Message #80803

[GrumpyPants]

I'm in Britain so our circumstances may be rather different from those that obtain elsewhere.  We have a sick leave allowance on a sliding scale according to how long we have worked with the company. In the first year, it is four working weeks at full pay.  After five years' service, we are allowed six months at full pay and six months at half-pay.  However, these are not days "by right".  We have to be genuinely ill.  We may have a few days of sick leave on our own cognisance.  We call this self-certification.  After a week, we have to produce a note from our Doctor.  It is called a "fit note" and tells our employers whether we are fit to return to work and what we are fit to do.  In my company, sick leave is carefully monitored.  If we take off a certain number of days or occasions of sick leave we may be asked to see occupational health at the company's expense.  For example, you may have bronchitis and be ill for a couple of weeks.  Supported by a Doctor's note, that is fine.  If you have ten to 20 days in little bits spread over the year, i.e. many separate occasions, you may be asked to account for the reasons in a little more depth because a short duration of sick leave does not require you to see a Doctor.