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 don’t think you will be convinced otherwise as you clearly work in a culture that lots of illness is normal but it isn’t and you have only been in this job for 7 months. I think you need to realise that it is high.

Return work interviews are completely normal and should be encouraged for employee support.

I have a disability so have higher levels of sickness (some disability leave) than the normal. I think it's crazy we have a culture where people are expected to be in when they are genuinely ill - you are unproductive, your illness can often drag on for longer and you spread germs which makes more colleagues ill. I was hoping it was going to change after covid as what's mild in others can knock me out for a week. But on the flip side I also dislike the threads where people are encouraged to throw a sickie or get signed off to avoid something because that's one of the reasons these type of policies exist.

I disagree it's high, as in my opinion sickness and illness happens to everyone, and if the company won't let me take annual leave to cover a sick day, I'll be taking sick leave.

A colleage who started after me in the job, has taken more sick leave than I have.

At my work place, a school, we have a return to work meeting after each period of absence, even if it's only one day.

Five days absent in a rolling 12 month period triggers a stage one formal warning. If you have another period of absence (even half a day) within six months of that you move to a Stage 2 warning. Any more absence and your contract is terminated.

Obviously, if you have a doctor's note the formal warnings don't apply, but you still have the return to work meeting (telling off!) and the Business Manager rings you at home every day you are sick to encourage you to return.

It's incredibly harsh considering we work in a very old, cramped, poorly ventilated school building with 2500 germ spreading children in close proximity.

You don't need to convince me in any way though.

The same as I dont need to convince you of what I believe.

It's a discussion

In a discussion, different opinions and thoughts are always welcome and add to the discussion.

It doesn't mean that either person has to be convinced to the other persons point of view.

People in general, stick to their opinion

It is a lot.

I manage 12 people and in the last year, only one of them has had time off sick - one occasion.

3 separate occasions in a year would trigger a ‘letter of concern’ and that can start more formal action. I have to do a return to work interview even for one day of absence.

As an organisation, we’re very good on supporting staff with legitimate reasons for sickness absence but are (rightly imo) less tolerant of the odd days here and there.

That's harsh

4 days sick in 7 months is a lot imo

tbh I think your last work were just very slack

4 days in 7 months is a lot, especially if across a number of incidents.
In one year I had 20+ days but that was due to surgery and follow on complications.
Other years I've had none.

So what do you consider to be a lot? You have only been there 7 months.

Being unwell is absolutely unavoidable but that’s not to say you should have the attitude of “oh Sally has been off more than me” that you seem to have.

I have a member of staff that’s been off three times in six months and I’m not worried about it at all as all of them were completely unavoidable but it can’t be ignored.

You have no history for them to refer back to, they only have known you for a short time.

TBH I’m appalled by the responses here (as in, the workplace culture). In the UK I worked in a number of organizations and a couple of different industries- everywhere the culture was if you’re sick you’re sick. No meetings after either. I never took advantage ( as in call in for the sake of it) but if I was sick I didn’t have to stress out whether id get in trouble or not.
even when I worked in the US I was entitled to 10 days sick leave per annum without a note.

This

How do you get an absence of over 2 days certified? GPs will not issue sick notes until after 7 days if self certified sickness.

But it's not been a year, it's been 7 months, so yes I would say 2 periods of sick leave is a lot. In my workplace 3 periods of sick leave and over in a 12 month period is basically escalated, even if these were 1 day each. Over 5 days needs a sick note regardless of length of time off sick. I don't think this is uncommon to be honest.

Really?

Say if you have two different colds. And you're coughing sneezing and your throat is sore.

People get a lot of colds in a year.

What annoys me about my work, is in one of my sick periods, I had a really bad cold, I was coughing sneezing all day and I had a really sore throat and I could barely speak without pain.

I returned to work and in my return to work meeting, my manager was nasty to me about me being off sick.

Then after the meeting, I went and sat down next to her in the office. Me and my boss sit directly next to each other at computers in our office.

I sat down next to her at my computer. And I sneezed twice.

My boss then also sneezed.

Then she turned and glared at me and said "what you have, I'm catching it"

So she was angry that I took time off sick.

But then she was also angry at me coming in and being sick near her in the office.

I work for a local authority, we get five days self-certified, and up to six months on full pay, if needed. A back to work meeting takes place after every period of sickness but it’s very laidback and geared towards making sure the employee actually feels well enough to work/is there anything management can put in place to help.

Some colleagues take the piss and see a couple of weeks’ sick leave as part of their annual leave entitlement. Most don’t, and only use it when absolutely necessary. I’ve used two days in the past ten years.

Own business so no sick leave. If I don't work, I don't earn anything.

I used to work for the civil service and there you had 20 days a year of sick leave before anyone started to ask questions - people just counted it as part of their leave entitlement

In our place you get a rtw meeting after every absence. The absence policy states that 3 absences in a 12 month rolling period, or any absence over 10 days would trigger an absence review but that review does not necessarily mean any warnings or termination. It's actually quite a long drawn out process to dismiss someone for absence in my work.

We are also very fortunate and get 6 months full pay and six months half pay when absent.

Public sector. My council policy is ‘number of occasions’ an occasion being from half a day.

Two occasions in a 6 month period and 4 in a year leads to attendance management plans and regular meetings. Occupational health meetings including their report to senior management.

Return to work meeting with senior leaders, after every absence.

Targets set to be achieved.

Achieved and the plan is removed. Not achieved becomes much more serious towards being unfit to work and contract ended.

Of course equality and diability policies applied too.

I’m in private sector and when we’re sick we’re sick, there are no hard rules about how much of it is allowed. People are not productive when ill and are expected to take time off to get better and be able to provide value at work again. People are generally responsible about it.

I had no idea so many places have a 3 strikes policy, that sounds harsh. No one chooses to get sick.

That’s not legal. You can self cert for 7 days before needing a doctors note.

I can have 6 absences in a rolling 12 months but that's an increase from standard due to being immunocompromised
Return to work done after every sickness and you have to ring in daily at 7.30am unless you have a doctors note

I wish i lived I a country that allows some women to take menstrual leave off every month.

Some countries do

We get 6 months pay at full pay and 6 months at half pay. I was off for 2 x 5 month periods last year & got total support from management.

We've always had a RTW interview again more for support than anything else. I think they're pretty normal

I'd say your last company's way of doing things was pretty lax

Contractually we get 10 for the year. However, there really is no limit. I had 50 sick days full pay as I had a serious health scare and needed immediate treatment over a few months - work was very supportive.

Reading your post makes me very grateful for my workplace.