To think of you’re signed off sick you should stay at home?

[Poppins17]

I’ve been unwell since the beginning of December.

I’m currently on my second dose of antibiotics and have now got steroids.

Dr informed me to rest as much as possible but there was no discussion about time off work.

I work in a senior position in Local Government, and have 15 staff to manage as well as assets.

I met a friend last night (which was a mistake as when I got home I realised I didn’t have the energy to do that), and she said how unwell I looked, and how I needed to go back to the drs to get signed off work.

She mentioned doing a few things whilst off sick to help with my well-being (spa days, going to the coast etc).

It made me wonder something that I assume when people are off sick they stay at home and don’t engage in any ‘nice’ activities.. is this an old fashioned view now?

Just to stay I work in the same village as where I live so likely people would see me out and about.

YABU - You should engage in nice activities for your own well being

YANBU - You should stay at home

Firstly, I would love the kind of job that required the same mental energy and effort as a day out 🤣 For the types of job lots of people do, if you're unwell then the quality of your output suffers. I don't like to do substandard work. It is more efficient to take the time to recover properly and get back to your normal self than it is to force yourself to work whilst unwell, perform badly, and drag out the amount of time you're performing badly for due to lack of time for recuperation.

Secondly, you know lots of people don't do office jobs, right?

I've been off sick for nearly a year, quite seriously ill, practically housebound. I still don't know if I'll ever be able to go back to work. My husband insisted we had a short break in the autumn as he was worried about me. I was worried about holidaying while off sick, but my doctor backed me up.
Frankly if you've needed antibiotics and steroids it sounds like you should have taken time off.

@silverbubbles Someone could obviously be well enough to visit a spa or go for a walk without being well enough to work.

You mention “if one of your staff was off sick for a few days”. I’m guessing your own experience of illness is just of being “off for a few days” with a short, sharp flu. That’s the kind of thing where someone might indeed be in bed ill, then rapidly recover and be back at work. So there might not be a period between being in bed all day and being at work. With longer term conditions there can be a long period between being in bed all day and being well enough to be at work.

I've had two extended periods of work off for 3 months. Once for a hysterectomy and once for a broken shoulder. On both occasions I had to work my way up to full recovery by taking trips out starting with a trip to the corner shop, then working up to the park, cinema then yes up to a short trip away. It's part of a rehab approach.

As others have said, entirely depends on the activity and the illness. I was signed off for 10 months awaiting surgery, the issue was a phyiscal one meaning I couldn't drive, I offered to work from home and do the admin parts of my job, but usually my job involved 2-5 hours a day driving between sites that I couldn't do, or I could work from another office of the company's that was on a train line instead of working from home (funnily enough during my sick leave my entire team moved to that site). They said no, and I was signed off on full pay instead. I was perfectly with it, did a couple of online learning courses, went out for dinner, met friends, I just couldn't walk without crutches or a wheelchair (which even if someone had driven me around to my visits, 90% of them wouldn't be safe on crutches, think building sites). If I'd signed up for a 5k then I'd have been taking the piss, but staying home for 10 months would have been madness.

This is timely, I had to phone in sick this morning. Felt fine at work yesterday, woke up in the early hours with a sore throat, aching all over and a temperature. When I got out of bed this morning I nearly fell over.

I did think fleetingly about going to work, but I wouldn't be able to get there (I walk) let alone do an eight hour shift, where I have to talk a lot and do heavy lifting. Feel a bit guilty, as I had time of at the start of December for a miscarriage, but these things can't be helped. I've worked there long enough for them to know I'm not a malingerer.

Plus I work with people who are clinically vulnerable, so I really don't want to pass this on to my lovely manager who would be really poorly with it. Probably been incubating this for a week though. I hope it's not bloody COVID again, I had that last year.

I think it entirely depends on what you are off for. Could you be a bit burnt out and that’s why your catching these illnesses and not managing to shake them off as easily?

In your situation I probably would take some time off to sleep and recoup. I don’t think I would go to a spa… however I think you need to do whatever you need to do to get better.

I wouldn’t judge a colleague for doing whatever they had to do to get better personally.

If someone is signed off for stress/anxiety/depression, I wouldn't expect them to stay home all the time - in fact, it would be much better for them to get out and about. If someone has a bad back, I'd expect them to do very, moderate exercise such as walking the dog or doing the school run, maybe a trip to a shopping centre, as limiting movement would make it worse. If someone is signed off with flu or exhaustion, I'd think they'd probably need to stay in to rest. So really it depends.

I was off work post operation for 6 weeks as part of my rehab. I needed to go out for walks sometimes , shopping to build up stamina. I couldn't just go back to work from staying at home. I'm still a bit sore and in discomfort to be honest going back it would have been much worse if I sat on my arse for 6 weeks.

