Would you do this at work?

[RapunzelsRealMom]

Just a poll really to see if I’m in the minority or not...

If you are relatively serious about your job, not senior but in a responsible role, and you have booked annual leave at work but, at that time, you end up sick , would you bother to ‘reclaim’ the sick days so that you can use the annual leave at a later date?

It's happened automatically in my job. But that was where I was signed off on long term sick before and after the holiday period.

Nope !

I was signed off for two month which included time which I had planned to take as annual leave (over Christmas). I took it all as sick leave on the advice of HR.

@op - she's gone down in your estimation despite it being a legal right? I find that odd. Our company insists on a sick note, which you wouldn't get for just a cold etc. So- perhaps would merit some severity. But if it's a legal right, then surely she is entitled to it, and therefore your judgement is unfair.

It is completely legal to claim it back! If she hadn’t been on leave she would have been off sick anyway and still have holidays left. YABU

Yes - if I had a GP’s sick note. Not for a cold.

Maybe my judgement is unfair but from these posts I'm certainly not alone.

I just wouldn't do it - I have a job to do and often not enough time to do it. I want to be as effective as possible and regard it as tough luck if I'm unwell on a day off. Actually, on reflection, I'd probably rather feel unwell on a holiday than feel that I should go into work when I don't feel great

When I worked for the NHS, the trust I was at allowed this as part of their annual leave policy. I think most NHS trusts do.

As lots of people on this thread have stated, it would probably take hospital admission levels of sickness for lots of us to take this.

I witnessed and had to sign off on so much piss taking with regards to this - and I could pick out exactly which people would use it to maximise their annual leave.

It was the same people that took every single day of their carers leave allowance every year.

It was the same part time staff who always made every single dentist, doctors, physio appointment etc etc on the days they worked, rather than the days they were off.

It was the same people who took their bereavement allowance every single year because their cousins neighbours uncle's dog had died and they simply must attend the funeral and have 2 days off afterwards.

Yes it's legal.
Yes plenty of people use it to take the piss.

The law is pretty clear that you shouldn't have to use annual leave up if you're unwell- nor should you go into work if you're sick, and there should certainly be no pressure or obligation to do that either.

If your colleague isn't a shirker generally, then cut them some slack. They've only acted as their entitled to do. If their rarely ill, all you've effectively given them is a "normal" sick day.

Coffee I know exactly what you mean

I enquired about claiming it back once, but it required a doctor's note, my hospital discharge slip apparently wasn't sufficient and I didn't pursue it any further.

I would if it meant that I couldn't do what I had planned for my annual leave, might not if it was just a few days chilling at home. We are supposed to though as we have a policy that says to and if managers know we were ill then they would ask. I'm not surprised that so many people wouldn't though as workers rights seem to have been eroded so much employees feel cheeky asking for them. How sad.

I think it'd be a lot easier to take a-leave than go thru the bureaucracy at work linked to taking sick leave (7 days & phoning in & cards & return interviews & gp notes all that rubbish).

I've done it once, cannot remember the specific circumstances, it was over ten years ago. Now I'd only do it if I was going to be off long enough for a GP's fit note, as otherwise I feel that it might not be believed (no faith in my managers!). It would also depend on my past history of sick leave, we have a 'three strikes in 6 months' policy before awkward discussions start.

If you are sick during your holiday then get a note from your GP. You should be able to claim you lost days back.

Just to add ... as a people manager a few years ago, I actually advised one of my reportees to do this. He was on holiday, and ended up in hospital abroad (and was subsequently flown back to hospital in the UK). He had contacted me online on the second day of being in hospital abroad and emailed a copy of the hospital admissions form. So we stopped his annual leave and started a period of sick leave for him instead.

Wow, honestly I think it's terrible that you think less of her for this. I'm an NHS manager, it wouldn't occur to me to think less of my staff for taking up a legal right. Surely, how that person performs in work is what matters most.

It’s company policy that we get it back

You also have a responsibility to protect the health and well being of your staff.

She is not taking the piss, she is entitled to sick page if sick and shouldn't have to take annual leave

No I wouldn't can't see my company ever agreeing to it either

No never.

Then as soon as I became management it was also then frowned upon to take more than half of your holidays.........

I have known someone do this so I know it is a right and I wouldn't judge anyone for doing it. Holidays are for rest and relaxation. Not being ill. But only if it's something that would keep you off work. Not a cold.

It’s a policy at my work, but I am not sure if anyone ever does it. I had flu over Christmas - we had to cancel hosting on Christmas Day because I was too ill - but until a colleague mentioned claiming the days back it wouldn’t have crossed my mind. I didn’t see a GP, so it probably wasn’t possible.

If I had been at work I would have been off sick the first week as self-Cert, then would have needed to see a doctor and get signed off after that, so lucky for them it was during my holidays!

OP, your post seems very self-righteous. It's a legal right, enshrined in employment law to protect workers. Why are you judging her? Because she seems less committed to her role? Less committed to the organisation? The same organisation which could decide to make you both redundant on a whim, without a blink of conscience? The same company that probably expects you to do unpaid overtime (working past your contracted hours) on a regular basis and has no shame in not paying you for this free labour which benefits them financially? Why do you owe so much loyalty to the company that you are feeling so high and mighty because someone, a human being, was ill and, quite rightly, thought, I'm not losing my holiday - i.e. my own time. Think about what matters in life. There are more important things than slavishly protecting the company!