Why is the NHS so generous with their employee leave

[Ionlywentandbloodydidit]

Maybe I’m just jealous plain and simple.
I work really hard in a patient facing private sector clinical role ( not transferable to NHS) , long hours, huge amounts of stress and responsibility just like NHS workers . Four weeks holiday , no sick pay , no time off for GP, dentist appointments etc . Not just me , this is completely normal in my industry.
The NHS is on its knees , I see it every day , I’m privately employed but am also registered with NHS as a performer ( it’s complicated ) .
I have several friends who work within the NHS as nurses, midwife’s etc . They are all mostly on eight weeks holiday per annum , regularly on leave for months at a time on full pay for various reasons such as two months for a miscarriage, six months for the death of a very elderly parent or a bad back or stress etc.
They will all receive a good pension .
I’m so intrigued ( and envious I admit ) at how the NHS can be so generous with tax payers money.
Im ashamed to say I’m beginning to resent my NHS friends some of whom are quite brazen with it, especially when I also see first hand how long waiting lists are for consultations / ops for my own patients / family etc .

The more years you stay the more days you get (up to 10 years when you get the max - 33 days plus bank holidays). Staff retention and lower sickness rates. With a predominantly female staff base, means we can use leave for dependents without stress. There’s downsides of working in the nhs, let us have this!

My cousin’s private company offers a year (unpaid) sabbatical after 10 years service with your job available upon return. Saga holidays used to do similar and offer high annual leave allowance and discounted flights etc. pay was low but we loved working there - they also provided subsidised childcare in the onsite nursery.

Shocking but different companies have different benefits.

…. and this is why giving inflation busting pay rises to NHS workers of all levels will make absolutely no difference to their efficiency levels!

You're jealous that they get a whole 56 days away from other people's happy ever afters when they've just experienced the death/loss of their own baby? You're jealous of them?

NHS consultant. Get 33 days plus bank holidays. I work LTFT so pro rata. I also buy an additional week.

Work in niche specialised field so will take calls even when not on call, will check emails when not at work, work plenty extra evening hours.

Last took a sick day in 2017. Will come in when sick as I’d have to manage/deal with everything anyway. Me not coming and doing an all day clinic will cause so much fall out.

It used to be doctor sickness was really low when I was a junior. It definitely seems higher now. Maybe we were excessively stoic previously. But maybe something else isn’t quite right.

Thank you for all your views , some of them are valid and have made me rethink my views a little . I’m more than willing to be corrected.
Sadly I’m way too old to retrain and my industry doesn’t have a union.
i still feel it’s too commonplace these days for the NHS to be taken advantage of. I’ve witnessed it first hand so many times and that’s shaped my view.

Leave increases with time worked in the nhs. 0-5 years 27+ bank holidays, 5+ years 29 + bank holidays and 10 years + 33 + bank holidays. I would never work for less than 25 days plus bank holidays.

Very similar to me , also a consultant .
I could have written your post word for word.
Thank you for your considered comments. I think you’re probably right , I think I’m more stoic , it’s a generational thing .

Its 27 days leave plus 8 bank holidays

Going up to 29 days after 5 years and 33 after 10 years.

Yes sick pay is decent - 6 months full pay and 6 months half pay

Pension is meh. Def not gold standard it was years ago, staff pay around 10% wages onto pension

You def get people who ripped the p#ss out of the sick leave entitlement. Long term sick is a huge problem in nhs. Im beyond cheesed off with people getting jobs that desperately need staff and then tootling off on longer terms sick (yes i have sympathy but doesnt help the workload as that person isn't replaced)

If they are signed off sick by their doctor for a miscarriage then they will get the time off that they are signed off sick (6 months full pay, 6 months half pay after 5 years of service). They don't 'get 2 months off' for a miscarriage, they are signed unfit for work by the medical professional treating them the same as any other employee in any industry would and are paid according to the sick pay policy, for which admittedly the public sector tends to be more generous. FWIW I took 1 shift off for my miscarriage.

Its 27 days plus 8 stats before 10 years service.

