Off sick and going on holiday

csh_2

Hello all, am currently signed off work due to shoulder/back pain. I have been off for 3.5 wks and my current sick line is up on Wednesday next week.
I have been booked to go on holiday from work from next Friday for 2.5 wks since January.

At the moment it doesn't look like I will be fit to return to work when I come back from holiday. I have quite a manual job and basically 'light duties' doesn't exsist. I have been seeing a chiropractor twice a week for treatment and things are improving but rushing back to work will cause problems in the long term.

My question is I am unsure what I should be doing about sick lines while I am off on holiday? Should I just be 'on holiday' or be off sick?

tanith

When this happened to me while still working I cancelled my holiday leave and remained sick... my boss had no problem with that but maybe you should discuss it with HR to see what the policy is..

Googlewhacker

csh wrote: »

Hello all, am currently signed off work due to shoulder/back pain. I have been off for 3.5 wks and my current sick line is up on Wednesday next week.
I have been booked to go on holiday from work from next Friday for 2.5 wks since January.

At the moment it doesn't look like I will be fit to return to work when I come back from holiday. I have quite a manual job and basically 'light duties' doesn't exsist. I have been seeing a chiropractor twice a week for treatment and things are improving but rushing back to work will cause problems in the long term.

My question is I am unsure what I should be doing about sick lines while I am off on holiday? Should I just be 'on holiday' or be off sick?

What you really are asking is 'is it ok to go on holiday if I am off sick' now in some cases it will be yes and some will be No.

have you asked the company if there are any light duties you can do in the short term or are you presuming?

purple12

I can't say exactly but where I work I'd be required to have a sick note (or well note or whatever they are now!) to cover the period of the holiday. If I'm well enough to go on holiday and not to work, that's fine, as long as a doctor backed it up and it would be classed as sick time not as annual leave.. but I've worked for the same employers for years so don't know if that's standard!

getmore4less

If you are sick you need the note.

You should get you holiday allowance back.

SarEl

purple12 wrote: »

I can't say exactly but where I work I'd be required to have a sick note (or well note or whatever they are now!) to cover the period of the holiday. If I'm well enough to go on holiday and not to work, that's fine, as long as a doctor backed it up and it would be classed as sick time not as annual leave.. but I've worked for the same employers for years so don't know if that's standard!

Regardless of what an individual employer may or may not do in practice - this is the legal position and therefore the safest. If you are off sick then all parts of your contract still apply, including provisions for booking and taking holiday - the employer must be notified and must agree to it. The employer may then consider it holiday or sick leave - that bit is up to them - and they may require medical evidence to confirm that you are fit to go on holiday. Even if the holiday is already booked, you cannot simply "go off" whilst sick without ensuring that you have your permissions and agreements all lined up. Generally it doesn't cause any problems. The problems usually emerge when people who are on sick leave simply take off on holiday, leaving questions about whether they are genuinely sick or skiving!

csh_2

Googlewhacker wrote: »

What you really are asking is 'is it ok to go on holiday if I am off sick' now in some cases it will be yes and some will be No.

have you asked the company if there are any light duties you can do in the short term or are you presuming?

No, what I'm asking is should I stay sick or come of the sick for a fortnight then go back on the sick.

I am not presuming anything. I work as a manager in a budget supermarket with minimal staff and we have to keep to a strict productivity budget.
In the eyes of my work you are either fit for everything or don't be there.

Googlewhacker

csh wrote: »

No, what I'm asking is should I stay sick or come of the sick for a fortnight then go back on the sick.

I am not presuming anything. I work as a manager in a budget supermarket with minimal staff and we have to keep to a strict productivity budget.
In the eyes of my work you are either fit for everything or don't be there.

In the eyes of Dr's you could be fit for light duties and a phased return to work which is what you would want in the end I guess?

SarEl

csh wrote: »

No, what I'm asking is should I stay sick or come of the sick for a fortnight then go back on the sick.

I think that would be the point of what I was saying. As a manager, if someone was signed off as unfit for work, then suddenly "got better" to go on holiday (i.e. not signed off sick), then suddenly got too ill to work again when they returned - it sort of lends itself towards the interpretation that someone is skiving! I realise you aren't - but you don't want to give that impression either. So you need to discuss this with the employer and come to an agreement with them as to your staying on sick but being fit enough to take the holiday (with doctors support if the employer requires it).

woody01

csh wrote: »

Hello all, am currently signed off work due to shoulder/back pain. I have been off for 3.5 wks and my current sick line is up on Wednesday next week.
I have been booked to go on holiday from work from next Friday for 2.5 wks since January.

At the moment it doesn't look like I will be fit to return to work when I come back from holiday. I have quite a manual job and basically 'light duties' doesn't exsist. I have been seeing a chiropractor twice a week for treatment and things are improving but rushing back to work will cause problems in the long term.

My question is I am unsure what I should be doing about sick lines while I am off on holiday? Should I just be 'on holiday' or be off sick?

So you can be off sick but can't go to work.
You shoulder must really hurt.

Evilm

I'd speak to your doctor and get a sick note that covers you for that period anyway and then tell your bosses they can either use your sick note or your holiday allotment for that period.