Off sick from NHS job but still work second retail job?

[Dippiedottie]

Just that basically- if I am signed off my full time nhs job can I still work my 4 hour retail contract? I'm due back from maternity leave next week and have been signed off sick (stress of returning to work) so won't be back to my full time job but I have been working a 4 hour retail job on Sundays for past 3 months of maternity leave.
Can I continue to work here? Thanks

If I was your manager, I would be suggesting you see Occupational Health urgently with a view to them discussing your 'stressors' in detail and proposing any reasonble adjustments to make work more bearable. If you have an actual diagnosis of anxiety/depression, you are protected under DDact and your manager would need to consider REASONABLE adjustments. It would seem that returning on part time hours would be the obvious solution which many many people do post maternity. You could then maybe increase your retail hours. Why not just resign from NHS job and do more retail if you enjoy that more.
The NHS is a very generous employer and looks after its employees well but they also have a service to provide to patients and whilst they get critised a lot for short staffing, in my experience, many of the staff shortages are due to mat leave and sick leave where there is no money in the budget initially to cover the leave. I know a small team of therapists currently carrying 2 maternity leaves, an adoption leave and a long term sick leave. They were allowed one locum but that will put their budget in deficit.
The best thing you can do is take some advice and decide what you want to do going forward and be decisive and clear with your employer. Occ Health is there to support you with any medical needs/adjustments

would also echo previous posters and say that with vast amounts of accrued annual leave and an agreed phased return, you could probably get away with being on full pay but only having to work 2 - 3 days a week for several weeks and if you cannot manage that then the job is not the right job for you. You can also request redeployment on health grounds if there is a similar level job that you might find less stressful but you need to sort something. These things drag out such a long time and it is incredibly frustrating for those working hard to cover the deficit!

Agree that budget at NHS won't now include backfill so being signed of with stress at the thought of returning puts enormous strain on colleagues. OP you'll be getting full pay and also your retail pay.

What is going to change to alleviate the stress? You haven't even tried returning. Are you receiving any counselling? Any help?

A colleague (nhs) was signed off with stress shortly after returning from ML as she was struggling with the demands of family life and FT work. When she explained this to the occupational health doctor she was told you and every mother but the rest have to manage amd swiftly sent her on her way back to work.

Our department is notoriously difficult for get PT hours though, noone gets it so yes it is difficult. But its a lot more difficult when others dont pull their weight.

If your job is making you so stressed you don't want to go back, look for another one

You wanted to do retail for a year, you know you like it, just go and do it

Being signed off before you've even tried to return to work?

Anxiety and depression isn't always covered by the Equality Act, especially what sounds like situational anxiety/stress that the op is supposedly experiencing. I wish ppl wouldn't give inaccurate legal advice on Mumsnet.
OP, are u sure you're not experiencing normal back to work nerves because you've been away so long?

I haven’t read the whole thread and perhaps should have done, but I think I saw somewhere that you had asked for a year’s unpaid leave so you could work full time in your other job. Could you not simply resign from your NHS employment and re-apply again when you felt ready to go back.
My own view is ( and I’m putting my tin hat on here) is that you are wanting your cake and eating it and by doing so are putting additional pressure on your colleagues (and the organisation ) who are having to cover your role.

Hi

I work in the NHS and would recommend you urgently seek advice, as potentially could be accused of fraud, in breach of contract, and also if not returning needing to repay maternity.
I would suggest that you need to decide whether you want to continue in NHS job. Would suggest advice from HR/Occ health/union and GP.
X

you could volunteer at the weekends possibly

I can see both sides of this; I have a FT professional role and a PT catering role. I have been signed off before yet continued my PT role (4 hours a week), however this was following a car accident which meant that I was struggling with the commute to the FT role but could get to the local PT role.

I also have a colleague at my FT role who has failed to return to her PT position after a years ML, she too has signed off sick saying that she is too stressed to return. Conveniently she has been signed off until the summer holidays. I will confess I am totally pissed at this colleague as I feel she has taken no consideration for us and is simply out for an easy ride. I have no clue what she intends for September but if it genuinely is stress it isn't suddenly going to change and I feel she should be reevaluating her options.

Just to be clear about DDA

If your mental illness has a substantial, adverse and long-term effect on your ability to carry out normal day-to-day activities, it is likely you are covered by the Disability Discrimination Act. The act also covers people who had a disability in the past.

The act doesn't impairments that are covered, but considers the effects of an impairment on a person.

For example, someone with a mild form of depression with only minor effects may not be covered, while someone with severe depression with substantial effects on their daily life is likely to be considered as having a disability under the act.

I would have thought you would be unlikely to be given a diagnosis of anxiety if it was just situational and considered very short-term and as Flash said, it would need to be long term, ongoing to be covered. Sorry if what I wrote was inaccurate, it is just that many people do not know that there is protection for mental health as well as physical conditions.
I will repeat what I think, that op should see Occ Health, request PT contract, and return asap, using A/L to achieve PT hours and if unable to cope with PT, do the decent thing and resign the post so they can recruit and fill it asap. Full time working after maternity leave is not for everyone and if the idea is making OP ill, I would suggest it is not the right option, but the NHS is not a cash cow but often seen as such by employees as it is so generous with sick leave etc.