Only on the Weekends
An employee was taking multiple days off work due to what he claimed was an ongoing repetitive strain back injury. This employee was younger, was very fit and was always speaking about soccer. Our clients were particularly disturbed that his injuries tended to flare-up towards the end of the week, particularly on Fridays, and that he would often attend for medical appointments and treatments on Mondays, often working only Tuesdays to Thursdays. We began surveillance early on Saturday morning. Sure enough, the subject left home dressed in sports attire. After attending to some personal errands, he drove to an area field where an organized tournament was taking place. While the investigator initially believed the subject would be a spectator, he actually grabbed a team jersey from the trunk of his car, put on the shirt and joined his team on the field, where he was enthusiastically greeted by his team mates.
The investigator remained to watch the game and take extensive video of the subject, who was actually a very fine amateur athlete without a hint of back trouble. After reviewing the video tape, the investigator was sent back on Monday morning. Sure enough, the subject called into work sick. At 10:00 AM he attended a physiotherapy appointment and once done, he was followed to a local horse racing track where he cheered on several horses on which he had placed bets.