To go off sick when I have pre-booked holiday planned?

[sickofbeingsick1993]

Disclaimer: My condition is totally genuine and is a chronic condition I've had all my life. There's no known "cure" for it, you just have to manage the pain of flareups as and when they happen. It comes with occasional flare ups, one of which I'm having now. I manage it with meds and am usually ok to work through it. However, I'm in a lot of pain and haven't been able to sleep for last 3 nights because pain gets worse when I'm laying or sitting still for long periods.

I've dragged myself into work today and I'm struggling. Feeling fuzzy because of the painkillers (have to take strong ones, no other even touch the sides of the pain), and just in pain all over. Colleagues see how much I'm struggling. Manager isn't in today, he's back on Friday.

I'm seriously thinking of speaking to my GP and requesting a sick note just till this flare up dies down but I'm worried how this might look to my employer because I have a pre-booked holiday in early August, one they know about. GP is obviously well-aware of my condition and all the trouble I've had with it over the years and I imagine he would be sympathetic enough to grant a sick note.

What would be the implications of going off sick so close to a pre-booked holiday? Also, I'm mindful it's so close to the big school holidays, so don't want to be viewed with suspicion that I'm "only going sick as I have kids.." (as do a lot of people in my workplace sadly). Thankfully my kids are of an age were they can do a lot for themselves and are mature for their ages (13 and 15).

I guess what I'm trying to ask is, could/should I go off sick and take some time to recover? I have a very desk-based job, involves sitting for long periods (call centre). It only makes my pain worse :(

Being so close to my holiday and also the school holidays, would I be disbelieved or viewed with suspicion? Would hate that :( Last time I was off sick was almost 3 years ago and then was only for couple of days, so I'm by no means a person who takes advantage.

WWYD?

If you are sick, then you are sick.
Sometimes that coincides with planned holiday, busy periods at work, etc. but you can’t help that.

if you are in the Uk, then you can self-certify for the first 7 days; most gps won’t issue a fit note before then, but if your flare up is likely to last longer then I’d get the appointment booked now and see what they say.

hope you feel better soon

Everyone can see you’re sick and I wouldn’t think twice. Also your holiday is in a few weeks not next week. Do you need a lot of time off? In either case if your doctor advises you need time off then that’s what you do. You definitely don’t sound like someone who takes advantage.

Thanks for the kind replies.
My flare ups usually last around 5 or 6 weeks. So if I'm off that long (will be guided by the advice of my GP in terms of timeframe), my holiday would fall in the middle of that period. Would I even be allowed to go on holiday if signed off work sick. Could they argue that if I'm too sick to work, then going on holiday is punishable? Sorry for all the questions, I'm just someone who hates letting people down or getting into trouble at work :(

Please, don’t worry about what anyone else thinks. You know the truth. You know you’re not 100% right now and you’re having a flare up. You need the time off, pushing yourself into work is going to make things worse. Go to the gp and request a sick note.

Out of curiosity, what sort of work do you do and what sort of holiday are you going on?

I work in a busy call centre, I'm a 999 call handler. As for the sort of holiday, I'm taking my daughters to visit their grandparents in France. No special activites planned, just a family get together. So, 1 hour flight to Paris and then an hour's car journey from there. Glad it's only short-haul, couldn't bear to sit still for a longer flight :(

Legally, if you are sick during booked annual leave, you can take the leave back and use it another time. However, I think whether it would be reasonable to go on a pre-booked holiday during sick leave would depend on whether your reason for having time off is compatible with the sort of holiday it is. For example, if you had a complicated fracture and needed to keep your leg elevated and the holiday was lounging around, fine. But if you have a fit note because you're too woozy to stand on painkillers and the holiday is a hiking holiday, not so much.

If you are sick you are sick and therefore justified not to be in work. It does seem a little odd though given the time frame of your flare up that you contemplate being off work but haven't contemplated missing your holiday

Good lord, sick leave is for when you are sick and you are currently sick! I'm someone who tends to soldier on if I can and roll my eyes when colleagues are off sick with a "bit of a sore throat" or similar sounding mild malady but you are suffering and in pain.

Our HR team's mantra is if you are too sick to work that day then you should be off sick.

Your booked holiday has nothing to do with it. In fact if you were sick during your annual leave you would be entitled to reclaim your leave. Dragging yourself into work is only likely to make your flare up worse. Stuff what anyone says about annual leave and school holidays. The timing isn't something you could help.

