Going to the gym when signed off work?

[hunge]

DH thinks this is hugely unreasonable and is shocked I even suggested it … surely it isn’t?

It’s not that simple.

There aren’t any standing desks at work. But I’m not at my desk all the time. And I have to sit to get there (car) which pretty much cripples me.

I get shooting pains and spasms in my legs and in my back constantly.

Some exercise is helpful but they are specific exercises, not just going to the gym and going on whatever.

I've just seen the injury is a slipped disc. My husband has degenerative disc disease. You should have said what the injury was in the op, I think its very relevant.

When it's bad he can barely move, but getting in the pool can really help when he's recovering. And to help prevent another episode.

So no, going to the pool is not U, but going to the gym might be because you could set it off again.

@CoastalWave

Honestly, your back is NOT that bad as you're able to walk. Walk to the door. Walk to your car. DRIVE to the gym. And so on.

Ask yourself - if you were self employed and NOT GETTING PAID, would you still be merrily not working and going to the gym for a swim??

As an employer, I would think the OP is totally taking the piss.

Of course, if the OP is not being paid right now, take as much time as you need to get back healthy. Otherwise, do those things to help in your own time!

Exactly this. It's amazing how much more likely people are to drag themselves into to work no matter how 'ill' or 'in pain' they are, if they don't get paid. People tend to swing the lead a lot more when they're salaried staff and get paid for being off.

@Lavendersquare

I'm a senior manager and we do see what's on your sick note. I wouldn't be impressed if someone working for me was unable to attend work but was able to go to the gym it's a huge contradiction and shows that you can get about.
What you should be doing is speaking to your manager about your back problem and working out reasonable adjustments to your work to accommodate your need to move about to aid recovery from your back issue.

Exactly this. From what the OP has said so far, there seems to be no reason why she can't be in work. I would be VERY unimpressed by her behaviour and attitude if she worked for me.

Going by some peoples logic, does that mean those of us signed off with long term disabilities shouldn't be going out at all?

I had a (totally different) back problem when I was 15. I was off school for 3 weeks because of it. There's no way I could have gone to school and there's no way I could have just sat (which was painful) and done nothing.

When I first suffered the slipped disc I dragged myself in, because of all sorts of stupid reasons. That was years ago.

I really honestly without a word of exaggeration went through agonies as a result. I won’t put myself through it again. I’ll do my best and will help myself as much as possible, but I won’t be in months of immense pain (slipped discs are) again.

I don’t control sick pay - people think I should refuse my salary and do what? Genuinely asking. I should call HR and say look, I know I’m entitled to six months full pay, but I don’t want a penny?

It amazes me how many managers in this thread think they can judge better than someone’s GP whether they’re fit for work.

And who think being able to get to the gym means they’re fit for work with the right desk. Always. Unequivocally.

This is the sort of shit that fuels disability discrimination. No understanding of how you manage many conditions. No understanding of how exhausting pain is - and how getting exercise (in the kinds of controlled ways you can at the gym) is often the only way to work towards controlling the pain. No understanding of what it takes many people to get through a work day - even with adjustments. No understanding of how many co dictions wax and wane unpredictably.

No. Just ‘if you can do X, you must be fit for work; we’ll give you a sit/stand desk and that’ll fix everything’.

This is, of course, why these decisions are made by medical professionals with more insight into conditions, how to improve them, and how they affect people more holistically.

Qualified Pilates teacher here - definitely not unreasonable to want to do exercise as part of rehabilitation for a back injury/problem.

You should follow the advice of medical professional and ignore the judgy people who don’t know what they’re talking about. From what you’ve said, going to the gym will help your recovery. That means you could be back at work sooner. Totally reasonable to do that. It’s not as if you’re bunking off work when you could be there.

I also suffer from a slipped disc and sciatica. My consultant told me that swimming is absolutely the best exercise. Even if it's painful to swim at first, drag yourself to the pool and walk up and down.

If you're asking would work colleagues judge you if they saw you at the gym when you're signed off with a bad back - then yy they probably would.

If you're asking could it impact your employment then that depends on the details of your sick line; your employment contract and how long you've been with the company.

Quite often people signed off with a bad back, aren't even able to get to the gym because they're in so much pain. That's also the default perception people have of being off ill with back pain. And it seems even your DH shares that perception and he lives with you.

You ask yourself what you would do if you were self employed? Not working means no income. Therefore, you would do everything in your power to get well - and quickly. If this happened to me, I would seek professional physio swim support, with a medical professional. What I wouldn't do, is breeze off into David Lloyd for a relaxing swim and a latte afterwards (I appreciate that might not be what you're doing, but it's giving off that vibe)

Thats' where the issue is for me. I have no doubt at all you are in pain. I'm actually self employed now as being employed for me was becoming impossible due to a chronic long term illness.

