Being signed off before SSP starts

[Headmassage]

Hi, good afternoon.

I’ve been signed off for 2 months now, I have another month full pay before my pay still start to be affected :(

My aim was to get a new role in this time, which still may happen, I’ve had two interviews and wasn’t successful and have two more coming up in the next few weeks.

I got a call today from my manager today randomly, saying she was calling me as she’s mindful that my sick pay was due to start being affected etc, she said she realises she’s calling me off the cuff so we rescheduled to tak tomorrow to “get my head round talking about work again”.

I really don’t want to go back and cannot fathom the thought? My mental health has really been affected in the role and the lack of support is unlikely to change. It’s just not a great working environment to work in, and Im aiming to secure a new role and resign.

But I wondered if there’s anything I can do to not have my pay affected, like return at the start of Oct and then go off sick again or?

I’m currently signed off until mid Oct, and I have planned A/L for two weeks in Oct the last two weeks as I’m going away. This was planned back in March and my leave approved then. I could still remain off sick and our company has a policy of claiming annual leave days when signed off and/or sick, but the point is at that point my pay would be affected .

HELP! Please?

what should I do?

HR have closed their phone lines due to “backlog” which doesn’t help either

I belive if you go back and then off sick again, the episodes will be 'linked' and ssp rules will still apply.
If you are unable to do the job, you should resign. Looking for ways to trick the system into getting more sick pay seems unfair.
You are very lucky to get so long as you do, many people don't get company sick pay at all.

Hopefully you will find another job soon.
Good luck

You need to check your contract, but I'd put money on you having entitlement to sick pay for a set period in any rolling 12 months. Mine is 3 months full pay then 9 months half pay - even if I return to work my sick pay clock doesn't reset until 12 months after my first absence.

Also, being paid annual leave whilst off on the sick isn't generally permitted so you'll be financially affected by this too.

Sorry it's not what you want to hear, but if financially you cannot manage with the drop in money you need a back up plan of either support from outside parties (like family) or a way of handling work as a short term measure until you find a new role.

Best of luck with everything.

Go back to work, and continue looking for another job. You'll have annual leave built up so you can use that to do shorter days or shorter weeks.

But don't try to trick the system, you can't. Your sick leave will all be linked in a 12 month period.

Our company is any sickness within a rolling 12 month period. If you went off sick again it would be linked to your first sickness.

Same where I work

Thanks.

My company doesn’t work like yours - if you have pre-booked A/L and you are sick during your A/L, we can claim it back and aren’t financially affected either.

do you think you’ll get a new job now, considering you have been off sick and are pregnant?
and should you go off sick in the nee company you are unlikely to get anything but statutory sick pay for a while?

… I’m not pregnant? I’ve never stated I am?

… I’m not pregnant? I’ve never stated I am?

I also haven’t mentioned getting a new company.

You’ve got things mixed up.

… I’m not pregnant? I’ve never stated I am?

I’ve also not mentioned a new company nor going off sick in a new company.

You’ve got things wrong, maybe you’ve confused this with another post.

So are you trying to get a different job with the same employer?

It depends on your company policy but often you only get x weeks full pay during any one 12 month period, on a rolling basis. Many companies do not even offer that, just ssp. Is going back on a phased return or restricted duties possible (although pay may be prorata) ? Do they have occupational health or could your fitnote specify this? You could use annual leave instead of going on ssp.

I’m not sure there’s much you can do about your pay if you are still sick. If you go back then off sick again then it’s likely your pay will still be affected as it’s usually x months in a year, not for each sickness incident. Your options are likely to be stay sick and take the pay hit, go back to work or resign.

It depends on how they do sick pay, some companies would let you do that and reset the clock immediately, but most won't these days. You'd have to ask your HR, there is no standard way of doing enhanced sick pay (anything above SSP).

Have you been discussing your return to work with them at all until now?

Claim what back? In general, if you are sick in your annual leave, the company should change the annual leave to sickness absence. Is that what you mean?

Correct. So we would get the days that were booked as A/L back.

by claim I mean, claim the A/L days back.

Yes, that’s the same as in my company. But here, surely it is not to your advantage- because your annual leave is now counted as sickness absence, making the sickness absence longer, and therefore you’ll be facing reduced pay and risking dismissal if you’ve extended it too far.

But if you swap your al for sick, it will be considered as part of the 3 months so paid at ssp. If you need the money it may be better to keep as al. Are you planning to travel in that period?