How much notice do I need to go off on sick leave?

[lenii]

Due to so many factors, I'm so on the close of a nervous breakdown.

I cannot function at work right now due to the events that have unfolded since Friday night but I can't call in sick tomorrow, there's no staff. I've been in this job 1.5 years so it's not secure. I feel sick that I have to go in tomorrow and know it won't really be manageable but the doctor won't call back until about 11 am and I start at 8. If I go on sick leave, it'll leave us massively understaffed (tiny team and massively responsible). I know managers can't say much but mine will be internally furious. If my doctor said they'd sign me off tomorrow, realistically, when could I go on leave in theory? I did it in February and gave them 24 hours notice and it was a difficult conversation but my life is going to pieces right now. NC'd for this.

It depends how much you want to keep your job. You don't need notice because you can't plan when you're sick. But it's only fair to give as much notice as you reasonably can.

If you are too ill to go in to work tomorrow you are too ill. But just please be aware that as you've worked for your employer for less than 2 years, they could just 'let you go' without needing to have a reason.

OP please think about yourself and your health. If the place you work for is under staffed that is their problem not yours.

Something I have only just come to realise after sacrificing my annual leave as no cover. Employer gets best of both worlds paying less wages as not enough staff and the staff they do employ scared to take annual leave as fear of leaving work and work load they will return to! Sorry little rant... Hope things improve for you.

@cabbageking

Send an email or text tonight to say you won't be in tomorrow. That is sufficient. Whether someone picks it up or not is not your problem.

Not helpful advice, I doubt many work places have a policy that you can just send an email or text to report your sickness. If you did this in my work place it would be considered unexplained absence as not following correct procedure.

OP, follow whatever your policy is for calling in sick.

But yes, you don't give notice for sick leave as that would render it unfit for purpose - you're not going to be able to predict when you're too ill for work - that's the whole point.

I get with MH issues it's tempting to simply soldier on until you have a convenient time to crumble, but there is never going to be a convenient time. We're not talking about you taking a few days' annual leave to rest, we're talking about a situation where you're too ill to go in. And if you're too ill to go in, you can't go in - it's as simple as that.

Follow your work's procedures to inform them correctly, though.

Being understaffed is your employers problem as above said you can self certify for the first week and then after that doctors note, from now I would advise you sign to unite or unison ect before you go off for legal support to save your job or potential redundancy pay just incase. When going off go to the doctor a day or two before to express issues to have note lined up to cover you for a while and you should be fine, it is your employer or HR you have to deal with in regards to these issues as they pay your wages, not your manager if they do not own the business. If they try to reprimand the union you have signed to should cover this. Also they cannot discriminate so would face multiple problems if you went of correctly with doctors support.

realistically, this OP has been employed there for under 2 years,
and it's in retail, which has been going downhill for years, now at a gallop, because of covid, lockdown...
so she has to reckon with the possibility that she will join the ranks of redundancy. thousands are being laid off every day.
some of you are writing as if she is a long-term employee in public service. she is not.
i don't know how to advise, and one's health is always paramount, but is she sure that being off sick will really help her.
whatever she is dealing with, could she try to speak to her doc while at work, all appts are initially by phone now anyway.
why not try to go in, it might not be too bad, and then think what to do.
one step at a time. good luck.

@alexdgr8 have to disagree on some aspects there are protected characteristics in. Working. OP should protect herself legally and then look to resolve her mental state. Your post is assuming she will stay at her current level which is inaccurate and dangerous to assume. Please at least explore your options OP.

If your anxiety is caused by home circumstances, will being signed off sick and spending more time at home give you a chance to sort out the issue? Or will it make you more isolated and anxious?

well i'm trying to be realistic.
unless she can make out a claim for disability-related discrimination, her employer can dismiss her pretty easily.
it's only right that she bears that in mind.
as i said, her health comes first.
but with mental matters it may not be clear-cut as to what is in her best interests. it may cause her more stress to be made redundant.
i did urge her to contact her gp. she could ring gp from work.
that would keep her options open.

