NHS - HR - any advice please re sickness - separate episodes or 1

[MakeMineALarge1]

I will pretext this by saying I have an excellent sickness record - been with my old trust for 9 years, with very little sickness.
I joined a new trust 3 weeks ago and I have come down with Covid - its floored my and I am really ill with it, a close relative is also in hospital on end of life care, and I will need time off for that.

I am worried that this will go against me and I will clock up 2 episodes of sickness in such a short time and therefore may trigger some sort of sickness warning - I don't have any experience of what triggers the policy as I have never been off

I am really worried about this and I feel my new trust think they must have employed a right demic! I can't think straight, not sure if thats the covid or dealing with a relative who is going to die and I cannot get up there

Why is it 2 periods of sickness?

Caring for a relative wouldn't be seen as your sickness though? Compassionate or unpaid leave?

That would be one episode of sickness and one episode of compassion leave (or unpaid leave, however you take it).

I advise having a clear read of your Trust's sickness policy, it will clearly tell you how many days off (or episodes of sickness) trigger a review. But a review is nothing to be scared of, they will ask if you are coping and look together at how to improve your sickness record, and assuming this improves then nothing more will happen.

Why would you take time off sick to be with your relative who is in hospital?

If you do then that would definitely be 2 episodes of sickness. I believe it’s something like 10 days and 5 episodes of sickness for a disciplinary anyway (in a 12 month rolling period) Check your intranet. You can also look on ESR to check your sick record.

Compassionate leave is at the disgression of your manager. You might have to take it as unpaid or annual leave. You’ve had two episodes of being off that can’t be helped, even if it does trigger a warning nothing will come of it. It’s more for people that take the piss and so they can offer support if you need it with repeated episodes.

Thank you, I wouldn't be off sick with the relative. I am not explaining myself very well. I just feel I have only be there 5 mins and already I am asking for time off for covid and then compassionate leave, just feels like I am taking the piss, which I am not,