How many sick days are you allowed to take?

[Abigail47]

In my last job, they didn't really care that much about sick leave. They would let people take up to about two weeks uncertified sick leave, and if you were certified for sick leave, you could take months of sick leave. They also didn't do return to work meetings for sick periods of less that five days.

I only took about four days sick leave in a year in that last job.

I started a new job seven months ago and I'm in shock.

I've taken four days sick leave in the whole seven month period. Two different periods of two days. I was sick. They were uncertified (as I had moved to a new area and hadn't registered with a local doctor in time) and I didn't get paid.

After each period I was called into an office with a manager and made to do a return to work meeting.
I was told in each meeting that too much sick leave can leave to contract termination.

My colleague just took five days certified sick leave, and on her return they said the same to her, that too much sick leave can lead to contract termination.

Aibu to think that four days sick leave in a whole year is not a lot.

Like we are going to get sick . Everyone does.
In one of my sick periods I totally lost my voice with a chest infection. I couldn't speak at all and I have a customer facing role.

What is sick leave like in your organisation?

Ask to see you fit to work policy.

we have up to 10 days in a rolling 12 month period or 2 episodes. Rtw meeting after every episode even a single day. Anything over 5 working days need a fit to work certificate from a gp.

sick pay = 6 months full pay 6 months half pay.

what people forget is that you can be dismissed for not fulfilling your contract on the basis of sickness. So what they are saying is true but you need to establish what the number of days/episodes is.

I can really relate to this! I have had more illnesses and sick days in the first year back at work after maternity leave than the previous 15 years combined.

Plus catching one illness can leave you susceptible to catching something else if you are not able to fully recover due to going back to work too soon or sleep deprivation from sick children waking all night so I don’t find two illnesses close together very unusual.

I find a lot of the responses on this thread really harsh. The OP says she is customer facing - the customers she is meeting are not exactly going to be happy if they catch sone awful bug because she dragged herself into work when sick.

My employees know that I have thyroid disease and anaemia
They also know Im awaiting an operation , although I'm unlikely to be able to have it now as I live alone and I'd need to be able to be with someone after

Wow some of these comments are insane and eye opening. I never took many sick days until I had kids but oh boy those first few years of nursery! In my first son’s first 8 months I had 1 bout of pneumonia, 1 flu (real flu), 1 Strep throat (with really high fever), and 2 V&D bugs. I was away from work about 20 days. Thankfully I managed to work a few at home but had WFH not been an option I’d have had to just be off, no way I should have been at work with flu or Strep or V&D, and the pneumonia I was laid out. Thankfully my work aren’t dickheads and realise sometimes people actually just get sick and need to stay away to protect their coworkers and therefore the business.

I suppose all the RTW meetings and admin is making a job for someone and giving them something to do…?!

why a waste of time? It’s to ensure the employee is fit to return to work and to see if any reasonable adjustments need putting into place or phased returns …..I really appreaciate a RTW ….after my last long period of time off work ( 8 months) my RTW sorted about my ( fully paid ) 2 month phased return ….and was an opportunity to put a well being plan in place for me ….which sets out some reasonable adjustments and an access to work referral…..I have found RTW interviews invaluable

The other thing that it brings to my mind is the kids. Like I said earlier I was not sick till I had kids, and am quick to blame parents sending them into school, but jeez it looks like it's everywhere. The adults seem to be worse than the kids.

No offence taken, it is a discussion board after all. I think my point is that I haven't taken time off for spurious reasons. If a person has long term, significant health problems, then they are likely to be registered with the HR / occupational health department and would also likely be certificated when time off is taken.

As an employer, the objective is to prevent 'duvet days' and general 'I can't be arsed to go in today as the weather is nice' days.

I mentioned it also, as the OP thought four days times in seven months wasn't much. I think it is.

I was public sector. 10 days self certified sick leave per year. Depending on the illness, any more than four consecutive weeks certified sick leave would trigger referral to HR, who would make contact to enquire about a return to work.

It's hard to know.

Because when I took uncertified sick leave and I went back and I had a very threatening return to work meeting.

