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Original poster

Off sick, hostile work situation and a few days away out of area

44 replies

Overwhelmedagain · 25/09/2021 21:12

Can anyone advise me if there is anything 'wrong' with taking 5 nights away from home for a health/wellbeing break while signed off work due to stress at work?

OP posts:
Hungry675tf · 25/09/2021 21:13

Nothing wrong at all Flowers

AnneLovesGilbert · 25/09/2021 21:13

Of course not. I’d keep it off social media.

RedMarauder · 25/09/2021 21:15

Nope as you are signed off with a health issue due to your treatment at work causing you an injury/ill heath.

simitra · 25/09/2021 21:18

As another poster has said keep it off social media and do not respond to any messages from your employer once you have gone through the proper procedure and reported yourself off sick.

ProfessorPeach · 25/09/2021 21:19

It is borderline taking the piss and I say that as someone with pretty awful MH. If I was your colleague and having to work harder to cover you and saw this on SM I’d be less than impressed. Perhaps keep it to yourself. I hope you’re feeling better soon.

AwaAnBileYerHeid · 25/09/2021 21:48

It depends. Have you only been signed off for the one week that you happen to be away on this retreat?

SickAndTiredAgain · 25/09/2021 21:51

Given you’ve said it’s a hostile work environment, I’d make sure to not mention it only social media or anything.
I don’t think there’s anything wrong with it, but you don’t want to add anything that could be used to criticise you if you can help it, even if the criticism would be unreasonable.

Original poster
Overwhelmedagain · 25/09/2021 22:28

I'm on long term sick. No one picking up my work load in my absence. Rarely use personal social media.

OP posts:
DragonDoor · 25/09/2021 22:34

Nothing wrong with it at all, but some people don’t know much about MH, and won’t get it. It’s wise not to broadcast it, your colleagues could be jealous and less than understanding.

If ever challenged you could argue that you went on a break with a well-being focus to help your recovery and transition back to work.

ICouldHaveCheckedFirst · 25/09/2021 22:34

Nothing wrong with doing it.
In fact, you could argue that NOT taking "health/wellness break" would be detrimental and delay your recovery.

Get your GP to confirm that they support you having a break, and keep the details off social media. Eg, fine to post a pic captioned 'enjoying coffee and cake' without mentioning which own you are in.

Other people can be a bit judgmental, but when you are long-term sick, it would not be healthy AT ALL for you to have to be confined to your house / allowed day-trips only etc. You are not under house arrest, after all.

Hope you enjoy your break and that it helps your recovery.

ICouldHaveCheckedFirst · 25/09/2021 22:35

own = town

Viviennemary · 25/09/2021 22:36

I think it's cheeky. But its not up to me.

Flowertopz · 25/09/2021 22:40

Taking the piss .
So why your out enjoying a nice week somewhere the rest of the staff have to pick up the slack ... Nah if your not well enough to go to work then definitely not well enough for a holiday . And if your well enough for a holiday then your well enough to go back to work .

Kitkat151 · 25/09/2021 22:45

I think it’s fine....I went abroad for 2 weeks once whilst on sick leave....my manager told me to get the GP to put ‘kitkat would benefit from a holiday’ on my fit note ...then off I went with her blessing

Mabelface · 25/09/2021 22:47

Do it. It's part of your recovery.

canigooutyet · 25/09/2021 22:47

I was encouraged by my mh team, gp and boss to go somewhere even if it involved doing exactly what I was doing at a home. Sometimes a change of scenery can be very beneficial.

It can be sometimes beneficial to start engaging with normal life away from home where you aren't constantly worried that you would be seen by work people. I was seen coming out of a mh unit as part of my engagement with the world, I was seen and of course the twit went and told on me. Same with when I was spotted coming out of the gp and chemist.

inininsomnia · 25/09/2021 22:56

@Flowertopz

Taking the piss . So why your out enjoying a nice week somewhere the rest of the staff have to pick up the slack ... Nah if your not well enough to go to work then definitely not well enough for a holiday . And if your well enough for a holiday then your well enough to go back to work .
Of course. Because relqxing or pottering around on holiday is exactly the same as being at work with its endless emails/meetings/tasks and dealing with demands from colleagues/customers/managers. What a silly thing to say Hmm.
DragonDoor · 25/09/2021 23:05

@Flowertopz

Taking the piss . So why your out enjoying a nice week somewhere the rest of the staff have to pick up the slack ... Nah if your not well enough to go to work then definitely not well enough for a holiday . And if your well enough for a holiday then your well enough to go back to work .
Obviously you have never experienced work related stress or known/ understood anyone who has.

Going away for a week isn’t taking the piss, it’s trying to recover.

Lavendersquare · 25/09/2021 23:27

Most employers won't mind you going on a holiday during a period of sickness, in fact it might well do you some real good. However they will expect you to inform them that you are going away and check that it doesn't breach their sickness policy.

I would ignore the posts advising you to go away and keep it off social media, if you did did secretly go without informing/seeking approval it could be seen as gross misconduct for you may lose your job.

If you want to go away do it properly, approach HR explain that a break/change of scene would be good for you etc and is it ok to go. They will undoubtedly say yes, and you are in the clear. Do it secretly and it will come out in some way and you'll be on the back foot scrabbling to keep your job.

MotherOfKitten · 25/09/2021 23:33

It's absolutely fine and going way for a little break can be helpful in people's recovery.

Your fit note confirms you're unfit for work-- not that you are unfit to take a short trip away!

TwoPaperAirplanes · 25/09/2021 23:47

@Flowertopz

Taking the piss . So why your out enjoying a nice week somewhere the rest of the staff have to pick up the slack ... Nah if your not well enough to go to work then definitely not well enough for a holiday . And if your well enough for a holiday then your well enough to go back to work .
I sincerely hope you don't actually manage people.

OP you're not fit for work, not not fit for life. If it helps you to recover then as a manager I'd be all for it.

Athinginitself · 26/09/2021 00:02

@Flowertopz

Taking the piss . So why your out enjoying a nice week somewhere the rest of the staff have to pick up the slack ... Nah if your not well enough to go to work then definitely not well enough for a holiday . And if your well enough for a holiday then your well enough to go back to work .
Ridiculous. I was off work sick for 9 months (physical rather than mental as it happens) I was really quite unwell, at one point I went to stay with my mum for a week, totally ok, I couldn't drive or stay out of bed for long periods but my dad bless him came and got me. As it came nearer to the time I went back to work my boss very firmly encouraged me to start trying to do more normal things like having coffee with a friend or my haircut. At the time I felt very uncomfortable with this but she wanted to know I had acclimatised to some level of activity before attempting a return. As it happens I've only ever managed to get back to 3 mornings a week, but I'll always appreciate her pragmatic approach to me trying to recover. She recognised that me never leaving the house was not the way to recover.
simitra · 26/09/2021 00:18

I went to Paris for a week when I was off with stress related illness. I went without a pang of conscience. However there was no social media back then, and not even mobile phones so no chance of anyone finding out.

worriedatthemoment · 26/09/2021 01:15

My friend isnoff as having chemo, we went away for a week ,I think she is entitled to that
I was off sick after a botched op , I went on holiday abroad and went out for coffee etc , I could do these things with adaptions but there were no adaptions that could be made so I could do my job
As it happened I used holiday for the holiday so I got some full wages as on ssp for 6 months was a financial strain

worriedatthemoment · 26/09/2021 01:16

My company knew though and my dr agreed what was best for me also