I got a sick note to go on holiday

[Marleymerm]

Last month I worked at least 40hrs of overtime when my boss kept asking me to "stay late" or "just come in a few hours at the weekend" as we had a deadline approaching. I worked it and wrote it all in my time sheet, I work in an office so we don't have clock ins or anything.

Anyway, I got paid last week and got nothing for my OT, I asked my boss who said he only asked me to stay to help, he never actually agreed to pay me for it and he was asking me to "help the company" like we all should be doing.

I thought about fighting it but people in my office are petty and those above me would probably make things difficult for me. So instead I got a sick note from my doctor for 6 weeks for stress and booked a holiday. I've been honest with my work that I've booked the holiday and said it's to help with my stress, now my boss is saying this is clearly out of spite and he'll be giving me a written warning. However if he does that he'd have to formally admit to not paying me OT. I do feel nervous after realising I actually get full pay when I thought I'd only get SSP and now I'm worried my boss is going to take it further.

You should've just resubmitted your time sheet.

Not sure what you want anyone to say as you're not actually asking a question.

It is unclear if you are actually suffering with stress or just used that as an excuse for time off.

What does it say in your contract about over time?

Boss isn't treating you well but faking stress will never sit well with me.

From what you've said, your boss is right! You wouldn't have booked a holiday or gotten a sick note if you had been paid.

He is being a dick in not giving you time off in lieu.

I'm surprised your GP has given you a sick note for stress for 6 weeks straight off. Your boss is probably bit confused by that too.
Usual practice would be 2 or 3 weeks initially and then they'd review how you're feeling, see if you need any treatment etc

A 6 week sick note?????

I'm impressed the OP got an appointment within a week 😁

Ah you’ll get everyone on here telling you how awful you are.

youre employer sounds like a dick.

why can’t you book a holiday if you’re off with stress? I’ve worked with people before who’ve been off with stress for months and have been away on holidays. I’d be stressed too if I’d worked 40 hours overtime and it turns out it was out of the goodness of my heart.

mask your employer to

a) prove you’re not stressed
b) point you to where it says you need to sit in the house if you’re unwell.

Your employer*

You should have suggested you take it as toil

Why couldn't you have just taken your OT dispute to HR?
Why not then just book a holiday and use annual leave like normal people do when fed up with work?
If you really felt like you had to take six weeks off and book a holiday, why did you feel the need to come clean to work? As long as you weren't posing all over SM on a jet ski would they have known?
I'm not sure it's actually against the law to go on holiday while off sick but it could certainly affect your working life/relationships

I am stressed, yes, I should have been clearer. I just worked 40hrs OT in a month, missed on time with my family, overworked myself and then got told I wouldn't even be getting paid. I've been on sick with stress before.

I was completely honest with my GP and I feel so crushed that all the hard work and late nights I did were for nothing on my part. I just wondered if anyone has advice on where I would stand if I was to get a written warning. I don't know if my boss can try and get me with the accusation this is all just to get back at them.

I cannot for the life of me understand why you told them?

Because I didn't feel like it was something I needed to hide? I told him how much stress all the OT had caused me and how run down I felt and how much of my time it had taken and I didn't feel like he had any right to be telling me I can't go on holiday when he's the reason I feel the way I do now.

If the overtime made you that stressed and run down then surely you'd have gone off sick even if you did get paid?

You are allowed a holiday whilst on sick note - you can do anything that makes you feel better. You have an official sock note from the doctor for time off - you can not legally work now even if you wanted too.

They can not discipline you for a doctors note.

However they will know you’ve done this - and I wouldn’t ever have a conversation with both scenarios in the same sentence.

I would be honest and say you are brunt out and exhausted. You feel stressed etc - bit not rub the holiday in their faces.

Also - keep notes of conversations - incase you need them in future.

A professional doctor has signed an official document stating that you're ill with stress, as another poster said how can your work prove the doctor is wrong?

Did the unpaid overtime make you earn below minimum wage ?

You’ve not done anything wrong. Your GP signed you off and best practice for stress or MH is to do things that will make you feel better and able to work again. Holidays are allowed.

As for the OT - are you paid hourly or salary? I’d at least expect TOIL if it’s supposed to be ‘helping out’, but I’d be concerned that it actually takes you under MW and not only is your boss a dick, but he’s also breaking the law.

Regardless of your stress/ holiday, when you get back you should raise the OT with HR.

Yes, but he says because it

Pressed send by accident. Because it was "voluntary" it doesn't count toward my hours.

Would the stress and burnt out feeling of doing the overtime have disappeared if you'd got paid?

When you say it was voluntary, did you say ‘boss I will stay back and help’ or did he ask you to stay (as opposed to it being mandatory).

if you offered without clarifying regarding paid overtime I can see his point.

And IMO 40 hours over a month isn’t that much.

Hourly. And we usually always get paid our OT, which is why this has been such a shock! A couple of people did get paid OT but for a few hours and he says they agreed with their supervisors to be paid. I have raised it with HR but so far I've been told my boss was reasonable to assume it was voluntary based on others also working over without being paid (although I don't know anyone who has done this other than supervisors wanting their bonus)