PPRuNe Playmate of the Month
Join Date: Feb 1999
Location: Donington, Lincolnshire
Age: 69
Posts: 593
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I hesitate to step into the fray but I may be able to add a little clarity.
I would say that the letter from Bob Francis would be interpreted by a court/tribunal as being sent to each recipient on a personal basis. It was not specifically addressed to a group or body of recipients. The word "you" throughout should be taken to mean the individual recipient, i.e. yourself.
As regards self-certification, the legal requirement for the purposes of SSP is indeed a maximum of seven days. However, when you are sick your employer pays you the difference between SSP and your normal basic salary. For this an employer can ask for medical certification in any way it chooses including sending you to see the employer's doctor. Many companies nowadays have an outright limit on the number of sick days that may be taken in a twelve month period before pay over and above SSP is lost. In cases of genuine illness it can be better to turn up and subsequently be sent home when difficult circumstances such as IA are taking place.
(For the record, I spent 35 years working in City law firms, almost all in a corporate environment with the last eight specifically in the area of pensions/employee benefits.)