Rules about taking sick days from work

[mh1923]

I've only lived in the UK for 2 years, so I don't know all the rules about sick days.

Until this cold/sinus infection started, my last sick day was last April. I'd never missed more than a day or two for the random cold or migraine. But I guess I was due for a bad one.

I started feeling bad 28/12, and called in sick 29/12. If it hadn't been a long weekend, I'd have missed more days, but by Tuesday 2/1 I was feeling mostly better and went back to work.

By Thursday 4/1 I started feeling bad again and left work early and saw the doctor, who prescribed antibiotics. I missed Friday 5/1 and Monday and Tuesday of this week, and probably will miss tomorrow too.

Does this count as two occurrences for missing work, or just one? Could I arrange to go back to work for half days until I'm fully recovered, or would I need a doctor's note for that?

[Savvy_Sue]

I would suggest checking with your Human Resources department: do you get paid full pay initially, or are you straight onto SSP (and thus not paid for the first 3 days of any sickness)?

As for working half days, there is no automatic entitlement to do this. Your employer might agree to let you do it, but if your GP gives you a certificate saying you should refrain from work then you should refrain from work.

I did a phased return to work after major surgery, and needed a letter from my GP confirming that I was fit to work a little bit, and that a phased return would be helpful. But it was very much down to the flexibility of my employers that I could do this, and I don't know what it would have done to my payments if I'd only been on SSP.