Going on holiday when signed off work with poor mental health

[greatttt]

I've been signed off work with anxiety, I had a bit of a breakdown and couldn't cope so spoke to my GP who signed me off work and prescribed me some medication. I'm due to go back to work just before an upcoming holiday, however I still feel incredibly anxious about work and I will likely hand in my notice very soon after returning.

The holiday has been booked for months. It's a city trip (so not a quiet relaxing trip), I could cancel it but would still lose out on money. I'm going with my sister and she would be really disappointed.

At the moment I think that I will force myself to go back to work just before the holiday so that I'm no longer on sick leave, but as the time gets nearer I'm worried I'm not ready to go back to work. So then I think I need to cancel it and put my mental health first to allow myself to stay on sick leave.

My anxiety is mainly work-related.

Honestly, it wouldn’t look good, but if you’re planning to resign anyway it matters less. Also, unless you’re going to be plastering it on social media, how would work find out?

NHS manager

I’ve had plenty of staff go on holiday whilst off with MH. Complete non-issue

Your stress is work related, don't go back before your holiday. You obviously need more time and a holiday will do you good. Don't cancel your holiday it's something that may improve your mental health and possibly help you tackle going back to your job. Remember life is short don't stay in a job you hate or makes you I'll

ill

There is nothing wrong with it at all. Go and enjoy your holiday. Time away is what a GP would recommend anyway.

I had time off for mental health. My physical anxiety symptoms were eased when I went off on a proper break and holiday.

Work cannot penalise you for going on holiday whilst being signed off sick with mental health because a holiday is classed as recuperation and can aid your mental health so they cannot say anything at all.
Don't force yourself to go back if you're not ready. Get GP to sign you off again even if just for that week before you're AL

Do you get company sick pay? If you're just on SSP I can't see it being a problem, full csp and the company could get annoyed, but as pp said how would they know?

Go on the holiday. The two issues (work and holiday) are separate. When I was signed off with depression the Dr actively encouraged me to do things that I would enjoy. The trip away will hopefully help your mental health. Oh, and life is too short to stay in a job that’s making you ill.

I was signed off earlier this year and when I went back my boss asked if I'd been able to get away at all - in a way that makes me think she had hoped I'd been able to get a break.

It's fine to go away.

And if you're not ready don't go back yet.

When I was signed off with depression and anxiety my GP specifically talked to me about not needing to be at home "being ill". Going out, doing things, getting away on holiday were all things she recommended as and when I felt able. Your mental health doesn't get better sitting at home all the time.

Yep. My GP said the same. The worst thing you can do is fester at home. Get out in nature, see people, do things!
The only issue I had was being spotted by my colleagues when I was out. I got hauled into the office by my manager for being spotted in a pub with friends when I was off sick. They saw me laughing so worked out that I could not possibly be depressed.
This makes people too scared to get out and work on their recovery.

If it has been booked since before you went off sick, the company should know that you would have taken it as AL, and then your circumstances changed. I would go. How will they know anyway? Do they check in with you regularly?

Doctors have suggested holidays for getting over stressful times. You are not signed off with a physical ailment, like an operation, it is your nerves as they used to say back in the day, and something nice for yourself is recomended.

Consider it medicine for your soul!

I asked my GP this when signed off and she very robustly told me to go, it would be good for me.

Some managers will still judge but things are getting more enlightened, and I think many GPs would back you up if it came to it.

I was off last year with serious work stress. Had two holidays booked and took them both. They were essential to help me get away and over a hideous situation.
I've since left - which shows how shit the place is, but as for whether you should take them - absolutely!

It’s fine to extend your sick leave and go away with your sister. It’s important for you mental health to get outside, see friends and family ect.

Why not resign and hand in your notice now? Knowing for certain you will be leaving may mean a weight off your mind.

Bloody go. Your doctor has signed you off as being unfit for WORK. Unless the note says you're unfit for holidays then go. DH is a doctor and he often says things like time away with friends or family or even alone is good for mental health and often part of recovery. You're doing nothing wrong.

My DH went on holiday while signed off. It’s good to have a relaxing break.

Go and have a fabulous time !

It's a very different circumstance going on a city break than work, especially if it's work where the stress is. It's actually a good way to build up to going back. If someone broke their leg and they were signed off sick but you saw them exercising it, you wouldn't say they were doing anything wrong.

Once I was on compassionate leave after my mother died. My sister came to visit and was so upset I took her out to the seaside for the day, to get a change of scene. Someone from work saw me and I was sacked.

Surely they don't need to know. Just don't post it on social media!

My mum died and my GP signed me off for four weeks on 'depression' even though the reason I'd gone to him for help was with a pain issue. I wasn't depressed, I was in bloody pain. It was only a month after she died and I told him I wasn't depressed, I was just grieving.

Nonetheless, he signed me off. My DP at the time had booked a surprise weekend away to Amsterdam and I went even though I was grieving and in pain. It was difficult but better than being at home moping. While I was gone my manager at Lloyds TSB went through my bank statements (I banked with them) and saw I'd withdrawn cash on a ferry. When I got back he asked me if I'd been abroad, and I said yes. Later found out he was trying to set me up hoping I'd lie so he could fire me for that, but I was truthful and said I'd been. To this day I don't/didn't have a way of proving that's how he knew but that's the only way he could have as I didn't tell a soul (felt so guilty) and didn't put anything online.

When I said yes he said he was sick of me (I'd had some health issues with the pain prior to losing my parent and had surgery I'd had to be off for) and transferred me out into a nicer branch, win for me. A year later he was sacked because he'd been stealing money from the bank. What an absolute arsehole.