Going abroad when on sick leave? Sackable offence?

[cheerful]

tl,dr;
Got bit on the leg a week before 2 weeks of annual leave. Had a few days away during the 'annual leave'. I've come back, and been told the annual leave would be cancelled because I was sick, and being abroad on sick is a sackable offence.

I posted a couple of weeks ago about having an infected insect bite (it happened while working).

It was bad, lots of antibiotics (still on them now), the bite was on Monday, and the wife and I had got the following 2 weeks booked off for our anniversary.

The wife and I had a lot of indecision, but at one point the infection seemed to be getting better, so we booked a city break abroad.

That turned out to be a mistake, everything got worse the day we were to set off, and there was a rush to see a doc and get more antibiotics, and since we'd booked the holiday after the bite happened, we didn't think travel insurance would cover us if we cancelled.

The last 3 days of the holiday were ruined by the infection, I absolutely didn't have the energy to do a city break.

Now I'm due back at work on Monday, and I'm still not well (I've got another 2 weeks of antibiotics left).

I didn't ask work to cancel my annual leave (it's never been mentioned), and a few hours ago I emailed my manager saying how sick I felt abroad, and asking what will happen if I return to work and have to go off sick again (I'm at the point where I might be able to work, but I'm still a bit weak).

I was concerned just turning up for a day then going off sick would upgrade me to a Stage 2, even though it's part of the same sickness.

However, a coworker has told me that since I'm still officially on sick, and I went abroad, that it's a sackable offence.

I'm a bit confused on if I've broken any rules, I can see that going abroad while on sick leave looks bad, but it was on annual leave.

And I thought I could be fit enough to doing some light walking with the Mrs, while still not be well enough to powerwalk 10 miles. Although, it turned out even the light walking with the Mrs wrecked me.

This would have been my first stage 1 since I started several years ago (assuming it makes it to a Stage 1, instead of being sacked).

[Constance]

I'd go to your GP and get a sick note backdated for the period holiday and for the future. You need to rest and get better. Submit note and you could request annual leave to be returned to you when you get back to work.

[grchpo]

Can you request leave back if you actually go on holiday?

[cheerful]

Can you request leave back if you actually go on holiday?

I don't know.

I didn't ask for the annual leave to be returned, it was never mentioned.

Checking the app shows one of the two weeks has been refunded.

[tramssirhc]

The attendance procedure states that during an absence you may be able to go on holiday with the permission of the employer. In certain circumstances a holiday may aid recovery. You are required to inform the employer about your intention to go on holiday.

[BenacreNick]

Presumably if your "off work as sick" you would not be deemed fit enough to go on holiday abroad ?

I have heard of a situation where this did happen years ago and a passport was requested to be seen on return to work.

The outcome was not a good one.

[koolishy67]

If you are on sick with mental health may be possible

[cheerful]

The attendance procedure states that during an absence you may be able to go on holiday with the permission of the employer. In certain circumstances a holiday may aid recovery. You are required to inform the employer about your intention to go on holiday.

The most recent version of this I can find is from 2012.

https://royalmailchat.co.uk/community/d ... hp?id=8861

"An absent employee shall remain at their normal home address (other than to
receive in-patient treatment) unless they have consent of their line or local
personnel manager"

I can't see anything more recent, and I can't find anything from any date mentioning going on holiday during prebooked annual leave.

In theory if a postie and his family book time off, then book a holiday, then a week before he goes away he breaks his arm, the postie has to either skip the holiday or risk being sacked?

Or maybe get a stage 1 before the holiday and a stage 2 after the holiday?

It seems crazy.

I can understand RM wanting to sack a postie who faked an illness, then was seen at the World Cup, but this was a work related injury happening a few days before pre-booked annual leave for our anniversary.

I've loads of photo evidence of the infection, the antibiotics and a lot of uber emails showing how little we walked.

[cheerful]

If you are on sick with mental health may be possible

Thanks, but it was a "spider" bite at work, but after the first course of antibiotics didn't work they wondered if it might be a tick bite, and started me on a 3 week Lyme Disease treatment.

The rash is 99% gone now, but the side effects of the meds aren't great.

[clashcityrocker]

If it was annual leave it wasn't a sick absence.
If it was a sick absence you weren't on annual leave.
You can't be both at the same time.

If you were sick then you need to discuss going on holiday with your employer.

[cheerful]

If it was annual leave it wasn't a sick absence.
If it was a sick absence you weren't on annual leave.
You can't be both at the same time.

If you were sick then you need to discuss going on holiday with your employer.

Neither my manager or I mentioned anything about cancelling annual leave. I didn't know you got it refunded if you were sick, but checking the app, one of the weeks has been cancelled.

I'd been keeping my manager up to date with the infection and holiday plans, told him we were going to watch a UK tennis tournament (sitting for several hours), but didn't want to leave the UK / NHS until we saw what was going on with the infection.

[pieoftheday]

The attendance procedure states that during an absence you may be able to go on holiday with the permission of the employer. In certain circumstances a holiday may aid recovery. You are required to inform the employer about your intention to go on holiday.

The most recent version of this I can find is from 2012.

https://royalmailchat.co.uk/community/d ... hp?id=8861

"An absent employee shall remain at their normal home address (other than to
receive in-patient treatment) unless they have consent of their line or local
personnel manager"

I can't see anything more recent, and I can't find anything from any date mentioning going on holiday during prebooked annual leave.

In theory if a postie and his family book time off, then book a holiday, then a week before he goes away he breaks his arm, the postie has to either skip the holiday or risk being sacked?

Or maybe get a stage 1 before the holiday and a stage 2 after the holiday?

It seems crazy.

I can understand RM wanting to sack a postie who faked an illness, then was seen at the World Cup, but this was a work related injury happening a few days before pre-booked annual leave for our anniversary.

I've loads of photo evidence of the infection, the antibiotics and a lot of uber emails showing how little we walked.

The holiday abroad wasnt pre booked, just the two weeks off?

[cheerful]

It was our anniversary, so we prebooked the two weeks off, we knew we were going to a euro break, but didn't care where, so just booked the best last minute deal.

[cheerful]

Found this:

"Employees who are sick immediately before they are due to go on holiday
must confirm to their Line Manager that they are going on holiday on the due
date (unless sick absence continues and the employee remains at home)"

I did email him on the day I got the 2nd course of antibiotics / the day we headed to the tennis tournament.

So assuming this document from 2012 is still accurate, then I should be in the clear.

[Constance]

I would say so, you've had the communication with the company throughout and they know the nature of your illness doesn't require isolation and house (ar)rest.