Hi everyone, i was diagnosed with BC in Aug last year had WLE and therapeutic mammoplasty with SN removal on 12 Sept followed by 6 weeks of radiotherapy and am taking Tamoxifen. I work for the NHS and i am just in the process of arranging a return to work and i am having a problem with carrying over my annual leave i was unable to take last year. I have 18 days left to take and have been informed by HR to take them while still on sick leave or risk loosing them. Does any one have any experience of this? As our new entitlement starts 1 April and i intend going back to work in the next couple weeks having a phased return that will continue thro March it does not leave me any time to take 18 days leave? Any other NHS workers on here with any advice would be grateful!
My understanding is that you can’t have a/l when you’re off sick; it’s one or the other. I think you either have to put your phased return back, or get signed off sick now and take the a/l. Will they pay for the a/l that you haven’t been able to take? (Think I know the answer to that one…) Might be useful to discuss with your union rep.
HR has become so corporate now. I’m sounding like an ancient nurse LOL!
Thanks alesta29 & elttiks
Ha ha ha ha will they pay me mmmmm think u do know the answer to that one eh? yes i have contacted unison and they are going to look into it for me and get back to me before end of week, so i just have to wait and see. I was always under the impression that you couldnt take A/L while on sick but they are telling me that now you can. I wanted to take my leave before starting the phased return but HR say cant do this because it will look like im fit for full time work and i will not be able to have a phased return? this sounds wrong to me if you can take it while on sick doesnt that look like you are fir for work then? as it stops the clock on sickness?? Am i been thick here?
I started work on monday and i have 20 days holiday to come .I was told i could boost my sick pay up with them or use them as part of my phased return.My hold start on april 1st too so i am using two days a week as my phased return .They will allow mw to carry 5 days over if i like.
With our hold they work out how many hours you worked last year then divide it by 52 ,then thats how many hours a week you get paid for on hol.Think i better take all mine before april as last year i averaged out at 5 hours a day 25 a week. This year i will be lucky to average 8 a week as been on sick since end may !!!
Hope you manage to resolve your problem and good luck on your return to work xx
Hi All,
I don’t like to admit this, but I work in HR for the NHS – and I agree with you Heather.
Although the NHS has National Terms and Conditions, all Trusts (like all companies) have their own policies and procedures, so they will have different rules regarding carrying leave forward, etc. The Trust I work for wouldn’t allow you to carry forward annual leave if you returned to work before the end of the annual leave year, but if you returned in the new leave year you would be allowed to carry forward all the leave owed from the previous leave year. If you aren’t allowed to carry forward leave which you have been unable to use because you’ve been off sick you should get HR or your unions involved.
We have also changed our policy and now allow people to break their sick leave and take annual leave (where they are in a half pay or no pay situation). These changes in policy were introduced following changes in employment law.
I don’t understand why they wouldn’t allow you to take annual leave before you start your phased return, that would seem sensible to me. Maybe speak to OH and see if they would recommend it?
Please feel free to pm me, but I can’t promise to have all the answers!
Good luck with your returns to work, I’ve just returned following surgery, but unfortunately still have chemo and radiotherapy to come…
xxx
Hi, I worked for the NHS until I took ill health retirement last year. I had 2 long periods of sick. The first time I went back to work in 2008 I was allowed to take all my accrued AL whenever wanted, this was at the discretion of my line manager. The second time I went back in 2010 it was a different thing and managed by HR. I had to take 2 weeks at the end of my sick leave, then I went on 4 weeks phased return. After the phased return I had then had to use the rest of my accrued AL within a set time and take a day or two off each week till it was used up.
I have a couple of friends who have just gone back to the NHS after long term sick and again it was all managed by HR and very stict guidelines as to when you used your accrued AL.
Good luck to those of you returning
xxxxxxx