Confused, OC recommendation based on medical

[meni0n]

So I had a situation that confused me a little bit this morning.

I have been put on a geographical TCat for a medical issue last Fall and recently gotten a concussion during a unit sports day and got put on two weeks of half days due to the symptoms.

I was called into the OC's office, he had a folder with the TCat on one side and the medical chit for the two weeks on the other and he asked me to clarify them before he writes his recommendation for the CO.

I am a bit mystified about what kind of recommendation he is talking about. I had to explain that the TCat and  the chit were unrelated and that the TCat will be coming off next month but it looked like they were trying to link the two and start some sort of administrative action, which to me makes no sense since this was my first TCat in my career and had no employment limitations. Has anyone had this kind of thing happen before?

 

[Scoobie Newbie]

They may have been trying to determine if you were participating in an activity that was prohibited in your T Cat.

 

[meni0n]

I don't think that was the case, the TCat states that it's just geographical and he didn't know what the 2 week chit was for until I told him.

 

[Journeyman]

I am a bit mystified ......

I guess it would have been foolish to ask the OC.....you know, while you were standing there talking with him.

Of course, getting info from the source would deny the inevitable 3-4 pages of "I've got no details, but hell, I'll guess...."

 

[meni0n]

I'll try to find out more tomorrow since I am on half days but just wanted to see if chain of command can make admin recommendations based on medical documentation that they don't have complete or any information. I am pretty sure I am also not required to reveal detailed medical information to the CoC, just what medical limitations I am under.

 

[DAA]

I'll try to find out more tomorrow since I am on half days but just wanted to see if chain of command can make admin recommendations based on medical documentation that they don't have complete or any information. I am pretty sure I am also not required to reveal detailed medical information to the CoC, just what medical limitations I am under.

You're correct.  You are not under any obligation to disclose any medical information to your CoC.  You just merely direct their questions back to the appropriate CAF medical professionals.

The CoC comments on the 2088's are pretty much templated these days.  So they are pretty much limited to what they can say and they definitely can't initiate admin reviews of any sort.

Simply stated, "I'd rather not discuss my medical issues and leave that between you and the attending MO, sir/maam."  If you aren't comfortable in doing this, I'd suggest you pay a visit to your CF H Svcs Det and let them know you are being asked these types of questions.

Nevertheless, chances are, the person interviewing you may not be familiar with current policies, which does happen from time to time, so cut them a little bit of slack.  They probably don't mean any harm.

 

[JesseWZ]

Is it possible they were attempting to staff and or complete a CF 98 or DND 663?

 

[meni0n]

Unfortunately no since I was asked to fill out the CF98 after I told him the 2 week chit was for the fall, which leads me to believe they thought that the TCat and the chit were related, which would explain why they were both in the same folder.

 

[Fishbone Jones]

Unfortunately no since I was asked to fill out the CF98 after I told him the 2 week chit was for the fall, which leads me to believe they thought that the TCat and the chit were related, which would explain why they were both in the same folder.

Answered your own question.

---Staff---

 

[meni0n]

Definitely not, because the first question was, can I explain these before he makes his recommendation to the CO. If he's not allowed to ask for medical details, what recommendation was he planning to make. I'll stop speculating and will go see the SSM tomorrow to clarify.

 

[Scoobie Newbie]

If your chit said no lower body pt for example and you got injured running then they might have grounds.

 

[Haligonian]

In my unit before the CO signs off on a 2088 he get's a minute sheet from the OC explaining the situation.  It is quite possible that it was for this.  Imagine yourself being the CO signing these 2088's on the members with little to no knowledge of the situation.

Don't get me started on the CF health system and what knowledge they're allowed to release.  Pretty hard to look after our people and the institution without know what is going on with our soldiers.

Medical marijuana being one major bone of contention.

 

[Nudibranch]

In my unit before the CO signs off on a 2088 he get's a minute sheet from the OC explaining the situation.  It is quite possible that it was for this.  Imagine yourself being the CO signing these 2088's on the members with little to no knowledge of the situation.

Don't get me started on the CF health system and what knowledge they're allowed to release.  Pretty hard to look after our people and the institution without know what is going on with our soldiers.

No employer has the right to know diagnosis; the CAF is not special in that respect. "Your" soldier owns his medical information and can disclose it at will, if he feels like it - many have, many have not. But the med system will only tell you MELs and time periods, and prognosis if appropriate (eg, when a unit needs to make a decision on JPSU posting).

As for med marijuana, check out the interim guidance. Those guys should be on so many safety-sensitive MELs that I don't understand how anyone wouldn't post to JPSU. At that point "the institution" isn't an issue.

 

[jeffb]

I fill out a ton of minute sheets for 2088s. Usually they go something like this: "Sir, member injured himself while attending morning PT. He is currently employed as a vehicle tech in the B Shop. Speaking with the member, I expect that he will make a full recovery within a few weeks. Member will be employed in the tool crib within MELs until recovered..." It would be a rare CO who could track the medical status of every soldier in their unit in detail before signing a 2088 so they know the context of the 2088.

I would be very surprised if there is anything nefarious here.

 

[medicineman]

You don't get 2088's for something that will last a couple weeks - the 2018 is for that.  A 2088 is the formal Change of Medical Category form, which, as this case seems to show, takes almost to the time of expiry to arrive on someone's desk for approval.  To the OP, in all likelihood, as jeffb notes, it was an interview to see where things were/are going, as there is a CO's recommendation as the last minute line of the form before your signature.  Pointing out that the 2088 and the 2018 had noting to do with each other is pretty important.  If it were a CF98 SI, they should have brought that up with you and that they were verifying your statement.

To all the folks out there that don't understand medical employment limitations they're often easy to sort out by what can/can't be done.  As to what's wrong, if the member wishes to volunteer that information, they can - the MEL's tell you what you NEED to know, which is how your soldier can be employed.

MM