Increasing hours after long term sick

[Fasterthanwitches]

I have been on reduced hours after long term illness and am picking hours back up gradually, not yet back to full-time.

I still have frequent medical appts for a variety of conditions, likely ongoing for some time. I also know I will experience occasional flare ups where there will be days when I won't be able to work. This maybe ongoing for the rest of my life. So I'm wondering how best to plan for these as my hours increase.

I'm thinking I need to stick to 4 fixed days a week, so that I have a regular rest day (very much needed still) and then take annual leave for any hospital appointments. The problem will be if I have a flare up that doesn't match the planned for day off, and I just know sod's law will make it all happen in the same week as appointments sometimes too. I'm not sure if I'm overthinking this and worrying that I will be expected to not take any further days off (whether taken as annual leave or not) on my work days if I have a regular day off a week. Sadly my conditions just don't have a diary!

And before anyone asks, I'm not willing to share the conditions I have as it's far too identifying. It's enough to know I've been fully supported at work so far, for all of them.

Will work allow a degree of flexibility on your hours - so when you do have flare ups you could work less hours or wfh which could reduce some of the impact on you as you’d be cutting out commuting and dealing with people etc. It largely depends what role you do and how it works with your role.
Does your company have an occupational health unit that could help advise?
I’m in a similar position and have been on a long term gradual return for medical reasons. I’m not yet due to return to full time hours but have been trying to where I can so that I have an idea how it’ll work for me when I need to, and I’m finding towards the end of the week I’m needing a shorter day.
I have core office hours that I agreed with them myself and can wfh mostly as needed - so I’ll wfh when my condition and fatigue is particularly bad.

Could you have flexibility with your day off? I work a four day week which is mostly fixed but if I need to switch I can do even at short notice. I need the flexibility to support my DD rather than my own health but it means I can work around her appointments and days when she’s not in school.

The other thing is, if you move to 4 days, your contract will change to reflect that. You’re entitled to the same annual leave and sick leave provision as anyone else.

Thanks @Throwaway65131 I'm sorry to hear you in a similar boat.

I think you've hit the nail on the head there and I need to go back to occasional health. They'd said originally it could take at least a year and I have an indefinite fitnote. Fortunately the last thing my employer or I want is for me to overstretch and need longer time off again. It truly sucks!

Those are really good points @Jellycatspyjamas , thank you. I do worry that I'll just offer to take all my AL when I'm sick out of feeling guilty, and then not actually have any restful leave.

I think I'll just have to thrash it all out with occ health and go from there. I wfh as it is, but on my bad days I'm pretty useless.

Does your employer offer an annualised hours contract? Assuming you intend to work full time over four days, you might find your employer won’t allow it because four longer days might be considered too much and they have a duty of care towards you.

Really you should be having the amount of time you are expected to have off sick reassessed and the triggers extended to accommodate your condition.

Embarrassed to admit I dont know what an annualised hours contract is? I've not got as far as thinking about how full time would actually work - it feels very far away from what im capable of now tbh. I'm doubtful at times if it will ever be possible, but that too may be anxiety!

Re: your second paragraph, thanks for this and yes, I would hope that is what occasional health would help me work out. It's difficult as one condition is subsiding but another unrelated is emerging and may even require surgery. Just feel so awful for my team 🙁 as we're under a huge amount of pressure.

Lolling at occasional health 😂 it certainly feels that way right now!

An annualised contract is where you are contracted to do a set number of hours in a year (1924 if a full timer works 37 hours per week and you are wanting the equivalent full time hours) and you just do your hours when it suits you. It means you can do more than full time some weeks to reduce the amount you do another week.

I can’t see an employer being keen to let you do it if remaining full time, because it will increase the risk of you doing too much by working extra hours to compensate for when you need to work fewer hours. However, if you were dropping your hours to average at 30 per week, you could comfortably work full time for three weeks and then you would have 21 hours already done which would mean in the fourth week too could do 9 hours and it would balance out.

Oooh thanks @FuzzyWolf that's hugely helpful and I think might just be the kind of answer I'm looking for actually! 🙏

It sounds a pretty achievable target for 30 hrs. I just hope it fits with work outputs.