Leaving and no sick pay during notice

[LouisaGuy]

Hi there. Has anyone heard of this before? I have handed in my resignation mainly due to developing RSI symptoms in my right arm. I have 8 weeks notice. HR have informed me that there is only SSP during the notice period. I had to pass 6 months probation before qualifying for company sick pay and am leaving after about 9 months. So I would have been entitled to it for one month? I am still at work, just in pain due to lots of computer work. Having physio etc I used to work in HR a long time ago. Is this a new sick leave policy or just the gradual erosion of any work benefits?

This is the policy at my workplace - anyone in their notice period loses their entitlement to company sick pay.

Check your policy or contract as it should be in there. If it isn't, I'd ask your HR to signpost you to where this is stated.

Yep you're right. It's in the contract. Even if I claimed sick leave they pay a maximum of two weeks in a 12 month period. Just a bit frustrating when it is (what I believe) to be a work related upper limb disorder caused by my workload. I don't want to go off sick if I can avoid it.

It was standard in my previous workplace. It's a result of so many people going off sick
as soon as they hand their notice in. It's obviously unfair on those that are genuinely ill but from my experience that was the minority of cases. Mostly people wanted extra paid time off and weren't afraid to take it as they were already leaving.

Why don’t you go off sick or reduce your hours - ask your employer for reasonable adjustments to help you in the role.
Maybe you don’t like the job and that’s the factor in your decision but if you like your job I’d approach them and explain why you handed in your notice and see can they support you.
otherwise you have to answer the question in your next job application - why did you leave your last job & that can be hard to explain.

I developed RSI during my probation period and my employer dismissed me as they felt I couldn’t continue in my role. I just wish I had passed my probation period when it happened as they couldn’t have discarded me quite as easily as they did.
lots of micro pauses when working help and stress makes it worse. I have learned to live with mine and it has improved over the years but I do notice it at times when pressure in work is high.

This has been the case everywhere I've worked I think.

Resigning seems a bit extreme - did you had an occupational health referral? Or at least a desk assessment?

I asked for an occupational health assessment and instead was offered a DSE assessment (trying not to out myself but I do these all day and this is the cause of the problem). I do 7 of these a day. I have asked for workload adjustment and was told that it is a busy company so deal with it basically. I informed managers above my line manager that I was leaving due to RSI type symptoms related to my workload. Their response was that my role is busy and shrug. I am not the only one in my team with these issues either but it is all falling on deaf ears. I work part time and if I go off sick I will get statutory pay only and not be able to do my self employed work while off. I can't take the drop in income until I finish but I am physically struggling.

This has been an issue for three months off and on and my manager was made aware after a month when I realised it wasn't going.

Thankfully not in a position to need a reference from this job.

Oh slightly different case then for you op that you are lucky enough to be self employed too. That does change things.
good luck and I’m sure the RSI will improve dramatically when you leave that toxic place.
it’s a sad day when the people doing the DSE assessments are themselves been being injured by high workload. You should name them and shame them - at least on glassdoors to warn potential future hires.

Thank you ☺️ a company to avoid I feel.