Its the same a/l as the council employees in my city. Teachers are 40 days paid leave.
My local uni is 46 days plus a 35h working week.
Hmrc is 25 days plus 9 stats
Parliament is 30 days plus bank holidays

On the private sector banks tend to be 25-28 days plus stats but some offer 30.
Sse is 1 day less at 34 days total

No my dear. I’m not jealous . I’ve had two miscarriages , a still birth , lost my husband in a car accident . I know what it is to suffer. Please don’t try and make this post into something it’s not . Thank you .

Well gosh , this is exactly what I mean but you write it much better. I’m clumsy with my words .

But taking 6 months off sick when someone dies definitely is a thing. You have to get signed off by a GP but I bet you that amount of time off for bereavement happens far more often in the public sector (that has 6 months full pay) than in the private sector that only has SSP

Yes, why not drag everyone down to the same low level ! It’s only fair.

sigh.

Maybe if they didn't offer such good benefits they wouldn’t be able to hire anyone?

They are unionised.

The NHS has really good, strong unions that fight for their workers.

IMO everyone should be fighting for the same conditions rather than trying to remove them from public sector workers. Those of us in the private sector are working ourselves into the ground with absolutely
shit ts&cs to to make a few rich men who own the company even richer. I’d prefer a more equitable system.

No absolutely not but two months with no medical complications is a bit much (if it is indeed true). And yes I have had miscarriages

Not sure who you know in the NHS that gets 8 weeks of annual leave. I've worked in the NHS for 12 years. I get 33 days off for annual leave as a full time staff. 2 months off for a miscarriage sounds like a sensible time off to me, I can't imagine dealing with a loss like that.
The taxpayer money you talk about, we are also paying a lot of tax 😂, the generous pension is what we have contributed to, plus the more you earn the higher percentage of your wages goes to the pension. I could earn almost double my NHS wages if I worked in the private sector so some of these "benefits" are to offset that and even then it doesn't really. I choose to continue to work in the NHS because it's my calling. Stop comparing your life to your friends, comparison is the thief of joy!

I'm pleased that you were able to come back to work quickly. some women need longer to deal with the loss, even if there's no medical complications. Let's be compassionate towards others.

It’s taken time for the public service bashers to re-group after the concerted efforts pre-Budget, and here they are.

Goady thread.

Just to add a thought re sick leave; working in a health sector role means that, if your sickness or bereavement is related to your specific area of work, it can be a lot more challenging to return to that role until fully able.
Think of a nurse working in neonatal care returning to that role after a miscarriage, for example.
It may be “easier” to return to a clerical role in an office of a different industry, for obvious reasons.

I'm in the NHS and work conditions are difficult on a daily basis. The conditions eg sick pay and holiday is one of the only things retaining staff. Staff are often assaulted and abused by family members. We often use our own money for resources and work out of hours due to workload. I love my job but it is stressful and I don't think many people would do it due to that (I work in a 'challenging' area and recruitment is difficult).

I’ve worked in the NHS for many years in a clinical leadership role. There are definitely a few who milk the system for what it’s worth, but in my experience, most work worked very long hours, often way beyond what they are paid to do. Most people also had a strong commitment to the people who we looked after. As a manager, I saw the flexibility and generous benefits as a good way to support employees at difficult times. It was also helpful to encourage retention, commitment and productivity to our team, who performed very highly. Working in the NHS can be very tough.
Some of the things that you describe are actually legal requirements to consider for employees. I’ve had highly skilled nurses who were able to stay in their role whilst also undertaking (unpaid and exhausting) caring roles for a terminally ill partner. Similarity for reasonable adjustments, allowing people to perform well in posts where they otherwise might not have done. Maternity leave (to differing extents) is available in all roles, NHS or private. Etc.
What’s the alternative? That these people leave their roles and ultimately are lost to the NHS.
If you can’t get an ‘efficient response’ from anyone, it’s not because there are people on carers leave or flexible working, it’s because the service is being run badly.

Perhaps those requiring more time off than the average worker are attracted to the NHS for the perks and flexibility.

Anyway, I think more employers need to offer 8 weeks of annual leave. There are 52 weeks in a year, 8 weeks is really not that much when you think about it - ~15% of the year.

We don't get 8 weeks though! I get the max amount of annual leave due to 10 + years of service and it's 33 days. OP clearly has friends who are misleading her 😅