Update:

I am at work. I'm not sure how I'll manage today but as PP said, I really cannot afford to lose this job if I can't function then I could talk to my line manager? It's just that work can't make adaptations to help as it's an issue outside of work?

@lenii I think you’ve done the right thing. Worrying about work will only stress you out even more and this is a hard time for everyone in terms of job security.

No your employer can’t help with situations outside of work. But there might be other organisations who can. Can you explain a little more about what the issue is?

Also you don’t have to give prior notice to calling in sick but you must follow your company’s sickness procedure otherwise you could face disciplinary. Usually a text or email would not be sufficient.

@lenii

Is that 100% true *@cabbageking* ? I can message her right now and it's her problem?

Please don't message your manager at this time of night, apart from it being unlikely to be the acceptable procedure, it's an intrusion (she may be asleep) and it's not her problem until the morning . For context, I have a team of 27 and they would do this . I had to ask them to stop, it's really shit to get messages out of hours that you can do nothing about until the morning.

if I can't function then I could talk to my line manager?

Yes, obviously if you cant function at work and need to leave before the end of your shift then talk to your manager.

But don't say that you're thinking of asking to be signed off sick or that you're not sure how you can go on. I would tell them you're under a huge amount of stress in your personal life only if it starts to affect your performance and you need to explain, but what would you be seeking to achieve by telling them you're struggling but still intend to soldier on?

I'd be very careful how you deal with this, OP - as a PP said, you're not protected from unfair dismissal, etc so if you need this job, keep your cards close to your chest and don't pour your heart out to them. You also want to protect yourself from looking unreliable etc if you do end up having to look for a new job (much better to explain at interview that you were dismissed while off sick than that you were dismissed for screaming at an irate customer because you just snapped).

It's also worth remembering that you won't be able to do any job if you run your mental health into the ground - keep soldiering on if that's what you genuinely think is best, but only do that until you can't.

No/one at work is going to give you permission to go off sick and it doesn't look better if you wait for your line manager to send you home. Part of being a reliable employee is recognising your own limits, so pushing yourself until a manager has to intervene can often look far worse to an employer than the person who takes the adult decision to address their mental health issues, see their GP and, if appropriate, be signed off sick. Most employers won't thank you for putting your health in their hands and asking them to decide whether you can continue to work. It exposes them to liability and isn't a good look.

I didn't @LetsGiveItAtry because I thought the same

I knew this would happen. It's hitting me again and I am about to have a panic attack

Op you go off sick without notice (obvs following notification procedure)
It’s not possible to say “I’m fine to work today but I’ll be too ill tomorrow”

OP - contact your GP for an appointment, follow the employer procedure for sickness. You have had plenty of advice here. Either contact your line manager to alert them to the fact that you are not coping and may be unable to finish your shift or do your best to finish today. Whilst this is happening you need to put 'Mums Net' away and concentrate on the rest of the day. It is not the right time to be on an internet chat forum.

Does your work have any employee support services you can access.

Otherwise do you have any annual leave you can take or request parental leave if you are able.

Hope you're ok OP. Get the sick note and tell your line manager asap.

Hope you're ok OP.

The only notice you need to give is whatever way of reporting sickness is in your company policy. If you're sick you're sick. If it was D&V you wouldn't give notice as such. A mental health/invisible condition is no less important.

Even if your issues are outside of work, there are still things your employer can do to support you.
Your issues don't stop because it's time for work, so even though if they don't originate from work, they can still try to support you with them.

Have you got any mental health support service (MHSS) in place?

I contacted Remploy, an MHSS, earlier this year to try to get some help, despite not feeling like anyone could help me or like my issues were worth anyone's time. It's worth looking into. They have a template for developing a Wellness Recovery Action Plan (WRAP) specific to you that you can use to facilitate your situation at work.

You can request an appt online, the DWP, pay for the service, so it's free to the user. I think I was contacted within a day or two to get more details and then it did took a couple of weeks to get my (phone) appointment with an actual advisor type person, no idea what they call them.
Sorry not explained it well but look into it. If you don't think it'll help you haven't wasted much more than time.