Sick leave 33 weeks

[willmissneighbours]

Am 33 weeks pregnant and really struggling. Not the easiest of pregnancies with severe PGP on and off, covid, sick bugs which wiped me out for weeks etc. Have a toddler at home. First baby made an appearance at 38 weeks.

I have 2 weeks A/L planned and then probably 2 weeks mat leave before baby arrives.

Have got to a point where I just don't feel I can / want to work anymore. Work as a nurse, part time as have my toddler the other days. Not a ridiculously stressful job, but I've just had enough.

WIBU to go off sick? I don't want them to make me bring my A/L and mat leave earlier but I don't think they can unless you're off sick with less than 4 weeks before due date to go, which I wouldn't be as have A/L before starting mat leave.

Is that really shitty of me to just get signed off now (for about 3 weeks) straight into A/L then mat leave?

If you don’t feel like you want to work you need to bring your mat leave forward, that’s what I did. Sick leave is for when you’re actually incapable of work through illness

I think if you go off sick for the next 3 weeks then you won't be able to take the a/l from 36 weeks, you'll go straight onto mat leave.

I am in a similar position (including PGP and HG) but further along. I felt very bleak about continuing to work a few weeks back but I'm glad I've carried on. If you're only part-time then you can have what, 12 working days left? Just count them down.

Oh that's interesting @unfortunatelyno that I'd have to start mat leave. So would they then have to carry the 2 weeks annual leave over to next year / when I finish mat leave and put it at the end instead?

@unfortunatelyno Is correct. Once you're off sick at 36 weeks, that's it, mat leave automatically kicks in. The two weeks annual leave will then be tacked on to the end of your maternity leave, which is what happened with my first.