I need some advice……I am in the middle of a change of career, I’ve been working as an office manager but I used to be a nurse years ago and I’m trying to get back into nursing. A diagnosis of breast cancer has complicated the whole process! I have my operation on the 24th August for a lumpectomy and some lymph glands taken from under my arm. I will have radiotherapy after the op and possibly chemo depending on results 2 weeks after the op. I reduced my hours to 2 days a week with my current job as an office manager while I did a course for nurses to update their skills when they haven’t worked as a nurse for over 5 years. I have finished the course and I’m waiting for results in a week. The thought was that I would not be returning to my office job after the end of August, as I planned to get on some nurse agencies and do some agency work if I could not get a permanent job. I think they would be willing to pay me another month for September on a part time basis with me working from home (which would be £750). I don’t know if nursing agencies pay sick pay as soon as you are registered with them? I cannot find any mention of sick pay on their web sites. I pay £380 in rent a month. Because of the changing time from one job to another, I am not sure how to handle this with my current employer and a new one, or what I can claim if I cannot change to a new job for a while? I also don’t know how I will be physically. Thanks for any advice.
hi there
nursing agencies dont pay say pay as you only work as and when you want… you could maybe apply for a part time NHS post and they would pay you if you were off sick however if you go off sick after only a month or so you wont get sick pay.
the pay and conditions within the NHS changed in 2004 to Agenda For Change (AFC) and if yo have previously worked within the nhs they now have to credit your previous service as reckonable service in terms of annual leave but not for sick leave unfortunately.
within the nhs the sick pay is standard no matter where you work… this is copied from the AFC handbook.
Employees absent from work owing to illness will be entitled, subject to the conditions of this agreement, to receive sick pay in accordance with the scale below (see Section 12 for provisions governing reckonable
service):
- during the first year of service - one month’s full pay and two
months’ half pay; - during the second year of service - two months’ full pay and two
months’ half pay; - during the third year of service – four months’ full pay and four
months’ half pay; - during the fourth and fifth years of service – five months’ full pay
and five months’ half pay; - after completing five years of service – six months’ full pay
and six months’ half pay.
unfortunately private nursing agencies are not part of AFC so can pay as much or as little as they like.
sorry this probably isnt much help.
take care
Lulu
Hi
I am very sorry that you have been diagnosed with breast cancer. I wish you well in your forthcoming operation and subsequent treatment.
I work as a nurse in the NHS. I did a return to nursing course as I had been out of the NHS for about 8 years. I have since been working for the NHS for about 6 years. Firstly on the Flexi Nurse Bank and then in a permanent part time post in a Community Hospital.
The information that Lulu34 has given you is correct. But you are entitled to statutory sick pay for 28 weeks and this is all calculated into your pay through the finance department.
The complication is that you aren’t employed by the NHS yet (I am in no position to advise you, but I would try and work for the NHS rather than an agency - most hospitals have Flexi Bank departments and the NHS is a good employer). A nursing agency would have to pay Statutory sick pay.
Can I suggest that you visit the website direct.gov.uk which gives details about statutory sick pay and also Employment Support Allowance (which replaces Incapacity Benefit). Also you might want to speak to Citizens Advice Bureau. I am in a position where I now have contact with MacMillan services and I have had lots of help from their Benefits Advisor and you might wish to contact them.
Or you may wish to speak to someone at your local job centre.
I would hope that you would be given support and helpful advice from any of these agencies.
I don’t know if you can claim any working tax credit - worth looking into as well.
I get Disability Living Allowance because I have secondaries and was approved under the ‘Special Rules’.
Have you actually handed in your notice with your office job?
If not, would you be better advised to continue working for them until you have come through to the other side of the breast cancer situation?
It might be difficult to find new employment as a nurse until you are in a position of being able to work.
I hope some of this has helped! I may have simply complicated the issue further.
Also, it might be worth speaking to your return to nursing course leader for some support and advice. Also, are you a member of the RCN or Unison? I don’t know if they could help but it is worth a try.
Just to offer you some encouragement, I’m 53 and I managed to resume a very physical nursing role 8 months after my first operation for breast cancer. I had a lumpectomy, and axillary clearance, followed closely by a mastectomy then chemotherapy. No radiotherapy. My colleagues were very supportive of me, and I was given a phased return to work, although after a few months I reduced my hours from 32 to 24 per week and worked happily without more sick leave until I had reconstructive surgery.
Best wishes
Helen
i would agree with helen that if you can stay in your current job that would be the most advisable at least you will get whatever the sick pay you have accumulated from there.
helen i was interested to hear that you do get sick pay on the bank because i never got any when i was on the bank they just cancelled the shift and to let them know when i was fit again for duty… no mention of ssp.
i was working in sexual health with a 50 mile commute which added 4 hours to my working day and just couldnt work through chemo or rads because of the travelling… when i was thinking of returning to work i was quite worried about how i would cope with travelling so applied for a part time job closer to home as a breast care nurse and was successful… i work 25 hours a week and am pretty well supported but do miss family planning.
i think you need to make sure you dont jump into a very demanding job when you are still fairly vulnerable… i would say if you do join the bank or agency dont just do the first thing that comes up but pick and choose your shifts to suit you.
take care
Lulu x
Lulu I might be wrong but I thought that under agenda f c if you worked regular number of hours even on flexible bank you were entitled to sick pay. Might be worth asking. Sorry if I am wrong, because I think it is an injustice if you aren’t.
Helen
Lulu
I think it is wonderful that you work as a bcn.it must add another dimension to your skills and role. Do you have a support network if it should ever cause any stress?
Helen
thanks hemajo
yes i have a very good support network and have regular clinical supervision.
when i was on the bank i didnt do regular shifts as i was studying midwifery and was diagnosed the day i registered as a midwife so didnt do any shifts for quite a long time… i presume that this maybe why i didnt get any SSP.
Lxx
I am meeting someone from Human Resources and my Manager tomorrow to talk about my tier 2 retirement. It is quite sad to acknowledge that I am no longer able to work as a nurse. I really miss going to work, but never thought I’d say it!!
Helen
Thank you for all your comments! My present office job will keep me on for another month through September as goodwill but after that they cannot keep me on as I’ve trained my replacement. I think I will look into getting on the hospital bank to begin with and see how it goes. Need to try to do something to keep sane but also don’t want to go into a full time job that would be too demanding. Thanks all!