being signed off work during pregnancy

[angels1]

Hoping someone can help me with this. I tried to ring my union but they arn't answering the phone and my membership lapsed a week or so ago. I only returned the form in the post this morning so I don't know if they will help me or not.

I was signed off work with hyperemesis in mid june for about 3 weeks. I'm a teacher so this got me to the end of school term. We are due to return to school on wednesday and a visit this morning to the doctor has led to another sick note - this time with 'pregnancy complications' on the form. She's done it for 2 weeks initially but seems to think I may well need another 2 week one after that.

What I need to know is, since I've been continuously absent from work since june (despite about 10 weeks of that being holidays) will this have an effect on my sick pay? I was told last year that I was entitled to 20 days off ill a year paid, and after that SSP kicked in, and that sick pay is counted per academic year (so a new year from wednesday means 20 more days off I'm allocated). So I'm assuming I'll get 20 days sick leave paid this term (?).

The thing that confuses me is when we return from absence we have to fill a form in which we give the first day of illness and last day of illness...my illnesses are related to each other so effectively my first day of illness is in june and last day will be some time mid september or later. I don't know if such a long period of illness means I will have to have SSP instead of my 20 days paid ill leave.

Tbh I don't even know how much you get for SSP.

I hope this makes sense, please let me know if you don't understand anything and I could really use some help on this.

The ACAS helpline are generally good at answering questions about employment rights, sickness etc IME.

You will have had a fit note which should have stated whether the doc needed to see you again at the end of the three weeks. If the doc signed you off for a three week fixed period with no need to see him at the end then you are probably only counted as being sick for that three weeks

Do you have a copy of the handbook as it should be outlined there. It may count as one period of sick but if it's across two years then you may be entitled to pay for both. SSP is £79.15 per week.
I sympathise, had HG too and it was bad enough in an office environment never mind in teaching !

Have you actually read your sickness absence policy? If it says literally that you are entitled to 20 days paid sick per academic year, and doesn't put any other conditions on it, then you are fine anyway. Does it say that?

If it's the same illness and the only reason the doctor hasn't physically written you a note in between is because you weren't due in to work anyway, then it's probably technically one long period of illness. If it's different, then it's two periods. But as I say, if the only condition on your sick pay is that it's 20 days per academic year, then it won't matter anyway.