Just wondering on others opinions on doing normal day stuff whilst being signed off sick?
I've been signed off sick with 'extreme tiredness' at nearly 36 weeks pregnant. I don't get anymore than a couple of hours sleep at a time at night due to pains and heartburn, dh is almost never here and I already have a 2 year old. I was struggling at work and it was also becoming increasingly more busy, I was seriously struggling with my work loads etc and could not switch off from work due to worry and pressure. The way I felt in general didn't help, sleep deprivation is a shitty, shitty thing. Anyway my manager didn't take me announcing my sick leave very well. I went into work to finish off my work load, do a proper handover etc and offered to work until the end of the week to help. I didn't have to but that's what I'm like, I care probably too much! This was last week. Straight away she said she thought my part time hours were a cause, despite me explaining I'm signed off with tiredness and that I'm pained, don't sleep etc, I never mentioned work to her at this point. I said to her I think it usually works great (my part time hours) but the past 6 weeks haven't been easy. She was quick to tell me my colleagues don't think it works great etc and they are under strain etc, which made me feel like shit. She accused me of having a go at her when I explained me struggling with particular work loads and I had to tell her I'd end our discussion as she was becoming too difficult to talk to as I was absolutely not having a go at her. When I cracked and began to cry, something I just don't do at work, ever, but this conversation turned quite sour, she said she didn't want me to cry and said to go home. I left that day after having to say bye to my colleagues with swollen eyes and a patchy face. Not how I thought I'd go in and say bye to everyone. It was a horrible way to start my maternity leave. I've not heard from anyone since and I'm aware that they are very short staffed, but is that more important than mine and my baby's welfare? That's what I keep asking myself anyway. But I know people and they are bound to be talking about how I've left them in the shit etc.
Anyway Certain things make me wonder if it's okay for me to leave the house and carry on with normal stuff whilst technically signed off? Or if they could use it against me?I really don't have much planned as I am using my time off to nap in the day and continue to send my son to nursery as I genuinely am knackered. But tomorrow I was going to take my son to the soft play centre as he's been mentioning it for the past 2 days! My thoughts are, I'm not signed off as incapacitated, I can still get on with my life surely, I just have extreme tiredness that is making it difficult for me to function at work etc hence why im signed unfit???. Does it mean I should hibernate until the note expires? Am I looking too much into it?