Seeking another job while on sick leave

System

lincroft1710 wrote: »

I think the argument would be that if you're well enough to attend (possible stressful) interviews, you're well enough to go into work!

Doesn't work like that. If you have two jobs, one which requires standing and one which is sitting and you injure your leg so you can't stand you can go on sick on the job which requires standing and you are still eligible to SSP from that whilst still going to work at the one that is sat down.

Mistral001

As has been said if you are well enough to go to an interview, you are well enough to work and hence should not be receiving sickness pay. If you go through with your plans you are being deceitful to your employer, the prospective employer you are having the interview with and the doctor who is supplying the sick note and probably breaking the law with regard to claiming sickness pay.

sportsarb

I don''t think there is the slightest thing morally wrong about looking for another job while you are off sick, if a contributing factor to being off sick is your current job, it only seems reasonable to look for alternative employment.

I doubt you employer would be overjoyed but as far as possible, make sure they don't find out, and if they do then let them know that you are genuinely ill but wanted to look for something that would cause you less aggro so that you no longer needed sick pay from them.

There's a lot of quasi-legal opinion in this thread, I won't add to that, I just want to say that I think you are fine looking for other jobs if the current one is making you ill.

Mistral001

sportsarb wrote: »

I don''t think there is the slightest thing morally wrong about looking for another job while you are off sick, if a contributing factor to being off sick is your current job, it only seems reasonable to look for alternative employment.

I doubt you employer would be overjoyed but as far as possible, make sure they don't find out, and if they do then let them know that you are genuinely ill but wanted to look for something that would cause you less aggro so that you no longer needed sick pay from them.

There's a lot of quasi-legal opinion in this thread, I won't add to that, I just want to say that I think you are fine looking for other jobs if the current one is making you ill.

It is OK as long as you are not found out? What if he/she is found out? What will your advice be after say the possible resulting 12 months of long-term unemployment?

Exodi

I'd expect a scathing reference if you were to return from sick leave with a letter of resignation.

I had an ex-colleague who would frequently take days off because his children were sick (we're talking 1 day a week for a few months) - in fact it turned into a bit of a running joke about his cursed children. The management weren't overly impressed but were empathetic about children always coming first. A few weeks on he hands his notice in, it was pretty obvious that he'd been using the time off to interview.

Thankfully for the employee, his new employer didn't request a reference (as his old manager had already indicated he'd provide an interesting reference). Fast forward a year, a fantastic job in the old industry (it's a quite a small industry, everyone knows everyone) comes up and my old colleague is recommended it by one of his ex-customers. We're talking a £20,000 pay rise. He goes for it, everything seems to indicate he'll get it and then suddenly the job is withdrawn. I'm quite good friends with his ex-manager and he told me he had an earnest conversation with the customer.

Genuinely a true story, I haven't actually told the ex-colleague why the job offer was withdrawn (I'm quite good friends with him also) but I'd imagine he's aware - apparently he wrote a personal letter of apology to the ex-manager shortly after.

EDIT: We don't know how far the consequences of our actions reach, but we do know if there are likely to be consequences. There's no reason you can't go back to work and then look for employment like everyone else - perhaps even be open about the lack of emotional support if that truly is your reason for leaving.

Exodi

sportsarb wrote: »

I don''t think there is the slightest thing morally wrong about looking for another job while you are off sick, if a contributing factor to being off sick is your current job, it only seems reasonable to look for alternative employment.

I doubt you employer would be overjoyed but as far as possible, make sure they don't find out, and if they do then let them know that you are genuinely ill but wanted to look for something that would cause you less aggro so that you no longer needed sick pay from them.

You give very dangerous advice. How exactly do you 'make sure they don't find out' when getting a new job inevitably requires a) requesting references b) submitting resignation?

Mistral001 wrote: »

It is OK as long as you are not found out? What if he/she is found out? What will your advice be after 12 months of long-term unemployment?

Agreed.

sportsarb

Exodi wrote: »

You give very dangerous advice. How exactly do you 'make sure they don't find out' when getting a new job inevitably requires a) requesting references b) submitting resignation?

I didn't actually advocate one way or the other, other than to say I think there is nothing morally wrong with looking for a new job. And If they do decide to look for other employment, as far as possible they should make sure the current employer doesn't find out during the search phase.

In any case, I don't believe being ill for the current job and being able to look for an alternative are mutually exclusive, both can co-exist.

Finally, I made a point of saying that I wasn't trying to give out legal advice, as there are plenty that do but confuse their opinion with legal advice.

Mistral001 wrote: »

It is OK as long as you are not found out? What if he/she is found out? What will your advice be after say the possible resulting 12 months of long-term unemployment?

As I said to the other person, I personally think it is morally fine regardless of whether the current employer finds out. If he/she is found out then they deal with whatever consequences arise from it, they have gone into this situation with their eyes wide open.

Why would I give an opinion on any period of long term unemployment? Its up to the OP to make their mind up on what they want to do.

LilElvis

sportsarb wrote: »

I didn't actually advocate one way or the other, other than to say I think there is nothing morally wrong with looking for a new job. And If they do decide to look for other employment, as far as possible they should make sure the current employer doesn't find out during the search phase.

In any case, I don't believe being ill for the current job and being able to look for an alternative are mutually exclusive, both can co-exist.

Finally, I made a point of saying that I wasn't trying to give out legal advice, as there are plenty that do but confuse their opinion with legal advice.



As I said to the other person, I personally think it is morally fine regardless of whether the current employer finds out. If he/she is found out then they deal with whatever consequences arise from it, they have gone into this situation with their eyes wide open.

Why would I give an opinion on any period of long term unemployment? Its up to the OP to make their mind up on what they want to do.

In which case the OP has already shot themselves in the foot as their employer is aware that she is looking for another job - because she told them. See her thread from a couple of months ago.

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/5950223/question-regarding-formal-supervisions

sportsarb

LilElvis wrote: »

In which case the OP has already shot themselves in the foot as their employer is aware that she is looking for another job - because she told them. See her thread from a couple of months ago.

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/5950223/question-regarding-formal-supervisions

Well, then the whole thing is moot anyway, if you sound a klaxon then shout 'I'm looking for alternative employment' its very much the case that the horse has bolted.

Reading that thread, do many employers actually have supervision meetings of that kind? I can understand updates on performance etc but in any employment I have had the majority of a supervisors work hasn't actually been supervision, they had their own jobs to do and were merely approvers of leave and contact points for any queries that needed to be raised up through levels of management.

lincroft1710

Tarambor wrote: »

Doesn't work like that. If you have two jobs, one which requires standing and one which is sitting and you injure your leg so you can't stand you can go on sick on the job which requires standing and you are still eligible to SSP from that whilst still going to work at the one that is sat down.

If you read further down you will see that the reasons why OP doesn't want to return to work is because a co-worker isn't the sort of person to make them a cup of tea and have a 10 minute chat and that their job is "emotionally draining". I think interview situations can also be "emotionally draining"