I work full time and my employer has been kind and considerate and has given me plenty of time off - all paid, despite this not being part of my contract.
I’ve had major reconstruction surgery and have probably another couple of surgeries ahead of me. I’m on endocrine therapy and targeted therapy (with another 2.5 years to go) and with all my appointments and physio and the aches and pains along with a load of stuff going on at home - tons of DIY getting ready to host my daughter’s wedding in our garden.
Trouble is, I’m still struggling - and I’m not “ill” enough not to be at work - I just can’t concentrate - past the aches and pains and various limbs feeling heavy and swollen and headaches and fatigue. I don’t want to take advantage of my excellent employer - and I’m not in a position to be able to quit work permanently - however, I think I could manage for a while without pay.
Has anyone else asked an employer for a sabbatical (unpaid) so they can concentrate on recovery?
I’ve not personally done this as I’m still on sick leave undergoing treatment, however I absolutely would. My very simple advice is to go for it! I think you outlined your needs and respect for your employer pretty well in your post so maybe just reiterate those when broaching the subject if you decide to go ahead.
I partially retired the week before chemo and targeted therapy started so I thought that when I returned to work, as it was three days, not five I would be fine. I wasn’t!
With hindsight I returned to work to soon. I needed another couple of months off to recover then I wouldn’t have felt like I was going round the twist and feeling a failure about how I was performing. It was upsetting and unsettling as I wasn’t how I used to be. I felt self-conscious and embarrassed and was exhausted. I lost my confidence
I had a phased return and then used annual leave to shorten my week but still found it really hard. Fatigue, chemo related cognitive impairment - I couldn’t remember how to turn in the computer, access the systems I use, find the keys on the keyboard I’d be typing and when I looked at the screen it was nonsense. Tried to do all my mandatory and statutory training but couldn’t recall what I’d read to answer the multiple choice questions. I also lost the language of my job. It was dreadful and upsetting as I’d prided myself on how good I was at retaining information and multitasking.
Six months on I’m so much better but fatigue remains an issue on work days, the Letrozole side-effects are impactful. Eyes are dry, vision gets blurred, hot flushes which disturb my sleep and now they’ve increased in intensity and frequency during the current heatwave.
Have you asked about reducing your hours? Are there enough staff to cover your absence if you asked for a sabbatical? You have nothing to lose by asking.
I spoke to a BCN about my work situation. She validated my feelings about returning to work too soon, then told me that I need to allow another year to recover from the chemo and targeted therapy,
If I had my time again and it had been an option then I would have taken longer off work, and had my accrued annual leave not been enough to eek it out, then I’d have asked for unpaid leave.
I would definitely have a meeting with your employer and explore all the possible options available. Sabbatical could be one of them but maybe they would be open to other ways? How easy might flexible working be in your job, working from home and doing your set hours to suit your energy levels? You sound like you have an absolutely fabulous employer, and it would be a great opportunity to convey that to them and demonstrate the value you have placed on their amazing approach so they continue to support any other colleagues going through this in the future.
I decided to apply for early retirement on the grounds of ill health. I’m nearly 62 and still have just under a year of targeted therapy to go through. I’m lucky to have that option because the combination of treatment, menopause and age are leaving me feeling that the work world is leaving me behind. Time to find a new way of being in the world.
Good luck with whatever you decide and as @mrsjelly rightly says, don’t rush back too soon. xx
@Jaygo I feared that I’d have to go through the process of dismissal on medical grounds hence my perhaps my hasty decision to return too soon. It really felt like a punishment for having HER2 and the long treatment path. I wasn’t confident I’d get ill health retirement as I knew I’d be fit to return at some point. I’ve proven that now, but it’s taken me 6 months to recover enough to feel about 85% of who I was.
I listened to the ‘Life after cancer’ podcast about returning to work this week. Wished it was broadcast last year. It was really useful. Best of luck with your plans @Jaygo
@mrsjelly It’s so sad that we have to juggle this on top of everything else. I’m just lucky that it has come at a time of life where I am not needing to rely on an employer and I feel blessed about that, our mortgage is paid off next May as well so it will be a huge relief.