Well i guess it depends on what you're I'll with and if the trips are beneficial. For example if you're signed off with mental illness/stress it's not likely that you'll get better cooped up at home

When I’m on sick leave - whether signed off, self certified but really I’ll or just pulling a sickie - I do go out if I feel up to it and feel it would be something that benefits me - whether that be the fresh air/exercise, socialising or just getting stuff done that needs to be done

Imo exercise is essential to recovery. The body needs to move to function and it’s vitally important for mental health too. If you can get out then you absolutely should. Sitting at home is likely to set you back and even make you worse.

I think 'Local Government' says it all. I work in a private sector for a medium company. We can have only 6 sick days per year and we can't just go on a spa days when we are claiming to be actually sick. That would be a disciplinary issue at work. I find it ridiculous that people think it's ok but I've never worked for any government run office and we are expected to work full time from the office and no one cares about our 'mental health'.

What you work at is also relevant eg i need to have basel cell carcinomas removed and if i worked in an office id be fine to return the next day or maybe even same day. However i work with v young children and both my employer and doctor are advising at least too days off because theres a high probability of the wounds being touched/hit. I wouldnt be going to a spa but thered be no issue with me going to the beach or the woods while technically signed off on sick leave.

Sea air has been proven to help chest complaints. It improves lung function, reduces mucous and reduces coughing.

So if for example you had a chest infection then a break by the coast could medically do you some good, especially if you live in a built up place with a lot of pollution which wil be making a respiratory infection worse.

Depends what you are ill with to be fair.

You should, of course, try to aid your recovery, im never sure why people think this is somehow not a aprt of being ill and they think ill people shoukd wallow! For SOME situations getting better that will mean walks and getting fitness back at the gym or such. For others this will be more about their state of mind.

Your doctor has recommended rest, and you've found it exhausting to get out. You're not quite ready for working on getting back to your level of activity and a spa day might wipe you out, but if you have a regular treatment that you find restful or relaxing (haircut, manicure) then that's going to help. For me I'd probably 'test' my stamina with small things like a walk to the local shop, then maybe a drive to a coffee shop or to a book shop. Those to me are relaxing but activities. Once I felt ready for a swim I'd probably feel ready for (my) work but someone in a different job might have to get back to something stronger.

I'm all for going out and about to recover, but if you're contagious, "out and about" needs to be outside without other people.

Long term sick or a couple of weeks people would expect you out and about a week off for an infection I wouldn't expect you off having a lovely time at spa meeting friends .

Also depends on your job. I'm a nurse and work 12.5 hour shifts. I can't do that when my MS flares up. But I could manage work if I worked in an office. Or a job where I'm not on my feet all day. Since it's usually pretty obvious that I'm not fit for work I do still go out. But nothing adventurous. I can't stay at home.

You get one life and one body and you shouldn't sacrifice it to your work organisation who would make you redundant if it suited them at the drop of a hat. You are contractually obligated to them but not morally!

I can't tell you how much I needed to hear this bit. I've been putting work ahead of my health and well being for years and the end result is not pretty.

I've just been signed off work for three months for a physical illness (POTS), and I will be getting out and about and even going on holiday because the occasional day out or an easy going, relaxed holiday is a hell of a lot of lower energy than holding down a busy job. Just because someone can go for a long walk once a fortnight doesn't mean they're well enough to be at work. And sitting in the house doing nothing will just result in further deconditioning and worsening of symptoms.

It's depressing how little some people understand about chronic illness but if my work/colleagues have a problem with any of this my medical team will put them right.

I’m signed off at the minute after having dental and jaw work last week. I’m signed off for two weeks. I’ve been out walking my dog and exercising at home. Would I want to be at work? No. Cause I’ve got a mouth full of stitches but I feel well.

You get one life and one body and you shouldn't sacrifice it to your work organisation who would make you redundant if it suited them at the drop of a hat. You are contractually obligated to them but not morally!

absolutely this! I have been there slogging my guts out making myself physically and mentally ill and when the chips were down I was consigned to the scrap heap without a thought. Struck me that they wouldn’t even have given a shit if I had dropped dead. What a mug. I’ll never make that mistake again. It’s only a job, yes you do your role to the best you can when you’re there and well enough but otherwise fuck them. They don’t own you.

Because you ARE ILL.

If you live by the sea then knock yourself out, walk by the sea. But getting out for an away day with lunch and a nice walk is not the type of behaviour a sick person does. They are ill, they don't feel well enough to be out and about all day having a nice time. If they were feeling well enough for a little day trip with lunch they they are well enough to go to work. It really is very simple and I am not sure why you are having trouble understanding it.

No, it’s not that simple.

Going to work for 8 hours, 5 days a week, giving it all your time, energy and concentration, is not the same as spending an hour or two out and about.

You can be well enough to do lots of things but not fit for work.

Depends on the illness. Something temporary or contagious then you stay at home. Some people (me) are ‘signed off’ as permanently unable to work, we still have lives to live and can’t stay at home for the rest of our lives.

It sounds to me like your illness is temporary, a virus or something? I’d be staying at home. If I didn’t feel well enough to go to work, I wouldn’t feel like sitting in a spa either. And if your colleagues get wind of your pamper days when you’re on sick, they’re not going to be impressed.