The thought of missing the holiday isn't really an option. My daughters have been really excited about since it was booked and they talk about little else. It's their grandparents' golden wedding anniversary so family from all over the world are flocking to grandparents' farm in France to surprise them with this party. If not for that (and my daughters' excitement), I'd probably have bowed out of it on health grounds. But can't do that to my daughters, they've had a tough year (their father and I splitting and a house move). I like them having this holiday to look forward to.

Yes you can go on holiday when off sick. Happened to DH several times (he has quite a few heath issues). Last summer we went to France while he was off sick (tbh at that point he was investigating ill health retirement). As he was signed off sick the days he had booked off were added back to his annual leave.

In my work if you are off sick and go away on a booked holiday it is put through as annual leave while sick. Your work should not punish you for it as you can't help when you get sick.

My holiday is to see family who live in France. No strenuous activities planned, basically just a family get together to celebrate a golden wedding anniversary.

I think it’s fine

If you're too sick to work your too sick, it doesn't matter what it looks like to other people.
If you get a fit note it doesn't mean you have to be off as long as it says, you can go back when you feel ready. Maybe you'll feel well enough to be in between now and your holiday?

Then I think that would be fine. It's basically home from home.

I have a chronic condition (osteoarthritis & fibromyalgia) I work through it as much as I can, but sometimes when I'm having a flare up of either condition fybro-related brain fog &/or strong pain killers mean that I'm rather 'spaced out' &, as I do a job where decisions that I make can have a serious impact on other people's lives, I have to take time off work.

I also manage a team of 12 people and I wouldn't have a problem if a member of my team who had been on sick leave then went on a planned visit abroad. I think that I'd prefer them to tell me - though I would already know if it was planned as I talk to my staff &, if one of them was looking forward to visiting family in France, I'd know about it. I'd be saying 'I'm sorry that you're not well ATM, I hope that you will be well enough to go to see you family on xx/8/25.' I would hope that your manager says the same.

Enjoy your holiday & I hope that you feel well enough to enjoy your break with your family.

The holiday is probably going to assist you with looking after your kids as they will have grandparents around and you can say that’s why you still went- so that you could receive family support to look after them whilst having a flare up.

it sounds like you are genuinely unwell and unfortunately that happens.

I had surgery whilst in annual leave (I hadn’t mentioned it ti my manager) however it was more complicated than expected and I was signed off for a month so had to let her know.

You can 100% go on holiday if you are off sick. Obviously some people would be able to depending I the reason, for example if they are in hospital but if you are able to you can go.
Someone a work had booked a holiday earlier this year but went off sick a bit before due to a flare up of a condition she has. She had been on hospital but was out by the time of the holiday and still went. She felt bad for going but it was good for her to relax and recover on a holiday with her family. She wasn't ok enough for work. She also got the days back she had booked off.

The policy in my workplace is if you have prebooked annual leave and are off sick you get it back UNLESS you go abroad, in which case it still is one episode of sickness but you don't get credited with the leave to take at another time

That also means that the occupational sick pay misses those days - so you can have longer off before your pay drops

just seen your updates.

you absolutely can go aboard for the type of holiday you’ve mentioned, whilst signed off sick from work. It’s nothing like being signed off sick with a bad back and then posting photos of yourself skiing on Facebook!

If your fit note covers the whole of your holiday, then you should really be recorded as sick for the entire period, and be able to use your annual leave at another time, however, you’ll need to check your company policy for how things are done where you work.

if your company only pays statutory sick pay, you might want to ask if they will record it as annual leave if that means you get paid more.- however, in that case I would also be asking for written confirmation that they would treat the sickness before and after your holiday as one continuous occurrence.

Why don't you take the rest of this week off and see how you feel on Monday in relation to work?

You may not need 4-6 weeks off if you can rest well now for a few days you only need a GP fit note after 7 days.

As for the holiday. If you are up to going then go.

Hope you feel better soon.

"but sometimes when I'm having a flare up of either condition fybro-related brain fog &/or strong pain killers mean that I'm rather 'spaced out' &, as I do a job where decisions that I make can have a serious impact on other people's lives, I have to take time off work."

That's a really good point, OP if you're feeling fuzzy from the painkillers, aren't sleeping and are in a lot of pain, I don't think you can do your job of a 999 call handler at the moment. I think the best thing for work, as well as you, is to take the time off. Why not self certify for the week and then see how you are / if you need more time off with a fit note. You have a known condition and your colleagues have seen how much you're struggling at the moment - both of those things will help if anyone does think you're making it up.