Taking time off work for appointments and treatment for a burn

This section covers:

  • Taking time off work soon after a burn injury
  • Taking time off work for ongoing appointments and treatments
  • Career impacts of time off work

Time off work may be needed for appointments and treatments for burn injuries. Depending on the severity of a burn, the amount of treatment a person may need will vary. For shallower, smaller burns, a person may not need treatment beyond immediate first aid and basic aftercare and sometimes a few scar management appointments. More complex burns, however, may require longer-term or life-long treatment. If somebody is burnt as a child, it is common for them to need ongoing treatment to manage the burn as they grow. Other treatments for burns can include skin grafts, plastic or reconstructive surgery, and surgery to increase mobility or revise scars.

Taking time off work soon after a burn injury

Most people we talked to found that their employers and colleagues were very understanding and thoughtful when they needed to take time off work soon after having a burn injury.

Lindsay felt that her employers and colleagues were very understanding when she needed to take time off to take her daughter to appointments.

I think I must have been off on the Tuesday anyway, when I took her to A&E, our local A&E, and then I had to take the whole of the Wednesday off because, by the time we got to our local town to get to the train station, got the train down there, had the appointment, didn’t know how long we were going to be, obviously, then got the train back, it was, like, mid-afternoon. So, that was most of my working day gone. And then, I had to take a day off the following fortnight to go do it all over again, and then I had to nip out occasionally for those three dressing changes that she had. But my work, not only are they my bosses, they’re my friends. They’ve grown to be very good friends of ours as a family, and they’re very family-orientated. So, it was never in question at all. So, that was good.

What did they do right?

What, my work?

Yeah.

Never questioned any of it. Never questioned any of it and, the Wednesday and the Thursday, my colleague has her days off, so I’m the only chef there on those days and I said to her “Oh my gosh, I’m SO sorry, I’ve just come back from A&E and they want to see her tomorrow” and she was like “Ok, I’ll work.” My boss was immediately like “Yeah, not a problem, we’ll give you the whole day off.” My colleague said “Yeah, fine, I’ll just work.” I said “Oh, I’ll owe you a day, I’ll owe you a day, I’ll swap” and she was like “Yeah, whatever, whatever.” So, yeah, I had to be fair, they’ve done everything right, yeah.

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Sarah appreciated that her colleagues “always check-in – not in a pressure-y way but in a genuine way to see how I am”. It was appreciated when employers and colleagues were flexible, for example arranging to cover the person’s shifts or workloads. Frazer gave the example of his employers letting him take the morning or afternoon off for appointments.

Not everyone felt their employer was supportive though. Jeff’s burn injuries were caused by a workplace accident; his employer’s response made him feel stressed and angry, so he decided to leave the job.

Needing to arrange alternative childcare provision was a problem faced by a few of the parents we spoke to. When Jessica’s daughter was burnt, she needed to stay with her during her hospital stay. Jessica said that she had to pay for additional childcare for her other children so her husband could continue to work.

For some people, time off work was unpaid or meant a loss of earnings, and you can read more about the financial impacts of burn injuries here.

Taking time off work for ongoing appointments and treatments

In the weeks and months after a burn injury, some people needed to continue attending appointments and having treatments. This meant explaining to their employer that they would need ongoing time off work.

Holly’s employer was understanding when she told them she would need to take time off in the future to attend her son’s hospital appointments.

Yeah, so, when I went back to work, as soon as I went back in I had to say to them “Look, I’m really sorry but I am going to have days where I’m going to have to take days off” and when I first went back to work I think I had a couple of days, because we were still going every three months I think then. Yeah, so I would have had a couple of days off and, yeah, it was just something that I basically said the first day I got back into work “Just so you’re aware, this has happened, and I will have to have time off.” But my work was really, really understanding about it, so that was fine.

They didn’t quiz me loads about it, which was great. It was just totally, it wasn’t “Well tell me more” you know, I didn’t have to go into loads of detail about it, which was great, because I wouldn’t have really wanted to. It’s hard enough to have to say it in the first place. And just realising that this isn’t, you know, you’re not going to a burns appointment to go on a jolly, you’re going because it is so important for your child. So, and if the person who is working for you is a good worker and not taking time off here, there and everywhere and it’s literally to take their child to this appointment, I think if you can be totally unquestioning about it and say, “That is fine, that is such an important priority,” that would be really fantastic I think for everyone involved.

I think sometimes with work, they can ask you to be really specific. You know “I want to know exactly why? Where are you going? Why are you going there? Who’s-?” and I really appreciated that they just didn’t over question it.

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Some of the people we spoke to who were burnt when they were children have had ongoing treatment into their adult lives. Ongoing treatment may impact employment and career plans because it may be necessary to take time off from work for reconstructive surgeries or other burns-related appointments. Haydn, on the other hand, did not need to take any time off as he is self-employed and could fit appointments around his schedule.

Saffron, who was burnt as a child, takes two days sick leave followed by a few days annual leave when she has appointments for her burns. She also appreciates that her employer grants leave for volunteering.

Other impacts it’s had, I guess, are when you’re having extra surgery, so that impact of needing to have time off work routinely. But I’m quite lucky that work’s very understanding, and I can get a day’s sickness and then a couple of days, sometimes I’ve taken that out of my annual leave, which obviously is- then that’s coming out of my own time really.

And another thing with me is I take a lot of time off to volunteer for other burn organisations. So, I guess with my work they just do understand it’s such a big part of my life in many areas. So, from, as well as needing sick days for treatment, I also take annual leave to, you know, volunteer and they’ll know that I’ve gone away on a camp or I’m doing this and that. So, it’s probably a two-way street. It’s as well as the burn survivor being open with their employer, so that they can be understanding of their needs.

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Career impacts of taking time off work

Some people we spoke to felt that their career opportunities had been impacted by having to take time off for their burn.

Sarah believes her career has been impacted by her burn as she cannot change roles due to taking sick leave.

I mean, obviously I took a lot of time off work. I had about nine months. I think it’s about nine months off work originally and then I’ve taken time off last year for an operation and, obviously, this year again. I suppose it has impacted on my career, but I suppose, because my children are still young, that’s kind of my focus at the minute more than work. I mean, I am waiting to change roles, but I can’t at the minute because I’ve been off sick and things like that. So, I suppose it has impacted my career but luckily, it’s probably come at a time where my life’s quite busy in other ways that it hasn’t, you know, it’s not something that bothers me particularly at the minute.

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You can read more about people’s experiences of returning to work after a burn injury here and their advice to employers and colleagues here.

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Financial issues related to burn injuries

This section covers: Loss of income when time off work is needed Additional costs associated with hospital trips and treatments, including travel expenses and parking...