You can't just be off work indefinitely on full sick pay. Get yourself fixed and show your employer you are taking it seriously to get fixed. Do you not need an operation?

Assuming you're on even an average of what say, £2k a month - that's £12,000 you're expecting your employer to pay AS WELL as he will need to pay your replacement whilst you're off for those six months. Why is it going to take 6 months to get well? Sounds like you're planning to just take as much as you're entitled to?

Frankly, I think it is taking the piss. But only you know if you actually are, not any of us on the internet. I would certainly be a damn sight more proactive in terms of getting well though quickly - but then I don't get paid if I don't turn up to my work.

If I was self employed I wouldn’t be going to work, but I’m not self employed and that’s not what I’m asking. You think I should call HR and refuse sick pay?

Do what is best for your back. If necessary I’m sure you could get a physio to confirm a treatment plan of exercise. You need to move!

@CoastalWave tbh whatever you do I hope it doesn’t involve any sort of reading. I haven’t once said that it’s going to take six months to heal (although last time it was the best part of four months, mostly because I didn’t let it heal.) I said that I am entitled to six months full pay. To date, I haven’t had more than six consecutive DAYS off in twenty years

Bitter self-employed people berating others who have chosen different paths (there are trade offs) isn’t helpful. It’s not a race to the bottom.

maybe someone will run themselves into the ground and make themselves even more unwell longer term because they’re self employed. But that doesn’t mean employers should be forcing everyone to.

What it means is that the state is failing to provide adequately for self employed people to be able to take sick leave and recover from illness. That’s the problem. It’s not ‘lazy people’ with health conditions.

It depends what your fit note and your physio has recommended. If they've said that you can go for a swim (including driving there, getting changed, carrying swimming gear and so on) then go for a swim.

What's your Occ Health referral saying and what support are you getting from them in terms of getting you back to work?

None yet. If it goes on for a while it might. Or not. I don’t really work somewhere that does much like that.

As a senior manager, I'd have absolutely no problem if I saw you at the gym. If you're concerned at all, just mention in passing next time you are speaking to your manager that you are going to the gym to help your recovery.

As someone with serious back problems myself, please look into a standing desk for when you do return! It doesn't have to be a full on electric standing desk (though they are great!) You can get platforms that can sit on a normal desk to allow you to sit or stand and they really don't cost much at all. Far less than your sick pay would if you needed to take time off again (which is what I told our purchasing manager when I ordered for myself and a few others!!)

No - signed off from work means signed off from work, not 'confined to your bed'. If you've got an injury that prevents you from doing what you need to do all day at work (whether sitting or standing, I know DH couldn't sit for long periods when his back was bad) using the gym carefully for the right exercise is a good idea

Why on earth haven't you been referred or referred yourself to Occ Health? If you have an HR dept and you're on full pay for 6 months then I imagine it's a large organisation that you work for (or at least a well resourced one), so Occ Health support should be there.

For an injury, I think that's absolutely fine and would be considered part of your rehabilitation. I have a back injury. The worst it ever was was when I had COVID and was stuck at home mostly in bed or on the sofa. Obviously, I couldn't go to the gym (I don't go to the gym anyway), but actually what really helped both my back and my post-COVID symptoms even when I was still off work was gardening and taking walks. Lying and sitting only made it worse. Going on holiday or going to a theme park and riding rollercosters all day, not okay. Going to the gym is fine.

DH has always had back issues and uses a standing desk at work. He also finds a foam roller really useful and keeps one in his office. There's a physio near us that does dry needling, and it seems to help. It's supposed to improve blood flow to the discs.

As a senior manager, I'd have absolutely no problem if I saw you at the gym. If you're concerned at all, just mention in passing next time you are speaking to your manager that you are going to the gym to help your recovery.

As a manager, I'd agree. Managers (or indeed anyone) who thinks sick note = not allowed to do anything and/or think they (rather than doctors) have the right to tell you what you shouldn't be allowed to do are idiots who can be ignored.

Of course you’re good to go to gym, especially for a herniated disc. I did mine badly, I couldn’t drive or walk properly due to nerve damage and was referred for MRI. I was told not to sit for any long amount of time, and given exercises to do. It’s the best thing to do to keep moving. I used to limp along the beach for walks when I was off sick with it. I probably forced myself back to work too soon, used public transport as still couldn’t drive and had to just keep standing around my office trying to do my stretches. It wasn’t the best!

So many bizarre oxymorons in that post! Couldn't drive or walk properly but went to the gym.