I’m aware of a situation where someone signed off sick setup their own hair dressing business, went out visiting clients and had a salon in their conservatory.

Still received full sick pay as they argued the reason they couldn’t work didn’t prevent them carrying out this alternative job and that their employer couldn’t offer anything comparable.

Was off sick a year (six months on full pay, six on half) went back to work for a month then resigned.

ScottChegg – Member

What if they are off with work related stress?

If their work has made them so ill they are off for a quarter of a year, it’s easy to see how they could get to the same situation again.

I think a career change would be a good thing for their health.

Wouldn’t it?[/quote]

You cant handle it like me so f@%$ off ??? Nice.

What if they were stressed because they were badly managed and out under pressure they shouldnt have been for their role, they should sill be made to leave?

A whole career change is pretty drastic when most issues can be fixed by correcting the faults in the work environment. Yes some get stressed because they have taken on too much or something has overloaded them outside of management control. But to boot them out because of this as a first option, harsh.

What if they were stressed because they were badly managed and out under pressure they shouldnt have been for their role, they should sill be made to leave?

But how does being off for months help the situation?

I was signed off for 3 weeks for a situation as you describe, but being away made it all the more stressful. I lasted 3 days, went in and worked on resolving the situation.
I think ScottChegg is talking about when someone is simply in the wrong job!

It can be lawful to fire someone for being ill.

But how does being off for months help the situation?

I was signed off for 3 weeks for a situation as you describe, but being away made it all the more stressful. I lasted 3 days, went in and worked on resolving the situation.

What works for you doesnt work for others. Some need time to fix themselves. Some workplaces take longer to fix. Im sure some on here would argue that if you were able to go in and fix the problem why didnt you fix it before you got signed off, you (and others who have been stressed) know thats not always possible.

I think ScottChegg is talking about when someone is simply in the wrong job!

He seemed to be saying that because you got stressed you WERE in the wrong job, or thats how it read.

You cant handle it like me so f@%$ off ??? Nice

Drama Queen.

If your job made you so ill you were incapacitated for 3 months; will going back make you better, or worse?

The job won’t have changed; it’s unlikely your capacity to take stress will have changed.

…is simply in the wrong job!

If you are in a job that makes you ill; it’s the wrong job. How can it not be?
What will the likely outcome be?

If you are in a job that makes you ill; it’s the wrong job

Yeah. Friend of mine works in a stressful job – team of 4 and she’s the only one in as the rest are off with stress. So, she has to pick up their work. Can’t re-employ as the others haven’t left. Probably couldn’t anyway as its crap pay for a highly qualified job. The boss went off with stress, then announced her retirement. Hideous situation.
How she holds up I have no idea.

In my experience, working with someone on long term sick can actually be a much more positive experience to the company and the employee than just getting rid.
Help people through their problems, build them back up and give them the support they need.

If your job made you so ill you were incapacitated for 3 months; will going back make you better, or worse?

Incapacitated? stress isnt a broken leg as we have already discussed.
If you have time to resolve the issues then there is no reason to assume they become stressed again. You are applying a stigma to that person.

I have recently suffered with stress, thankfully not to the point i needed to take leave as i was able to adress it with the company. It was a build up of aspects of the job, not just ‘my job’. Thankfully my company is supportive and realises it is able to do some things to help mitigate some of the problem areas. They do this because they see value in me as an employee and that i am capable of doing what they need me to do very well, as long as they support me with other things. Other employees might (do) handle those thing better than me but that does not mean i am a hindrance and need to change job roles as you seem to think.

It can be lawful to fire someone for being ill.

Clickbait headline.

Answer to the OP then is you can’t generalise. Every single person has to be treated individually as the reasons for stress are all different.
So there’s no simple answer to his question.