MS and taking sick leave

Bennifred

Lindylou62 wrote: »

Thanks everyone for the advice. I'm going to ring my manager tomorrow and let him know I'll be posting a sick note for two weeks to him. I'll take it from there. If need be I can work via remote access for a couple of days of the week for a bit after that. Unfortunately he's like that with everyone who needs to take sick leave! You'd have thought working for a GP surgery would make him slightly more sympathetic, but there you go. My consultant was adamant that I need some time off and he's the expert on MS not my manager.

I only get four weeks sick leave a year so hopefully if I take some time off now, that will prevent me having to take further time off later in the year.

Remember - disability leave is different, and should not be counted towards your total sick leave. Please look after yourself, and don't worry about work.

zzzLazyDaisy

Lindylou62 wrote: »

I only get four weeks sick leave a year so hopefully if I take some time off now, that will prevent me having to take further time off later in the year.

You have an illness which counts as a 'disability' for the purposes of the Equality Act 2010. This means that the employer is obliged to make reasonable adjustments to its working practices, to enable you to continue working. What is 'reasonable' will vary from one employer to another, but not strictly imposing the normal workplace rules on sick leave is a fairly basic and expected adjustment. Just look after yourself, be guided by your consultant, and give yourself time to recover from this relapse. If you don't, you will end up doing exactly what they don't want you to do - having persistent and repeated absences.

One other thing - the other poster may be correct that 'disability leave' is dealt with under a separate procedure within the NHS, but this is not a legal obligation or a right, under general employment law. What matters is what the contractual arrangements are regarding own employment, and what adjustments it is reasonable to expect the employer to make.

Bennifred

zzzLazyDaisy wrote: »

You have an illness which counts as a 'disability' for the purposes of the Equality Act 2010. This means that the employer is obliged to make reasonable adjustments to its working practices, to enable you to continue working. What is 'reasonable' will vary from one employer to another, but not strictly imposing the normal workplace rules on sick leave is a fairly basic and expected adjustment. Just look after yourself, be guided by your consultant, and give yourself time to recover from this relapse. If you don't, you will end up doing exactly what they don't want you to do - having persistent and repeated absences.

One other thing - the other poster may be correct that 'disability leave' is dealt with under a separate procedure within the NHS, but this is not a legal obligation or a right, under general employment law. What matters is what the contractual arrangements are regarding own employment, and what adjustments it is reasonable to expect the employer to make.

Thank you for clarifying - I've obviously been fortunate with my employer!

skibadee

OP take the sick leave, you obviously need it, you won't/don't get thought anymore of if you try to work when your not well enough to.

Think of yourself, health always comes first!