NHS Sick Pay

[ScaredMyBossMightBeOnMN]

I returned to work in February this year after 7 months off sick from July 2014, the last 2 months had been on half pay. My treatment is not complete and I have one more OP to go but I've put this off until I've been back at work for at least 6 months.

I've just sustained a fracture this week and will probably be off for at least 8 weeks.

My boss has just phoned and said that I go down onto half pay from 27/07/15, I really hadn't expected it to be so soon!

DH lost his job in March and we've been coping on my wage but we won't cope on half of it.

I'll phone the unions on Monday just to check but it's unlikely to be a mistake isn't it?

same thing happened to me
can you go back even with fracture by any chance?
or on the other hand, let tax credits/housing benefit know, if you claim them

All I'm going to say is that I work for the NHS, am in the union and would not be very impressed if my boss said that I suddenly had to go down to half pay under those circumstances. I hope that doesn't happen to you, fingers crossed

Actually, now you mention it. I've been in the same hospital for three years now and the same woman keeps fracturing her arm!!

Don't think it is unusual for the allowance to be annual rather than each period of sickness, although if related to same chronic condition you might be able to argue.

I've asked for an urgent referral to Occ Health but as it's an ankle fracture and I'll be non-weightbearing for 6 weeks and I work in a clinical role I think I'll be off for a while though I'd be happy to go back and do non clinical duties if they let me.
We don't get any benefits, apart from DH's JSA.

It's on a rolling 12 month period.
I had my tumour removed on 08/07/14 and broke my ankle on 04/07/15.
How unlucky is that?

Unfortunately for you, I think your boss is right. Your length of service depends upon how much full/half pay you get when off sick, and it works on a rolling 12 month basis.
Is there any sort of work you could do once you've had a couple of weeks off? Sounds doubtful if your arm is in a cast, but you never know!

Sorry XP with you, not your arm at all! What sort of clinical work do you do? I think you need to meet with HR asap to discuss your options, that's what I would suggest for one of my staff.

Do you have any payment protection type cover that might kick in for your bills? If you are in Unison/RCN/other, I'd also see if they can offer any temporary support too. Without wanting to pry, if your tumour was malignant, did you get any support from Macmillan as they do grants.

The Agenda for Change document says: 'Calculation of allowances
14.7 The period during which sick pay should be paid and the rate of sick pay for any period of absence is calculated, by deducting from the employee’s entitlement on the first day of sickness, the aggregate periods of paid sickness absence during the 12 months immediately preceding that day. In aggregating periods of absence due to illness no account will be taken of: ? unpaid sick absence; ? injuries, diseases or other health conditions sustained or contracted in the discharge of the employee's duties of employment, as defined in Section 22...'

So given your OP, you're entitled to either 5 months full/five half or 6 full/6 half?

As I read it (and from memory of my time in the NHS) they should look at the period of 4th July 2014-3rd July 2015. They would see that you had 5 month full pay and 2 months half pay. Presumably, you've since gained another year of service so have an extra few weeks of full pay as a result.

Thanks madamy, your suggestions are appreciated. I don't have any payment protection, as far as I'm aware. I will be contacting the union first thing on Monday.
My tumour was benign, thankfully but a post-op infection caused all sorts of problems.
I've had over twenty years service and until the last 2 years had a great attendance record.
I found the last sickness meeting I held very hard, as I issued the employee a warning about their attendance I knew just how they felt, though they were taking the piss, having been on the other side of the table!

change you change your role while you are non weight bearing?

can you claim tax credits now? or dont you have children. can you put a hold on your mortgage?

you have been exceedingly unlucky.
Can you not ask for management discretion?

I don't think that management discretion can come into it, as Agenda for Change is supposed to be fair and equitable to all so 'rules' can't be bent wrt pay etc.
I would definitely push for temporary/(very) light duties, at least for the second 4 weeks which would mean you'd only have a couple of weeks at half pay. Have you got a lot of annual leave you've accrued that you could negotiate being paid for without leaving yourself short for the rest of the year?
It must be horrible being on the other side :(

Yes, you will go to half pay.
If you had worked until Feb 2016 (a year after you returned) you would have then been on full pay.
I would ask if you can go back on non-clinical duties. We had someone off after a bone op (she had been off a lot before this) and she returned to other duties rather than lose her pay.
Sorry this has happened to you x