Can you take a second job if you have been off sick?

[EachandEveryone]

I had surgery and have been off sick four months due back on phased return. When i go bac’ ive lots of annual leave to take and i work 30 hours now. Phased return means no nights for awhile. Im just thinking aloud really. Do you ever have those days when you think i wish i worked in a coffee shop/book shop/M&S etc? Not that it would pay the bills but just for a change of scene. I was thinking of applying to John Lewis for afew hours a week over the Christmas period. My local one is advertising. Is this a good or bad idea? Does anyone know if its even allowed?

I think you need to ask your employer or look at your contract. You have to declare a second job at my company.

Working in retail can be extremely stressful. Are you sure you're up for that if you're recovering from surgery?

Are you likely to be working your usual job over Christmas, what happens if you're due to work both jobs the same day, you may not be able to take a.l. over the holidays I'd this is the n.h.s.

Presumably, you've been advised to have a phased return to work because it's necessary for your health? It would be unadvisable to take on extra work if that's likely to impede your recovery in any way. I imagine your employer would be unimpressed if you ended up going off sick again because you weren't listening to the medical advice. I guess it depends what your current role involves, why you have been signed off and why you're being advised to do a phased return. And, of course, on what your contract says about second jobs....

Coffee shop/M&S are not easy jobs.

No they arent. Neither is mine but i have lots of annual leave that needs to be taken. Ive volunteered to work Christmas day. I can work overtime after three months and overtime is classed as a second job. I guess im just getting cold feet returning back to work after all this time and i dont particularly want to be doing overtime on the ward again. I just wanted a differebt environment.

Also consider that the new job will seek a reference from your current employer. Depending on what standard reference looks like/ what new employer asks, your sickness record might put a potential new employer off (they tend to only look at the last year).

I don't see a problem if you work during your holiday. Why not run it by HR?

Basically I have that much annual leave I will only be working one day a week between now and Christmas