To go off sick with stress when colleague is off sick

[Mumsworkneverdone]

Hi I a community nurse and I currently work part time but I am expected to cover the work of my full time colleague who is off sick with stress as well as my own work but my manager is not listening when I say I cannot cover this, I’m struggling to sleep I’m so stressed. My question is would so be unreasonable to go off sick with stress myself?
And If I go off sick with stress will this affect my employment record as a nurse? Part off me wants to just walk out and leave them to it.

That's ridiculous, how on earth can you cover for a whole extra person.
Put your concerns in writing - don't tell your manager verbally.
Are you in a Union?

Not unreasonable at all. How long have you worked in the NHS? You get one month full sick pay for every year you’ve been in the NHS then six months half pay.

Mad. One of my colleagues was off sick for months while I was on maternity leave, both of us are very much still employed. Can you contact your mangers manager?

Thanks all I’ve been employed by the NHS for 15 years so good to know I am entitled to sick pay. Plan to have an open talk with my manager tomorrow and take it from there. Yes am in a union so will think about contacting them. Does anyone know if being off sick with stress will affect my future employability as a nurse if I eventually leave?

Is just doing a fair amount of work within your contracted hours an option?

Are you being asked to work more hours or do more during your contracted hours?

You need to ask for an OH referral and a stress risk assessment. Talk to your union, Document everything.

Yanbu.
That's mad.

Speak to union.

Go off sick even just for a coiple of weeks and if no sign of change extend it before line runs out.

Absolutely.

thank You curious orange this seems like good advice .

Do you mean your boss has asked you to increase your hours ie bank cover whilst your colleague is off sick? In which case not unreasonable of them to ask but it is unreasonable for them not to accept no as an answer.

I don’t see how they could ask or expect you to pick up a FT caseload on top of your own commitments? If it is the latter I would self certify rather than immediately get signed off- you can do that for a week in which time hopefully your manager will see sense.

@Mumsworkneverdone you can also self refer to Mental Health Access to Work who will help you to put together a wellbeing action plan to negotiate with management. ETA they will work alongside you for 6 to 9 months while it's implemented.

Why are you so focused on going off sick when you haven't even spoken to your manager yet? Ask for a meeting and explain what is feasible and what isn't.

You are being paid with tax payers' money to work, not to sit at home. If you're legitimately having mental health issues, your first point of call is to speak with your manager and a doctor, not Mumsnet for advice on going off sick.

U need to go above ur line manager to their manager and get your union and wellbeing department involved.

This isnt allowed legally. I was a nurse for years now a podistrist. Join the union...unison, not the rubbish RCN one and let them screw your manager. They will, trust me. I got my manager fired for a similar misdemeanour in my ladt trust. The current trust is fine.

Oh I think your manager has found u

This is awful advice.

It is so depressing that we are living in a world where going off sick is just seen as fine even when you're not sick. It's so incredibly childish and self centred. It also really belittles the issues that people with legitimate mental health issues have when people are taking time off for 'stress' just because things got tough and they're too incompetent to do something about it.

I was in a similar position to you. The world (especially the NHS!) relies on those of us who just keep on going, regardless of the exhaustion and stress. It's not on you. It's on a broken system that it is up to politicians and management,who are on waaaay more money than you are to fix. Your manager is using emotional blackmail to keep you in place, how dare they!! If I were you I would send an email explaining very clearly how you are being treated and copy their line manager in it. You deserve so much better. Nothing will change until they are forced and they are using you to shore up a crumbling system. Talk to your aGP and go off sick with stress if that is what you need to do. Do you get regular supervision and are your concerns recorded? There is your evidence, if you don't get supervision , then why not?

She's being paid to provide a service. It's not taxpayers' money, it's her money.

If you buy something in a shop it's not your money anymore. You don't get a say.

This happened to a friend mental health community nurse. She managed to see her GP who immediately signed her off. She was in a bad way and the manager of both of them was the villain of the piece. It was a bad experience for my lovely friend.

She's burning out. The whole we pay your wages get back to work shtick is horrible and nasty.
The lack of respect and unrealistic expectations are why so many nurses have no more to give

Doing someone's full time job in addition to her own is unfeasible, of course it is. Nobody is going to argue she doesn't have a case here. The problem is what she does about it. Going off sick is irresponsible, selfish and childish. She needs to address the issue at work. Going off sick will not make the problem go away and she can't go off sick forever. Why can't she just be a grown up and speak to her boss? It's really not that difficult.

rubbish. That is perfectly good advice.

First thing is to go back to manager, remind manager of OPs working hours, and tell them to give them a priority list, and then how will the other patients be managed.

Only go off sick with stress when it actually applies.

If you are stressed and anxious then its totally reasonable to go to your GP and if they recommend time off then take it.
Its also totally reasonable to email your manager to say its impossible for you to do double the workload and its putting significant pressure on your which is impacting your health.
Also worth speaking to your union.
Im not sure if being off sick with stress will impact your employability as a nurse but if its short term then i doubt it.

Jumping straight from high work load to off sick with stress is a big jump.

Stress related sick leave can also end up being for quite long periods, which can be challenging for your personal finances. It’s also a type of sickness absence that can be difficult for you to control the return date from (so you ca end up being off for longer than you’d intended).

Future employment wise, it will typically end up being disclosed one way or another. Whether it affects your likelihood of getting the job will depend on the person doing the hiring. Some would see it as a negative, some would ignore it. It’s a risk you take. If you’re genuinely not well enough to work the it’s straight forward that current health comes first. If you’re frustrated and concerned about having a difficult conversation with your manager then thats geberally part of the normal ebb and flow of life. For that situation, you get some advice on how to handle the situation, you prepare for the conversation with your manager, you get yourself some notes, and you put on your big girl pants and have that conversation. You work out where your lines are and you stick to them.

Professional ways to approach that discussion:
the current set up isn’t working, currently being allocated x y and z to do in a day. It’s only possible for me to do two out of three of those. I suggest I do x and z and we’ll need to drop y to being done alternate weeks.

Email and paper trail.

Dear Sandra
i need to double check this is correct. I work part time Monday to Wednesday 9-4 pm. betty works full time but you are seemingly asking to cover her work whilst she is off. I can not understand how I can do this. Could you confirm that you want me to cover her workload on top of mine? thanks Jane.

do not do this verbally get a paper trail