Furlough Leave and sick leave....

ElaineDarby1984

So I’m due to have a surgical procedure next week. I am on furlough and have been for 3 months but my workplace is getting ready to open back up in July. Though not all staff will be back yet. Just wondering how it works if I get a drs note after surgery. Would I need to send this in and move to sick pay, which at £94 a week is half what I get on furlough. My workplace pay company sick pay but they possibly could have changed this since the covid situation. I’d rather stay furloughed for the rest of July whilst I recover but if work want me back and I can’t cos of pre op recovery I’ll be in the crap. 

Just getting worried cos I’ve been coping on furlough pay and this would be better for the rest of July at least instead of SSP. just makes things harder for me. My work knows about my planned procedure so I’m not hiding anything from them. This whole situation is confusing sometimes. 

Jeremy535897

You need to discuss it with your employer. See guidance:

"If your employee becomes sick while furloughed

Furloughed employees retain their statutory rights, including their right to Statutory Sick Pay. This means that furloughed employees who become ill, due to Coronavirus or any other cause, must be paid at least Statutory Sick Pay. Subject to eligibility this includes those self-isolating or shielding because of Coronavirus. It is up to employers to decide whether to move these employees onto Statutory Sick Pay or to keep them on furlough, at their furloughed rate.

If a furloughed employee who becomes sick is moved onto SSP, employers can no longer claim for the furloughed salary. Employers are required to pay SSP themselves, although may qualify for a rebate for up to 2 weeks of SSP if the sickness is related to coronavirus.

If employers keep the sick furloughed employee on the furloughed rate for the period that they are sick, they remain eligible to claim for these costs through the furloughed scheme. Such an employee can continue to be furloughed from 1 July so long as you have previously submitted a claim for them in relation to a furlough period of at least 3 consecutive weeks taking place any time between 1 March 2020 and 30 June."

From https://www.gov.uk/guidance/check-which-employees-you-can-put-on-furlough-to-use-the-coronavirus-job-retention-scheme#if-your-employees-health-has-been-affected-by-coronavirus-covid-19-or-any-other-conditions

ElaineDarby1984

Thank you for your reply. Very helpful thank you