Thanks for sharing the podcast and I shall have a listen to that. I’m planning on applying to be a coach for Breast Cancer Now to support other people, so staying current on things will be important. X
That’s brilliant that you are planning to give back. I’ve thought about volunteering but at present this is still too raw for me. Also think I’d want to step away from health related voluntary work as I’m a nurse. I think I’d find it hard not to be in nurse mode. It’s what I’ve done since I was a teenager. I’m now in my 38th year of public service. Was aiming to reach 40 years as I believe I’ll be rewarded with a badge . I am very fortunate to have had a profession I’ve loved met wonderful people along the way and I hope I’ve made a small difference in their lives.
Hi @fancyface , I completely understand where you are coming from. It sounds like your employers have been very considerate so far. Have you been working on and off throughout your treatment and have you had any Occupational Health support during that time? They might be able to advise what could work for you. I had a 10-month period off work whilst going through treatment and before that ended I asked for two further months’ of unpaid leave (not sick leave), for the same reasons as you. After that, following discussions with OH I had a phased return and fortunately have been able to work full-time ever since, so I think the extra time really benefitted me (and the company, I suppose). I could ramble on, but if you have any questions, I’d be happy to answer them.
@mrsjelly I don’t blame you. They stipulate that people wait for a set period before they do it because of the potential triggers. I aim to approach BCN next year to see if enough time has elapsed.
Wow congratulations on finding a career you have loved and to get your 40 year badge will be a real achievement. I am a coach and training consultant by profession and was self-employed for 10 years. I still am working technically, but do plan to cash in one pension so that I can be free to accept or decline work based on whether or not that work will bring me joy. x
Hi @Pollyann I have been working throughout, except where I’ve had time off for surgery - my non-surgery-related time off is only 2 weeks.
No, I haven’t seen an Occupational Therapist - it’s a small company, so it’s not a resource they offer. I think perhaps I will listen to the podcast recommended above and speak with Macmillan so I understand the full situation and what might be a reasonable request before approaching work.
I have found that the two weeks off I’ve just taken for my lipo-grafting has been easier, despite the bruising, than the weeks I’ve been working whilst on the targeted therapy and AI.
I re-start my medication on Monday, just as I go back to work and I’m dreading it.
Anything else you think I should know? I’d welcome any advice.
Hi @fancyface , speaking to MacMillan sounds like a great idea to help with approaching the request and advising what your rights are in the workplace.
From my employer’s perspective, at least the unpaid leave was a definite period of absence, rather than the slightly unpredictable sickness leave, which meant that my they could plan cover rather than as hoc cover. So it will be helpful as you have a specific time period in mind. There also happened to be a temp in the company at around that time so they were able to keep her on to help cover. A phased return after your leave might also be helpful if you/they can accommodate it, as it eases you back in to work thereby reducing the likelihood of needing unplanned recovery time down the line. If this is something for you, it might be useful to discuss it at this stage to show your commitment to coming back in a sustainable way. Fingers crossed for your discussions, it would make sense for them to accommodate you now to get the benefits in the longer term.
If you are able to afford, do it. I was working part-time and studying part-time before this hit me. Sadly, my studying capacity has gone down, but so has my work, as I’m on sick leave.
I’m not really making ends meet and diving into my savings, which I’d built up so I could study full time, but that is how it is. My occupational pay will run out soon, then I’ll get SSP and then I’ll have to get ESA or the like. Maybe PIP, but people say that is a nightmare.
It’s not the ideal way to spend my savings, so I’m trying to use it as time to recover from this and life in general. I’d love time afterwards (if there is any), but I’m pretty tired just from the surgery so can’t see me returning to work anytime soon.
I’d say, do it. But then as someone rediscovering learning at 47 and always thinking work should not be everything, I would always have said, just do it.
. I am very fortunate to have had a profession I’ve loved met wonderful people along the way and I hope I’ve made a small difference in their lives.