To be angry to learn that the NHS gives some staff special treatment when it comes to sick leave

[valianttortoise]

Most people only receive sick pay under quite limited terms and I know of staff who have been booted while suffering horrible health situations (including cancer).

But I've recently learned that some people, if they have line manager support, will get full pay for many years (three in the case of the person I'm thinking about). I wouldn't mind if this were for genuinely horrible situations but genuinely horrible situations are being sidelined as any NHS worker knows. The person I'm thinking of has a diagnosis of anxiety and adult ADHD.

Their union is now supporting them to seek ill health retirement and I reckon they'll get it.

Things are unfair so never take no for an answer because if you do some other fucker will help themselves.

surely if you are off with stress it is nobody's business.
it is nobody's business what anyone is off work with

In my 20 year career i’ve never heard of this. I’ve seen staff forced to take medical retirement and also staff let go due to their sickness record ( rare but did happen).

'Seen the payslips' nosey MUCH.
Leave those people ALONE.

You don’t know what’s going on behind closed doors, and you well and truly lost me when you said you’d seen the payslips. If you’ve looked at their payslips or been shown them, then you’re as bad as the management you’re bashing I’m afraid!

We aren’t all like this!

I think people are being a bit unfair to the OP. She knows of one person who has been paid sick pay for three years. For whatever reason, she has seen their payslips, and has raised this as proof when people say she is mistaken. She regards this as unfair, particularly now the union are involved and pressing for ill-health retirement. Her point is that people with far more serious conditions are not being treated nearly as well, and that you might as well pursue any claim for money because there are no rewards for being reasonable. This has led to a pile-on, with people denouncing the OP for being unreasonable, not knowing what she is talking about, or having no empathy towards those with MH difficulties. The OP is entitled to discuss what she regards as an unfair situation and ask whether she is being unreasonable. In my opinion, she is not.

I get your point to a certain extent, but if the OP is not ill herself and has not been denied sick pay for the exact same situation, how can she complain that it's not fair? How can she have seen three years worth of a colleague's pay slips? Been involved in all of the rationales and reasons why this might be happening?

I have also worked in the NHS for many years and I would be more minded to view this as stirring a pot on people with MH and ND and those pesky people who 'get tax payers money' than rooted in any reality.

But just to give the benefit of the doubt to the OP and say this is an actual situation, as you say, she is still being unreasonable. Mind your own business springs to mind.

How have you seen the person’s payslips?

Only the people directly involved will have all of the information. Are you the employee, the line manager, HR?

What NHS Trusts even have payslips these days? Mine's been electronic for ages, no payslips to see unless you log in to the online system with my log in details.

The only person I've ever known get sick pay for that length of time was someone who was very brutally, and sexually, assaulted by a colleague at work. It turned out bosses were aware of colleagues history of assaulting women but still allowed him to work alone with them.

The rest of their colleagues didn't know the full extent of what had happened for a long time and were told she was off with stress and that he'd left (the implication was that there was no link).

I’ve seen many people complain without a damn clue about the facts, over the years. This thread shows the worst of social media.

Good point, ours are all electronic too. Hmm...

I work in a clinical role in the NHS, but I am sure that there will be something that you don't know about this colleague's case. Apart from the required adjustments under the disability discrimination act (which conditions like anxiety etc may fall under), there are considerations such as workplace injury that may require the employer to provide extended support. This is not unique to the NHS either.

This reminds me of a lesson I learnt as a people manager:
People lie to their colleagues, but colleagues will never realise, or will refuse to believe the other person is lying, or dont twig WHY the person might lie about something.
It is common for someone to tell their colleagues they are off with stress, depression etc, when the reality is domestic violence, psychosis etc. And I dont blame people at all for doing so, even though as a people manager I've experienced resentment from the rest of the team over a lie.
Its astonishing how many people literally cannot comprehend that sometimes there are reasons a friend would lie to them.

OP. Mind your own business. For your own wellbeing. You never know someone else’s journey and the fact that someone is getting support for sickness means there is a significant reason for it. Best to assume you don’t know the reason rather than there isn’t one.

Also coming on and describing a unique situation and then admitting you’ve had a nosey at your colleagues payslips is a good way to end up in a disciplinary...

I thought all NHS trusts have the policy about continuous service? In my role, you can move between Trusts and keep your sick pay entitlement: 1 year continuous service= 1 month full pay, 1 month half pay then SSP.
Increases each year of continuous service. Most conditions will affect Bradford Score though, unless it's pregnancy-related?

The policy encourages staff not to take long breaks between jobs/contracts, so improves staff retention.

During the pandemic, I had 4months off on full pay due to covid and relapsing fever after covid.
Soon after I'd returned to work, I had 2 months off for planned surgery. Then I had a month of leave to use up, so was officially 'back'. I became pregnant straight after the surgery, and by the end of my annual leave I was throwing up all day with HG. Even with medication, I couldn't work when pregnant and was signed off each month by doctor. The sick leave pay re-started from the day I was signed off with hyperemesis, so I used the 6 months full pay and started half pay prior to maternity leave. I'm very grateful for NHS sick pay!

Even if you think you'll never need it, you might be wrong!

Perhaps there is a lot more going on and other circumstances than you are either unaware of or glossing over.

Many companies have discretionary sick policies.

How an employer treats its staff is none of your business OP.

That’s what I mean, how has op had access?

They should be moved to jobs they are capable of doing, yes there are lots with great sickness records always off dock departments permanently under staffed.

I work for the NHS and have a serious MH diagnosis. Am currently off sick and have been for over a year. Pay stopped in July. Never ever have I heard of anyone getting sick pay for more than the sickness policy states. Payroll just stop it when it’s time. Our management team consult HR on everything. I can’t see how they would get away with extending sick pay.

If this is right, then it’s not acceptable. There should be a set sickness policy. No one illness “trumps” another, whether mental of physical.

From my experience (25 years NHS) it is! It’s a huge document followed to the letter at our trust. I can only think the person OP is talking about has some extra special massively extenuating circumstances.

But isn’t that the point OP was making?
The way I read the post is that some people get preferential treatment (if they’re pally with their line manager). She wasn’t saying MH gets more sick pay than other illnesses.

Not sure why OP included what the person was signed off with though, that’s almost irrelevant.

It's not up to your line manager how much time off sick you get paid for. Line managers in the NHS don't have that power no matter how pally you are with them.