Sick Leave

[DezUk]

Looking for some advice regarding sick leave and where I stand.

I am currently on a 3 week sick line given to me by the doctor, this was a bit unexpected when I went to discuss with him as I was only expecting a week. Anyway here I am and not at work. The thing is I have had this before where I have been off for a long period of tine which resulted in me being given a disciplinary by my employer. I have now had so many gays off that I am not entitled to sick pay and am now on statutory sick pay.

I feel quite guilty being off for 3 weeks and I am worried that when I go back all trust in me will have been lost and that I might loose my job. Part of the reason for taking time off is due to the way the office is run. There has been a huge reduction ins staff with people leaving and the pace is on the verge of closing down. This is what I explained to the doc which resulted in me being off.

So I am going to try and use the time I have to find a new job but I am not sure how this is seen by prospective employers?

Should I just go back?

Should I email and explain all of this to my boss?

 

[Rids]

First question, and please don't be offended by this - but its something you need to consider before deciding a strategy...

Is your work environment genuinely making you ill, or do you just not want to go in and have used this as excuse? I've been both sides of this, I've had jobs where I dreaded going in every day so I played the stress card to get a week off. I've also had a job where I ran myself into the ground for the best part of 6 months straight while the store manager was on long term sick and it reached the point that I felt like I genuinely couldn't take anymore.

If its genuinely making you ill, then you have nothing to feel guilty about. A medical professional has looked at your circumstances and ruled that you need time away from the work environment, you should not go back until he has reassessed you after 3 weeks.

If its the first one... then it really is your call.

I wouldn't be emailing my boss anything either way though, I don't see what you would gain from that.

 

[Jamesyboyjim]

All your boss will do is give you his opinion, which we can all guess will be "I think you should come back to work" perhaps use this time to get your cv up to date and start looking around. If the job is making you ill then it isn't somewhere you should be.

The trouble with being off with stress is, it gives you time to worry. Try not to think about that place. You'll have a return to work meeting when you do go back, put your thoughts across then.

 

[beh]

3 weeks seems a bit arbitrary, how will things be any better when you return?

When you were off previously for a "long period" was that for similar reasons?

Looking for alternative work is probably a good idea.

You don't need to explain in such detail until your RTW interview.