Can I go on annual leave with a sicknote?

[bubble55]

I have just had a miscarriage. I work in a hospital and cannot face going back to work considering I’ve spent the past three days crying uncontrollably. We have two holidays abroad booked in the next 3 weeks. If I get a sicknote, can I still go or does this look bad? Tbh the holiday is needed now more than ever, but I can’t be doing with any trouble at work to add to my worries.

It will have to be sick leave rather than annual leave. You can’t be off sick on annual leave. But being off sick doesn’t mean you aren’t allowed to go on holiday.

This isn’t true.

OP yes you can. Hope the holiday helps a bit c

I'm sorry for your loss

There is nothing to stop you going on holiday with a sick note. It would only look bad IMO if, say, the sick note was for a broken leg and you were going mountain climbing or something like that.

A change of scene is a very understandable thing to want when you are trying to recover from a traumatic event.

Can you not take sick leave until you go on holiday? When are you due to go away?

Sorry it was my wording - I just meant can I go on holiday with a sicknote or do I have to stay in this country/will it look bad on me.

Thank you for the replies. It couldn’t be more perfect timing for a holiday tbh.

And the sickness absence should be counted as a pregnancy related absence too. Sorry for your loss

Would you not just have sick leave until your annual leave starts?

@dementedpixie my sicknote will cover one annual leave session and end before my next holiday, so I would get my first annual leave back as I’m off sick. I’d then go on my next holiday and use annual leave.

i was more meaning will work frown upon me for going away whilst off sick. I get so paranoid about work!

It is technically possible to phone in sick whilst on holiday and get your holiday back.

If you just treat the time until your pre booked holiday as sick leave then go on your pre booked holiday as annual leave no employer would bat an eyelid.

Do they know why you're off?
I'm sure they will understand

The general advice is that you should speak to your manager and get the holiday cleared - whether abroad or not. As a rule, most managers are fine and understand that holiday can be advantageous to people who have been / are sick - that's assuming you still have a fit note covering the period of course. Some employers policies are that the fit note must specify that they believe the holidays will aid recovery and you are fit to travel. If the employer then agrees you should get your leave back to take at another time - unless policy says otherwise. It's always down to specific policy. But as a rule, if the managers know and are fine with it it stops all the back-biting when someone starts complaining that you are off sick but going on holiday, or whatever. Because regrettably someone always does. And then probably posts it on MN!

Yes you can do it as you
have said. In my workplace sick leave trumps annual leave. So, If you are on sick leave when you are suppose To be on annual leave then you get to keep your annual leave for another time. And yes you can go abroad, I wouldn’t go posting it all over SM though. Enjoy your holiday.

I'm NHS as well. If we are sick on AL we have the leave reinstated.
You can absolutely go away if you're off sick.

Yes, you can go on holiday whilst off sick.
I was on long term sick leave following some major injuries a few years ago and both my physical and mental health clinicians agreed that a holiday to somewhere warm would be beneficial to my recovery. I informed my manager and HR (public sector) and the week away was counted as annual leave. I resumed sick leave when I came back and it still counted as a single episode of sickness.
Obviously it depends on the individual situation - obviously if someone who was off with musculoskeletal problems went on a skiing holiday it would raise some serious questions, but there are plenty of circumstances when you might be unfit for work but still able to do other things including go on holiday. Talk to your manager/HR.
I hope you start to feel better soon.

Yes you can go on holiday when off sick with a sick note.

When I was off with workplace stress my GP was quite insistent I should get out and do things that made me happy including going on holiday. This would definitely be the same in your case. You need a holiday. Best wishes to you.

Yes, in theory you can go abroad while on sick leave.

However be sure to check your work policy about taking annual leave after sick leave. In my organisation you can’t go straight from sick leave to annual leave, you have to come back into work first.

Sorry for your loss op. I went away a week after a miscarriage and it was the best thing possible for mental health. My boss was super supportive and no questions about sick leave versus annual leave - hopefully your boss will be supportive too xxx