Holiday while signed off sick

Hello there. I am Gemma, a legal assistant at Lawyer Destroyer, and I would be happy to help clear this up for you.

The short answer is yes, you can usually go on holiday while you are signed off sick from work. There is no law in England and Wales that says you must stay at home while you are unwell. In fact, time away might be exactly what you need to help you recover, especially if you are signed off with something like stress, anxiety, or depression.

However, how you manage it with your employer is very important.

How it affects your leave and pay:

When you are off sick and you have a holiday coming up, or you decide to book one, you actually have two different options.

First, you can choose to take it as annual leave. If you are currently getting Statutory Sick Pay or a reduced rate of company sick pay, you can ask your employer to let you use your holiday allowance for the time you are away. This means you will receive your normal full holiday pay for those days instead of sick pay. Once your holiday is over, if you are still unwell, you simply revert to sick leave.

Second, you can choose to stay on sick leave while you are away. You will continue to get your sick pay, and you will not use up any of your annual holiday allowance.

Practical next steps:

1. Check your workplace policies. Look at your employment contract or staff handbook to see what your employer's sickness absence policy says. Many companies have rules asking you to inform them if you intend to travel away from your home address while signed off.

2. Speak to your doctor. It is highly recommended to ask your GP or the medical professional who signed you off if going away is safe and beneficial for your specific condition. If they agree, ask them to make a brief note of it. Having your doctor's backing is excellent evidence if your employer asks any questions.

3. Be open with your employer. Tell your manager or HR department about your plans before you go. It is much better to keep the lines of communication open rather than them finding out you are away because they could not reach you or because they saw a photograph on social media. Letting them know builds trust.

4. Clarify your pay. Tell your employer clearly whether you want the time away to be processed as paid annual leave or if you want to remain on sick leave and sick pay.

A sensible word of caution:

It is crucial that your holiday activities do not contradict the reason you have been signed off sick. For example, if you are signed off with a severe back injury, going on a highly active skiing or physical adventure holiday could lead your employer to suspect you are not genuinely ill, which can result in disciplinary action.

On the other hand, if you are off with burnout or a mental health condition, taking a quiet week by the sea to rest is perfectly consistent with your illness and your recovery.

As long as you are honest with your employer, your holiday aligns with your medical advice, and you follow any company reporting procedures, going away while signed off sick is perfectly acceptable.