I said to my manager at the time, should I have gotten a cert from the doctor and taken certified sick leave then. Would that have been better to do to follow policy.

And she said no. She said "We count uncertified sick leave and uncertified sick leave as the same. Too many days can lead to contract dismissal.:

I mean it doesn't sound right to me.

Which is why I'm applying for new jobs

I need to get a public sector job. It sounds like a better way of life.

But is there a point to it if you had one day off because of a D&V bug, which was mostly over the weekend?

I once had one because of that and my manager was not impressed that all I could say was "well I'm not longer throwing up...." Because what else is there to say?

We have RTWs if we've been off a while with something bad. But if it's just been COVID and we say we're fine now, that's it.

But in retail, you ARE expected to just get on with it.. after all, we are with the public all the time,..it's never ending bugs and germs.. No one would EVER be off for a cold for eg. My manager actually boasts about all the fevers she comes in with. It's a horrible culture of almost competitiveness..but we are bullied if we are off sick, and penalised for it, as even if doc signs off, we'll still get put on disciplinary if say in my case 6 days in five years..it's not worth it so we just grit teeth and carry on . I've been in other retail jobs not as bad as this one! This one
does pay living wage rather than minimum, but !

As much as I need. The British system is utterly ridiculous, and you're not permitted to be ill. Despite having legitimate reasons, you'll be out on staged warning, because your body hasn't complied with staying well. My sister had a stage 1 for Covid and wisdom teeth removal. I now live in Australia, and have 'saved' 1104 hours of sick leave I could start to take whenever I needed. The fear in the UK to call in sick when legitimately unwell is disgusting

Wow, some companies and organisations seem to have very strict rules around sickness absences.

@Abigail47 I wouldn't consider 4 days sick leave in 7 months particularly high. I might have a manager call in because their child has brought home a vomiting bug and it's going through the family. They might be unlucky enough to get a horrible cold, or Covid or some other virus. They might need a mental health day because they are anxious or stressed.

I look at my team's wellbeing as important as their output. I think that's one of the reasons why I have low turnover and high productivity in my teams. If you treat people respectfully, it pays back in dividends.

I assume everyone that I've hired is competent and capable as a starting point. If they prove me wrong, then I'll deal with it but people are certainly capable of judging if they are well enough to work. I also have no patience with people spreading germs and viruses around communal spaces for the sake of presenteeism.

Yeah that's your workplace being ridiculous about things.

People get sick. And people who are constantly stressed (for example about whether they'll get fired over having a cold) get sick more often.

I’m in the civil service and a back to work interview is mandatory, we would only be told sickness can lead to dismissal if it was an official sickness meeting if you’ve breached your trigger point. Which is 3 absences, or 6 days in a 12 month period. That can be adjusted for disability up to double. That’s not a lot, as a bad flu could knock you out for more than 6 days. But a warning isn’t mandatory and a discretion could be given if meets the rules. For a long term absence you can get to around 6-9 months before it starts to get more serious about potential dismissal.

We can self certify for 5 working days, after that you need a fit note from your GP. I think that’s pretty standard.

Yeah that's the worst part about being sick.

Actually being sick, and then the drwad of having to call in sick to a cold manager. Every day while you're sick

I’m nhs….we just call an automated sick line the day we go off sick….and call in again the day we resume to work….no requirement to speak to a manager

You sound so lovely. I'm glad that some people have you as their manager.

Nice! I have to ring in and speak to a manager every day in my current job if im sick.

Abigail47, that's another reason why I go in when sick, not just because of the warnings I've had.
The dread of ringing in daily and being grilled, interogated when you are geniunely sick.

Thata actually really interesting. It's great to learn about other people's jobs.

Is the whole line automated.

How does that work. Does it say press 1 if you're sick.

Also in probation period you only get 2 days sick leave before your probation could be refused.

Sickness entitlement builds at an extra week per year of service up to 12 weeks worth, 3 absences in a rolling 12 month period would trigger a sickness meeting, but they are pretty good with people who have genuine health issues and do a lot of stuff to support people back to work after absence