sickness absence and booked annual leave, what's the policy? Anyone in HR/UNISON?

Question

I work for the NHS, i booked 2 weeks annual leave at the beginning of April for September this year.
I was off on sick leave for six weeks in the latter part of April through until May.
I returned to work in June, and have not been sick since.
I was informed this week by the employee who works out the rota and annual leave, that i will not be able to have my 2 weeks holiday because i was off sick.
I have been back at work for the last 10 weeks and wasn't informed about this!
Does anyone work for HR and know the correct policy, or anyone who is a UNISON rep.

Answer 1

Hugo, I don't work for the NHS but I do know employment law and work in HR. There is no way that this acceptable.



Check your sick pay entitlement. If you had excessive absence this should have been tackled when you returned in June. You are legally entitled to 5.6 weeks paid leave (min) in the UK.



They can cancel your holiday, but for emergency business reasons, not as an unannounced sanction for sickness, and you must be permitted to take it another time.



If they don't resolve informally raise a grievance. Time to join your union?

Answer 2

Firstly I would say that I don't work with/for or am a member of Unison. It does sound like the person who is doing the rota is making that one up or it could be a house rule/internal policy as there is no legal basis. Sick leave and holiday are two totally separate things, and what in effect this employee is saying is that you must forfeit your holiday because you have been sick. How exactly does that work?!



I would suggest that you speak with your internal HR department or the employee's manager about this, to the bottom of this. If you don't get satisfaction, speak to an external advisor.

Answer 3

The employee was wrong. Talk to the HR department. Sick leave has nothing to do with annual leave. Perhaps he/she needs a bit more training.

Answer 4

That's rubbish-ask your line manager

Being off sick has got nothing to do with your holiday entitlement

If you were off sick during an annual leave period you are still entitled to get that annual leave at another time too

Answer 5

it incredibly is no longer a criminal offense. it is definitely up on your settlement of employment and the corporation. holiday trips and affliction are 2 thoroughly separate issues. maximum firms won't enable workers to apply holiday trips while they're off ill as they experience that this would motivate 'cover days' while workers don't experience like coming to artwork and speak to in ill understanding that they are going to gets a commission as they are in a position to apply a holiday. firms would desire to have the flexibility to devise for workers to be off on holiday so as that the artwork would nicely be lined and, in the event that they allowed this, they'd get no word. yet, as I say, it relies upon on the organization. some would enable it.