Phased return…normal pay or not?

[CovidConfused123]

Very unwell with long Covid and soon to go onto half pay which I can’t afford to.
I’ve got some private oxygen sessions booked to see if that helps now but if I go back to work part time for a few weeks to see how I cope will I still go onto half pay?
My line manager isn’t sure so is going to refer me to OH but very worried - anyone?

That depends entirely on your company policy. Do you have a copy of your contract or employee handbook?
You could use holiday time instead of being unpaid though.

Usually phased return is normal pay for the hours worked and the balance for your contracted hours is sick.
Referral to OH is completely usual and to help understand what you need to successfully return to work. Managers aren't medics and don't know medical what's needed hence OH

IME it has been full pay once you start phased return.

No holiday as I’m a TA
I was told I go to half pay on 8th so really have no choice by to return Monday 7th but that’s a whole week of 8-4 before half term when I’ve basically slept for 4 months so am very worried

Always been full pay ime too. I did (4hrs per day, then 5, then 6, then 7, week at a time so a month phased and received full pay).

Where I work the "off" part of a phased return counts as sick leave, so if you've gone to half pay on sick leave, those hours will be at half pay.

Being referred to OH is a good thing, they should help you and your manager work out a suitable return to work plan.

If you go back too quickly, you'll end up off longer. With only a week before half term, I'd take the hit on pay for the first week at least and do half days if you can get that agreed.

I am mid fifties and worked in various sectors. Everywhere I have worked if you are on a phased return you are on full pay.

However, as PP have said, you need to check out your contract and speak to your union rep.

If you a TA on Local Government NJC terms, the hours you don't work during a phased return will be at your sickpay rate. I've just done one very similar.

I'm an NHS employee. I've had 2 phased returns, one after a hysterectomy and more recently after badly fracturing my shoulder. Both were done in conjunction with me, my manager and OH and I got full pay.

You have to ask your employer.

In my experience you receive full pay for the hours worked and sick pay at what ever rate you are entitled to. In your case 1/2 pay.

So if you started working 10:00 to 14:00 you would get 4 hours full pay and 4 hours 1/2 pay. However, because the salary you would “lose” is the element that has the highest deductions the impact on net pay is not a reduction of 25%.

Your best option is to go back on a phased approach. Aim for a sensible start time e.g. 10:00. At the same time look at what benefits you may be entitled to.

All the people saying full pay, would you have been on a reduced rate if you were fully off sick?

As with others where I work it would be full pay for hours worked and then sick pay for hours not worked. Depending how long you’ve been off sick and how much sick pay entitlement you have left, the sick pay for hours not worked could be full pay, half pay or unpaid.

In my company, you're paid full pay for hours worked, any hours not worked are paid at whatever your current sick pay entitlement is. I returned from a six month period of leave with mental health issues, I was on NIL pay so got paid for any hours I was in work and nothing for when I was not. This is pretty standard in my experience.

Civil Service - hours worked are on full pay - hours not worked count as sick days. If phased return is within first 6 months then that will equate to full pay as our first s 6 months sick are full pay. Once we go on 1/2 pay the go ours not worked will be paid as 1/2 pay.

‘hours’

@QuestionsorComments

All the people saying full pay, would you have been on a reduced rate if you were fully off sick?

Yes. I was about to be put on half pay. I start my phased return next week - full pay.

I had 2 phased returns as a teacher. One over 8 weeks and one over 6.

Got full pay for both

I just can’t afford to go onto half pay
This is a nightmare
I done actually feel up to working at all, one hour even fills me with dread when I try to imagine it as I am exhausted and In pain the whole entire time.
Waiting on MRIs and long Covid clinic appts but nothing happening quickly
I wonder what happens if I return for that week but then end up being off sick again later down the line - would I automatically go straight to halls pay on my first day sick?

Really depends what your organisations terms and conditions say. For us a time limited phased return agreed with occuptional health meant being back on to full pay.

And once the threshold for half pay is reached, then yes for our orgnisation further sickness whether same condition or not would be straight onto half pay for a year when previous absences would start to 'drop off'.

would I automatically go straight to halls pay on my first day sick?
In most organisations I've worked for/at it's a rolling year so you don't reset the "clock" - but it will depend on your organisation's rules.

For Statutory Sick pay the effect of another sickness absence within 56 days of a previous one is to link them together so they are treated as the same absence - some orgs use these rules for their orgs provision too.

Your health must come first. Ask to go back on a phased return eg starting at 10am working until 12.00 lunch back to Work from 1.00-2.00 then go home. Do that for the week. Then have half term where you try getting up for 10 each day, do a bit then rest, do a bit more then lunch, do a bit more back to bed etc. The week after half term ask for another week phased return. See how you go before committing any further ahead. Once you pay less nic and tax you won't be too much worse off. If you try to do too much too quickly it might have long term impact on your health.

OP I really feel for you. I have auto-immune disease - something that has been linked to a virus origin as a possibility in my case.

I have had a lot of time off sick as it took years to get diagnosed.

When I did phased returns - they were on full pay.

But I know where you are coming from. I am not in a position where I can afford to be on half pay. Maybe for a week or two but not long. I'm on my own and nobody to support etc.

As for going off sick again, in my company, we are paid full pay for X weeks on a rolling 12 month basis. We are warned when we are close to this. I got within 5 days and knew I had to work no matter what for a 3 month period. I was lucky I was WFH.

You need to check your employment contract and maybe there might be an HR handbook.

I just want to wish you the best of luck. I do agree that sometimes if you go back too soon you end up having a lot longer off. My occupational health were able to tell my employers what adjustments were required etc. But they did make that point to me. The report said something like I think Gary's mum needs more time off, however, she is insistent she wants to come back and is concerned about loss of pay.
The downside is as I declared myself fit to work - my performance is judged on that basis.

@CovidConfused123

I just can’t afford to go onto half pay This is a nightmare I done actually feel up to working at all, one hour even fills me with dread when I try to imagine it as I am exhausted and In pain the whole entire time. Waiting on MRIs and long Covid clinic appts but nothing happening quickly I wonder what happens if I return for that week but then end up being off sick again later down the line - would I automatically go straight to halls pay on my first day sick?

If you go back for a week and are then signed off again you would go on half pay.

I want to say this as gently as I can, you are not well and unable to do any work. You have to face this and recognise you need to be proactive. Going onto half pay is a reality check for most employees, it is at that point they have to accept their life has changed and they need to make changes to provide for the reality of their future which is not what they expected. I know this will be hard to read but sugar coating it won’t help you.

You don’t know the long term prognosis and what you will and sadly will not be able to do. What you do need is to work with your Dr to establish what you can and cannot do now. Could you do an hour’s work or realistically is that not possible?

It is not reasonable for you to expect your employer to continue to pay you full pay forever. At some point discussions will have to be had about whether there is a realistic chance of you returning to work in the foreseeable future. At that point ill health retirement may be an option.

I appreciate you cannot afford to lose full pay but that is not the reality. So you need to look at what options there are to reduce your outgoings and replace your salary. This is going to take a lot when you are so unwell so ideally ask someone to help you.

Contact the benefits office or CAB to find out what benefits you are entitled to e.g. PIP, UC etc. Be pragmatic and ask about not just half pay but also no pay.

Look at your out goings and if there is room to make any savings start doing this now. Money Saving Expert can help identify ways to reduce expenditure.

Find out what options you have at work e.g. ill health retirement. It doesn’t mean this will happen but you need to plan for all eventualities.

I am truly sorry you are so unwell and hope you get treatment that works.