Working at home when off sick

[SiliconHeaven]

Hello, I have pneumonia and I was in hospital last weekend. I’ve been off work all last week, I haven’t been out of the house, very unwell. I’m waiting for a doctor to call to discuss a sick note for further time off work.
How reasonable is my employer being if the expect me to work from home? In theory I could log in and do some stuff, but I could have also logged in from my hospital bed too so I can’t work out what might be reasonable.

No wonder there is so much stress at work when people think being off sick they still have to do something!

I do think it depends on the illness and on the general attitude to time off sick and sick pay. If work, will let you work from home instead of being ‘off sick” etc...

If I could work from my bed, I was being paid and my company weren’t being arses about time off sick then I would absolutely do my best to respond to emails, do whatever work I could etc.

Broken ankle and signed off for 6 weeks I would absolutely work from home.

However sometimes you really are too sick. A good employee tries to do what they can and a good employer accepts and thanks them for doing their best (even if that means nothing as genuinely too poorly).

SiliconHeaven

If you're expected to work, is work going to put it down as a sickness on your record or that you are working?

How reasonable will your employer be if the work you do from home is of low quality? If you make mistakes or miss something important?

Sick is sick in my opinion. And when not sick, your employer has a right to expect you to perform to the best of your abilities. It's your call, you know them best.

There are two levels. The first is when you need rest. That is you right now.

The second is when it is better for you to work from home because you aren’t feeling great and going to the office will just risk infecting your colleagues. In that scenario, working from home makes sense, but you shouldn’t have to claim a sick day.

Re the broken ankle colleague. If on strong painkillers and less mobile, it can make it very difficult to work from home. After taking strong painkillers for 5-6 weeks there will be a certain amount of withdrawal to go through to come off them. Then physio to build back strength, which really hurts as well. It's not just being sat around with your feet up. Your work are wrong to pressure anyone to work when unwell.

In this case, no I wouldn't.

I have worked from home in the past when it was the hour on the train I felt too ill for rather than the work itself, and then I tended to do half a day rather than a full day.

I was signed off for six weeks after an operation a few years ago and didn't do any work from home, though about half way through I said I was happy to be contacted if it were urgent.

If you're signed off then you should not be or expected to be working! I say this as an employer and someone who has had pneumonia. It will take you longer to recover and you need to rest. Please don't be bullied back to work sooner than is sensible.

Hospitalisation from pneumonia is extremely serious, there is NO WAY you should be doing any work. If your work are insisting then they are extremely unreasonable on several levels.

Firstly you need rest, no checking emails, no admin, no taking work related phone calls.

Secondly how will this absence be recorded? Sickness or holiday? I don't know about all jobs but with my (healthcare related profession) it is not legal to work while signed off by a doctor. Insurance is invalid, so if you make a mistake whilst working when signed off will they be insured? Will they support you if not?

Thirdly, as with your colleague with the broken leg, refuse to work while off sick. Don't be pressured to do any. It would be unfair and again possibly illegal to treat you both differently. It doesn't matter what the reason is you're off for. Pneumonia potentially could have a longer recovery time than the 6 weeks your colleague had depending on the severity.

Take it easy and get well soon.

What PurpleArtichoke said.

If you are too ill to work, then you are signed off sick and shouldn't be working.
If you feel you could work from home, but not get into office (I had this once when I had a UTI, and your colleague with the broken ankle also sounds like he might have been able to do this), and the type of work you do enables you to do it, then you shouldn't be signed off sick, you are on 'reasonable adjustments' and still being paid and not using up sick leave.

I used to work from home when I was sick. I had a bad back, the problem was undiagnosed at that point until having an MRI at a later date.

When I got made redundant, despite the fact that I had worked the full days from home, those sick days counted against me. Nobody cared that I'd sat in agony, toiling away. To them I was just a cost they could no longer shoulder. If I'm ill enough to be at home now ( the last time was post surgery) I do not work.

If you're signed off sick, that's it. Unless you specifically want to work of course. It's unreasonable of an employer to expect you to work from your sick bed, and I say that as an employer myself.

Thank you all. The doctor has signed me off for another week, she seemed confident that I will be feeling better soon.
No work at all for me. I’m ‘pottering’ around the house.
I’m not sure I ever thought I’d be old enough to potter in my head I’m still 18

Working from home can be an option once you are feeling better. I was off sick for a long time once. 16 weeks absolutely no chance I could have worked at all. I then did 4 weeks at home part time, the 4 full time at home, then 4 at work part time. The at home was part of a phased return.

Not just a week after you've had pneumonia though!

I was off sick with Pneumonia before xmas. I had 3 weeks off initially then went back to work but I wasn't fully better and ended up with another 6 weeks off as my lung collapsed.

I would not, under any circumstances. go back to work now if I am not fully better nor would I work from home whilst I am signed off unfit for work. I'd get no Brownie point for doing so. Hope you feel better soon.