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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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Original poster

Manager if I'd like my sickness logged as annual leave

58 replies

Chariots77 · 03/01/2025 16:40

Been ill right over Christmas with flu. Our office reopened yesterday, but I wasn't well enough still. Messaged my manager, no problem. I returned to work today, and I'm a bit confused as he asked if I wanted to.use leave to cover my day off yesterday? I was a bit taken aback, so said I'd get back to him. Is this normal? To be honest I thought I'd be entitled to my annual leave back over Christmas when sick. Not having to use holidays when I'm actually sick 😳

I've no excessive absences. Other than this illness I think i had 2 days off 1-2 years ago with a stomach bug, and that's it.

OP posts:

waitingforrugbytofinish · 03/01/2025 16:42

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Nina1013 · 03/01/2025 16:42

If you don’t get full sick pay, it’s often something that employees request to do rather than have lower pay (SSP).

waitingforrugbytofinish · 03/01/2025 16:42

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SatansBobbleheadedDashboardOrnament · 03/01/2025 16:42

Errrr, no. You were sick. It sounds well dodgy and almost seems like he's trying to 'test' you by your response.

DustyLee123 · 03/01/2025 16:42

When did you ring in sick?

catkatcatkat · 03/01/2025 16:43

Do you get full pay when off sick or just SSP?

If you get full pay and have sick pay entitlement then say no to this.

Employers cannot force employees to take annual leave when they’re eligible for sick leave. Source: www.gov.uk/taking-sick-leave

modgepodge · 03/01/2025 16:43

Is there a maximum days of full pay (maybe none?!) you can have? If so presumably any days taken would be unpaid, whereas annual leave would be. Perhaps he was trying to help you?

Assuming you normally get full pay for sickness absences and haven’t hit the maximum number of these though yes that’s weird and it’s better for it to be sickness not leave.

Flipper1234 · 03/01/2025 16:43

You need to check your work’s sickness absence policy and your contract of employment. You may or may not be entitled to company sick pay. Are you in UK? If so and you aren’t entitled to company sick pay, then SSP doesn’t kick in straight away, so your manager may be giving you the option of taking holiday to avoid you getting no pay for yesterday.

Barrenfieldoffucks · 03/01/2025 16:48

I'd assume that you're not paid for the first couple of days ill, then just onto SSP thereafter. He's asking if you want to mark it as hols so that you are paid.

Nerdlings · 03/01/2025 16:51

Did he say you should book it as AL or did he merely ask the question. If the latter, he is not being unreasonable.

ARealitycheck · 03/01/2025 16:51

If I'm reading correctly the business is closed and part of your annual leave is used during that period. Because you were sick during that time you want to use sick leave and retain the holidays?

immoreexcitedthanthekids · 03/01/2025 16:54

It depends if you get full sick pay or SSP.

If SSP it only kicks in after 3 or 4 days, so people often use annual leave to cover the first few days. Or if it is just one day sick, SSP won't cover that.

However if you get full sick pay, say no.

Nc54684 · 03/01/2025 16:55

If you get full sick pay there’s no way you would want to switch sick days for annual leave. Fulll sick pay is there for exactly that purpose, illness

Doggymummar · 03/01/2025 16:59

Where I work you get you annual leave back if you are sick, I've never tested the policy as it's not happened to me but if you book two weeks off and then broke your leg for example you can change it to sick and have the two weeks another time. Is that wat you are asking?

MadmansLibrary · 03/01/2025 16:59

Nina1013 · 03/01/2025 16:42

If you don’t get full sick pay, it’s often something that employees request to do rather than have lower pay (SSP).

Yes, this has happened to me in other jobs. It was seen by all as a favour, because SSP is crap money and some people preferred to use holidays instead, as they'd be paid for that.

HPandthelastwish · 03/01/2025 17:03

I've had the opposite and been ill during my annual leave and my Manager has offered to put it as Sick and give me my AL back.

ByQuaintAzureWasp · 03/01/2025 17:03

If you followed company sickness rules re. reporting you were off sick, not on holiday.

dementedpixie · 03/01/2025 17:04

Depends if you get SSP or full sick pay.
If you get SSP you may want to take it as annual leave so you get your full wage

AlisonDonut · 03/01/2025 17:06

ARealitycheck · 03/01/2025 16:51

If I'm reading correctly the business is closed and part of your annual leave is used during that period. Because you were sick during that time you want to use sick leave and retain the holidays?

No, she took the first day back at work off sick.

OP your manager wants to know if you'd rather take a day's paid leave than a day without pay as you probably dont get the first 3 days paid. You are free to say no.

Mrsttcno1 · 03/01/2025 17:14

Nothing wrong with this and lots of employer’s will offer if you’d only get SSP, it means you can still be paid for that day. You don’t have to say yes, you could just take it as unpaid, it’s only an offer.

Silvers11 · 03/01/2025 17:15

@Chariots77 As others have said, it depends what the rules are for pay when you are off sick. Did you actually tell him that you had been sick right over Christmas and that you wanted to claim your Annual Leave back as a result?

He will only have been considering the one days sick leave yesterday from the sounds of it. But what you choose to do is dependent on whether you get full pay when off sick, from day 1 - or what the rules are where you work?

coolwindinmyhair · 03/01/2025 17:17

I always offer this to my team, we don't get anything other than SSP, where it's relevant, and a lot of staff can't afford to lose the days salary. They're under absolutely no obligation to use it, some don't but they've always been grateful to have the option.

Suzuki76 · 03/01/2025 17:18

I think if you're sick on annual leave that's just unfortunate, but when you're due to work and call in sick then no, you can't be made to take annual leave for that.

I had COVID last Christmas and I didn't expect to claim the working days in-between Christmas and New Year back as leave. My boss would laugh at me.

PrioritisePleasure24 · 03/01/2025 17:22

Don’t you have to report sick on the week you are on leave to be able to claim it back? If closed surely that’s not an option!?

Original poster

Chariots77 · 03/01/2025 17:33

Thanks all. I get full sick pay for up to 12 months, it's a really good policy. I've never used much and have never took the piss - hence why I'm a bit taken aback by him asking if I'd like to use annual leave! And yes, in the UK. I called in sick yesterday, the office was closed over Christmas.

OP posts:

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