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?

I am part-time 0.6 and get around 5 days I think. If unwell, we’re also unofficially allowed to wfh if practical (not always for me). So far as long as you don’t take the piss it’s fine.

Its always the managers on here who use threatening language.

You can only "watch me closely" as long as Im there in the job though, can't you.

No one is chained to a job. Employees are free to leave.

I'm actively looking for other jobs.

Sickness is not absenteeism and you sound totally heartless .

If you're that strict about leave, you're also leaving yourself open to being sued by your employees.

I was just reading a news article where an employee sued his former employer for not letting him take force majeure leave when his wife was extremely sick in hospital.

He won against the employer

My DH works for a private company and had 6 weeks off ill in his first year of employment. They were fine about it.

I’m in Australia. We get 10 paid sick days a year, which can accumulate year to year if not used. If we take 2 or more consecutive days we need a medical certificate. Not sure about unpaid sick leave, assume it’s indefinite amount of time, I’ve seen people take a year or more for serious health issues

Interesting some people seem to think if you work in the public sector, sick leave policies are more lenient. I used to work in the public sector and went down with a horrific cold for which I took just half a day's sick leave because my manager made it clear there would be trouble if I took more. I ended up with bronchitis, but still didn't take any sick leave.

It’s that in the public sector as well? I’ve seen ( nurse) colleagues over the years relocate to Australia and assumed they got really generous sick benefits …..but 10 days is nothing compared with our 6 months full and 6 months half pay…..maybe you are not public sector though?

It definitely varies a lot from employer to employer.

That was why it was so scary for me to go from an employer who would let me take a week uncertified sick leave, no questions asked (I didn't take it but I could if I wanted to)

To an employer who will barely let you take one day

They're all so different.

How can they do this, it is not in line with the law?
Edited to add: I suppose the question is what country are you talking about?

Why are you wanting to leave so soon after starting?

But are you entitled to six months full pay for every sickness?

For example, I mean you couldn't just take six months full sick pay for six different colds.

Surely the six months full sick pay is only if you have a serious illness/ injury?

I don't want my people working when they're sick. I pay for 100% work effort not 50. Showing up sick means I'm not getting value for my money as well as risking making the rest of the team sick.

The UK policies on sick leave only encourage presenteeism ie being seen in the office but unproductive.

Every place I've worked in Australia has a minimum 10 days annual sick leave (full pay) that accumulates over your years at work. Some long term employees can have lots of days accrued. They don't get paid out when you leave. Most places only require a Dr certificate for over 3 consecutive days off.

Because it is the kind of place where it is not possible to get leave in August or September...

Yes of course, because once over a week you have to get a fit note from the doctor.

Because I don't like a lot of things about the workplace.

Disability discrimination is rife, but hard to prove, in the workplace and reading some of these comments I can see why. They're frankly ablist. People saying "I've only had X days off in X years" - irrelevant. You could get hit by a car tomorrow and need months of sick leave.

Imagine saying the equivalent about maternity leave please.

There's no one boasting "I've not had children, so I've had no time off"

There's far clearer laws on maternity pay. SMP is better.

I'm not saying this is bad, I am pleased women are protected pre and post pregnancy. I'm just saying try and compare the two and fight for the rights of sick and disabled people - in law because businesses don't.

You can really get a doctors cert for pretty much everything.

They're kind of pointless really.

If I go to my doctor and say "I have a sore throat and I feel I can't go to work for a week" she would give me a cert for a week, as why would she care really about giving me one or not.

However I still would be wary of taking too much certified leave off work.

Even though its certified leave, i dont thubj it gives you much protection, a lot of companies look down on you for taking any sick leave, certified or uncertified

if You are sick you are sick…..of course you need a sick note for anything over 7 days …..and only the full six months in a rolling year……I mean a cold isn’t going to warrant a month off…..but I’ve just had 7 weeks off with whooping cough……previous to that I had 4 weeks off in feb related to my disability ……I’m in a team of 27….at present we have 2 off with covid….one off with tonsilitis …..one off with sinusitis and 2 off with pregnancy related sickness…they are all planned to be off at least a week

Everywhere I have worked has had Return To Work Meetings when you come back from a period of sickness, whether it's one day or 6 months. One employer in particular had a rule that there would be a disciplinary review if you had 3 periods of absence within a 6 month period whether it was certified with a doctor's sick note or not. To be honest I thought this was pretty standard and to me 2 absences periods in 7 months for a new employee seems like quite a lot.

Obviously cancer is absolutely entirely different, as are chronic illnesses. We r talking about odd random days here and there are'nt we?

Cancer tends to be treated differently, but not other chronic illnesses.

You're talking of brief illnesses in your posts though. Two or three days off here and there. Mh issues usually necessitate longer periods off, not a couple of days.

You never had D&V in 30 years? ….that’s a minimum of 2 days off work…..and if you have kids no matter how sick you are you still have to get them to school so would have to leave the house….you never had tonsilitis? Flu? ….if not you have been very lucky and you are the exception …..because most people get sick at least a couple of times a year

If you cant actually get out of bed! Even when I was in hospital for 2 weeks admitted as an emergency, I could get out of bed.