note; and even the doctor's note only has to state that you are under a doctor's care....it doesn't even have to say WHY. As a matter of fact, under the new HIPAA regulations, the doctor is not ALLOWED to say why you are being treated.

Answer 6

THIS IS SICK! But if he/she signed for it when hired, then is a contractual obligation, he/she must do it or get fired (a contract is a contract).

If he/she didn't signed for such a thing, then he/she can say no, the note from the doctor is a legal evidence and all they need, if he/she get fired he/she can sue.

If the person do not remember signing for such a thing, ask for evidence; a professional and respectfull company will provide the evidence.

This is the kind of things that unprofessional and abusive companies do to "keep employees in line"; I'd prefer to not to work for that kind of slave-like work place. Tell your friend to star looking for a better work place, there's no future in that kind of enviroment.

If in doubt call your "union representative" or the Labor Department Office (or the whatever is called in your area) of your city, they'll tell you what is legal or not for an employer to do in that state.

Answer 7

That's ridiculous, and a waste of resources. You can be off work 7 days before you even need a doctor's sick note, so I don't see why they would visit someone who had only been off for 3. don't they mean if you have 3 period of absence due to sickness, rather than just 3 days. Surely they haven't got the manpower to enforce that anyway-what if a flu bug went around and loads of people were off? It sounds like scare tactics to me. I'd be looking for another job!

Answer 8

If it's in the contract, they can do it. If not, they can request the person, or people, working for them to sign new contracts containing it.

Although, even if it's not in the contract, if they refuse the visit, the company could fire them. Maybe not for that particular incident, but a company can always find something wrong if they want to get rid of an employee legally.

Answer 9

I think you'll find that its actually illegal to harass anyone while they are sick. I would check with acas via their website about this but I have always been told this by previous employers. It would be different if you hadnt notified the company but if you've phoned in sick thats the end of it. If you are really sick you wouldn't open the door anyway. I dont get what the company are hoping to achieve xxxxxxxx

Answer 10

U can see it as a violations of privacy. But when ure sick wouldnt u like a visit of ure manager to see how ure doin? U also can call it human intrest.