I had to cut short my holiday due to illness. Can I retake those days of annual leave?
We all need a rest sometimes, and employers know their staff perform better when they have regular holidays. However, sometimes people fall ill on holiday and have to come home early. This can leave employees feeling less rested than before they went away. Many people wonder if they’ve lost those days of annual leave, or whether they can retake them later in the year.
Thankfully, there’s good news. Across the European Union, if you spent part of your holiday suffering from an illness or injury that would have kept you away from work anyway, you will be able to put those lost days down as sick leave, and retake the annual leave later in the year. If you’re unable to take another holiday during that year, you can carry the days of annual leave into the following year.
Sickness during annual leave
According to a 2012 ruling from the European Court of Justice (ECJ), “the purpose of entitlement to paid annual leave is to enable the worker to rest and enjoy a period of relaxation and leisure. The purpose of entitlement to sick leave is different, since it enables a worker to recover from an illness that has caused them to be unfit for work”.
Official guidance from the UK government explains that if you become ill just before or during your annual leave, you can take it as sick leave instead. If you’re off sick for more than seven days in a row including non-working days, you need to show your employer a note from your GP or hospital doctor.
Having to cut short a holiday due to ill health means you’re unlikely to feel like you’ve had much of a break. But you can focus on getting better, knowing that there’ll be another holiday on the horizon once you’re back at work.
What if I am ill during my holiday?
Falling ill or becoming injured while you’re overseas can be a stressful experience, and you may want to get back home as quickly as possible. At EMS Air Ambulance & Medical Repatriation we are experts in worldwide medical evacuation. Our fully qualified medical team can provide independent, rigorous medical diagnoses in person, and make a qualified assessment of how best to get you home.
We can provide long distance repatriation by road ambulance. Our fleet of ambulance is specially designed for patient transport and fully equipped with life saving technology.
We also offer a medical escort service on commercial flights, which often allows patients to take their scheduled flight home without delay.
And, if needed, our private air ambulances can make the repatriation process as smooth and comfortable as possible so you can continue your recovery at home. We offer a ‘bed-to-bed’ service, taking you from your hospital abroad to the hospital at home. We will arrange admission into the home hospital and liaise with doctors there to ensure that your medical care continues. Whatever your needs – we can help.
To find out more about our private ambulances and other repatriation services, get in touch.