Is it unreasonable to expect to be back at work so quickly?

[NotMyRealName11]

I've been in hospital for the last few days with viral meningitis - although it's getting better now and I am starting to feel slightly less awful!

I was supposed to be going back to work after maternity leave at the end of the month but had to accept that this is not going to be possible! But, my line manager called me this morning and left a voicemail saying please can I aim to be back for the second week of October because they really need me back by then, as the person who's been covering cannot stay on.

I want to be a good employee and I want to be reliable when I come back after maternity... but I'm worried that it is unreasonable to expect that I'll be completely recovered by then. I am going back 0.6 rather than FT, but even so. Does anyone have any experience of viral meningitis and how long recovery takes? The doctor I spoke to said it can vary a lot. I just don't want to speak to my line manager at the moment, but I know that she is just going to keep calling till I do...and obviously she does really need to know.

Glad to hear that HR are on the case. Please stop worrying about work at all. It shouldn't even be on your radar at the moment.

I'm trying to forget about it!

Sorry there’s more concerns, OP Hope they get to the bottom of what’s going on.

Glad HR stepped in! Hopefully this will ease your stress about work, not on at all!!

Give us an update when you can

Maternity leave should pause for the time you're ill and then continue once your sick leave has started so you may be back at the time she's wanting.

That's exactly my understanding, BUT if your company sick pay scheme is SSP only, that's all you'll get while you're on sick leave. When sick leave ends, you go back on to maternity pay.

(Although DP and I do different jobs - me, benefits adviser, he does payroll - we've both had to give advice on this point and the advice was the same).

OP, please tell your boss you've had meningitis. She needs to understand this is NOT something trivial, and that you may need time to get over it properly.

Thank goodness your HR manager is on the case, OP.

You really need to rest properly and not have anything stressing you so you can better. Fingers crossed that the biopsy is all clear.

My organisation do have full sick pay for the initial period of sickness and I haven't had other sick leave, so it should be OK from that perspective. The HR manager said that she would send me an email with more details about the procedure & options next week, but basically said, don't worry about it because it's not my problem to sort out.

I've had the biopsy done now, so I'm crossing all my fingers that everything will be clear.

And just trying to relax and not stress about work or anything else in the meantime!

Sounds like your HR manager is doing all the right things. concentrate on yourself. At the moment that's all that matters.