Temporary reduction of hours or sick leave to recover from stress/burnout?

[Flibbertigibbettytoes]

I can't cope with work at the moment as I'm not sleeping from stress and struggling to focus or remember even basic things. I need some time out to recover but I have no idea how to do it. I could apply for flexible working to temporarily reduce my hours or I could ask the doctor about taking a period of sick leave. Is one likely to be better than an other in terms of outcomes, impression at work, pensions etc?

Go off sick. Rest. Eat good food and get plenty of fresh air. Do things you enjoy
Try to implement things/habits that will help you to manage when you return.
Go back to work feeling refreshed.

Go off sick. You need an entire break from work by the sound of it.

If the stress is work-related, I'd consider sick leave.

I agree with the previous responses. Reducing your hours often ends up being more stressful if you're supposed to do the same amount of work but in less time

Sick leave followed by a phased return.

That's so helpful, thank you

I disagree with other posters but it depends on your employers and on your job. Sitting at home on sick leave can be stressful too and fewer hours or responsibilities might do the trick. The company I used to work for would have been open for a constructive discussion on this.
It depends on the job too.

Both. If you get say 2 weeks sick leave this won’t be enough. 2 months may or may not be enough. But what will happen when you return to the exact same job on same hours that caused the problem in the first place?

This exactly.

Also whilst you are on sick leave, ensure you do not access any company communications or have any business-related calls/meetings so you can gave the complete rest and recovery you need.

Put out of office messages in your office phone, company mobile and computer stating who should be contacted in your absence. Then switch off any company devices. Be careful with social media - maybe take yourself off them/mute for a while so you have no perceptible presence there.

Take care of yourself OP. 🌹

If you feel you could remain in the job long term with the right work/life balance then I would suggest planning a limited period of sick leave just to detox your brain and get your head clear (perhaps 3 weeks ish) then talk to your employers about returning part time. You definitely need a period of total rest but longer term it can be beneficial to mental health to be achieving useful tasks at work and seeing that you are making a difference.

However if the whole workplace is toxic and the idea of staying there long term makes you feel ill then stay on sick leave until you feel up to jobhunting to do something else.

Sick leave followed by a phased return.

If the stress is work related make sure it is logged as such and ideally get help from occupational health on your return. In many large companies this will protect you to an extent if there are redundancies where sick leave is taken into account.

You're amazing, this is so helpful. The job is stressful but usually I can manage it and I usually like being busy. SoI feel if I could just get a break, I might re-charge enough to get back to normal. I just feel like I have no space left for new information at the moment and I'm kind of behaving as normal but can hardly remember the names of people I work with.