Phased return query

[Hattieandcake]

If company policy says 4 weeks max and you and OH plus GP feel longer is needed how does it work ? For example can they ask you to use unpaid / annual leave past the 4 week period even if medical advice says longer period than policy is needed? Or is only option to go off sick?

Some companies only pay for hours worked during a phased return. Im assuming yours pays full pay?
Some companies will allow a longer phased return for exceptional cases backed up by OH, but I have seen many people have to use Annual leave to extend it. Although I would have expected your employer to go along with occ health recommendations.

If you’ve been off for a prolonged period then you should have accrued annual leave so some employers would expect you to use this and it sounds like yours is one of these.

In my workplace on a phased return you’d be paid in full for the hours you are at work then sick pay for the time you are off and that would continue until you were back in work full time. If you exhausted sick pay then the time off would be unpaid or annual leave at your request. We don’t have a restriction on a phased return timeline like your workplace, but I would imagine that your workplace would take the guidance of gp/oh and allow a longer phased return just not on full pay

You can use AL if your paid sick leave runs out. Otherwise you may only get paid for days you work. I don’t think they can limit the duration of a phased return, within reason. Longer term may become a flexible working request,

I think if it states 4 weeks max you would need to use annual leave after 4 weeks or else it will be unpaid except for the days you work.

We say 6 weeks max, but the reasoning is that if you need longer you're probably not fit to return. It would be discussed and agreed, we wouldn't ask you to return before the medical advice says you're ready, we might ask you to take longer sick leave.

The unworked period of a gradual return is sick leave, so would be paid in line with your sick pay entitlement.

Yes so we are paid sick leave for the other parts of the week to maintain normal salary. But what if the person can’t just go to 100% after the 4 weeks?

How much longer do you feel you’ll need?
if it’s a case of an extra couple of weeks then I’d just do what most people do and use annual leave to extend the phased return. You’ll have accrued leave if you’ve been off a while.
However your employer may be cautious about how fit for work you actually are if you’re likely to need a long phased return