Maternity sickness was included in my sick days. Is this right?

[jogym]

Just had my review and they told me my sickness for the year was 26 days. Needless to say I near fell off my seat and thought have I had some sort of illness that I wasn't aware about. They said 20 days was maternity sickness and 6 was after I came back. Is maternity sickness included in your sickness record?
Regards

Do you mean time you took off because of sickness while pregnant?

Or time you took off to have your baby?

Hi, I've just returned to work and found something similar. Although all my pregnancy-related sickness was recorded (61 days altogether, I think), it doesn't count for disciplinary/performance purposes. Good job really!

Maternity sickness as in time you took off ill whilst pregnant, or maternity leave?

They are right to count the first as sickness.

While on maternity leave say I was due back 10 June then I must have went back 20 days later than this.

Yes, maternity sickness can be included in your sickness record. It's still sickness.

As Extra said, however, it should be treated separately for disciplinary and performance purposes.

It was because I had post-natal depression so are you saying this is treated the same as ordinary sickness?

What about for a new employer if I was changing jobs. Do they ask about sickness?

If you think about it all sickness is down to luck or bad luck, some people get flu or strain their back or whatever and some don't.

Some pregnant ladies get pregnancy related illnesses and some don't so I'm not surprised that both sorts of illness count towards your sick days record.

Think about it, if pregnant women didn't have to count them as sick days there would unfortunately be bit of "swinging the lead" from some people and work colleagues could suffer.

Yes but obviously it would have to be stated that 20 of these 26 days were while on maternity leave if someone queried it.

jogym those days weren't on maternity leave though. If you were due back at work on 10th June but didn't actually go into the office, instead were signed off sick by the doctor, you weren't on maternity leave at that point you were on sick leave.

postnatal depression is treated just like any other sickness if after your maternity leave.

unfortunately it is counted as sickness. i was off for 17weeks when pregnant with DS and had to have an interview the next time i was off sick as i had been off so much. my manager did think it was a joke though - had been in hospital having major surgery so wasn't exactly likely to be at work!

should a future employer ask, i will just tell them about my surgery. i think all potential employers ask about sickness in the last two years but PND is a recognized illness so just tell them

fledtoscotland is right. Although a future employer might not like the amount of time someone's had off, the impact it would make on a job offer will depend what it was for.

If someone goes for an interview and gets offered the job and then makes the future employer aware that their sickness record will not be good but it's because they were off for 6 weeks with a broken leg, for example, that won't have an impact. PND is a specific thing to be off with, so much better than loads of 'headaches' or 'tummy upsets'.

If you have been off for a significant amount of time with a specific illness, might be worth mentioning to a potential employer if you get an offer - a reference from a current employer will contain number of days sickness, but won't (shouldn't) contain details of what the absence was for. Information about what you were ill with is classed as 'sensitive' information under Data Protection, so they won't (shouldn't) just give it out.

flowerybeanbag is right