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

[Chariots77]

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.

The best way forward is to ask him what the difference would be between logging it as sickness vs AL, and go from there. It's not an odd request it itself, a lot of businesses would offer the choice if sick pay is reduced.

Obviously you have the policy documents and I don't, but I'm not convinced by the mention of a 12 months full pay policy. This usually applies to long-term sickness, and are a form of insurance (with doctors notes, potentially other conditions, and you formally have to apply to it). It would be unusual for this type of policy to apply in this case.

The only advantage to having a sick day recorded as annual leave is if you wouldn't be paid for that sick day.

I wouldn't try and switch your booked holiday days to sick leave. That's just unfortunate.

Yes, legal though HOW you do this may be subject to company policy - eg dr's note

I agree with this, have you double checked the sickness policy? Ours has different rules for whether it's short or long term. Long term we are entitled to 4 months full pay, short term sickness is SSP for 7 days and then half pay after that for up to 3 weeks. However SSP is unpaid for the first 3 days so plenty of people ask to use annual leave to cover those days.

Where I work if you’re sick during annual leave you have to contact your manager on the first day to register it. A couple of years ago I had Covid for my 2 week summer holiday and didn’t know this until I returned, so ‘lost’ the days.

My work do this. It's to protect your sickness record, because the odd day here and there off sick can trigger escalation. It's only an offer, say no if it makes you uncomfortable.

Gosh it's so surprising that companies only offer SSP, it's like something from another century as an approach if you think about it.

Thanks again all.

Just to clarify - I'm not trying to claim for all the leave between christmas and new year - just that I know I'd be entitled to it - contrary to being asked if I wanted to take leave for one day yesterday. SSP doesn't kick in for ages at my work, no idea on the exact timings but in this industry it's probably the most generous. My manager knows me well enough to know that I'd never be hungover on a work day, 100% not what he's thinking. But from a few of the responses it seems to be more common than I thought. It surprised me as I used to manage a team in this industry and we were told to be really understanding with people on sick unless there was some kind of pattern emerging - we'd have been heavily reprimanded for suggesting any employee uses annual leave to cover absence. I'll just tell him to keep it as sick - as I genuinely was sick!