Lifestyle Breakl

[Tesco bird]

Known people to to it for health reasons. Manger was happy too as they got someone else to pick up that day temporarily.

[Perpetually disappointed]

Thanks Tesco bird. I spoke to personnel and was granted a month of dropping one day, it's not enough really but it's for study. I'm gonna fail my course at this rate. I'm hoping they may extend it if I beg and plead 

[Barnacle Bill 4870]

I'm currently on a Lifestyle Break and just have one worry regarding the SAYE scheme.

I've heard it will restart when I return, but I've also heard it will cancel if no payment is made in a 6-week period. Does anyone know which, if any, of these statements are true?

I have looked through terms and conditions but not been able to find any information. Any help is much appreciated.

[troll-hunter]

6 months I think. There is a suspension form on, I think, the our benefits website and I recollect that's what it says.
The wording is a bit ambiguous but I also have the recollection of seeing it in the T&C though I have just noticed that the T&C that I can currently find relate to the S. Ireland and probably not the UK. I don't know if T&C where I have previously seen this were for the UK or S' Ireland

[BlueToon]

On the "our tesco" site, there is a link to a leaflet called
"Time for you"
If you download that, it will give you most of the details of all breaks/time off that you may need.
It also has on the site, the form 2.11.5 "leave Request Form" that you fill in to formally request the
lifestyle/ career break/adoption time etc etc etc.
Hope that helps.

[triviup]

Does anyone know if you have to give a reason when applying for a lifestyle break?

I don't want to go travelling or anything, just want some time to sort my life out a bit and maybe do some volunteer work but have previously been told I woldn't be allowed one for those reasons.

[burns2015]

Whoever told you that is speaking out there ar@e. As long as you fall into the criteria ie satisfactory performer , at least 1 years service and good absence in previous year and give a min 4 weeks notice then you should be fine.

[winner]

Hi,

Can you get a lifestyle break if someone else on your section is currently on one?

Can you work elsewhere in the break?

Do you have to say why you want time off?

Global Moderator Comment

Some of the answers you seek are in the earlier pages of this thread.

[Proud_Father]

I was told "actively seeking employment" whist on a lifestyle break was a big no no... But that didn't stop me doing extra days in my part time side job that I never happened to me tin ever before lol.

And yes, you need a valid enough reason. Mine was "I tried to quit, your making me take this"

[picktocube]

Yes ,it is fine working elsewhere,and ,no,you do not have to give any reason. 
When I took a lifestyle break,I told them that I would be working elsewhere.

[Minime]

Hi if your off sick and waiting on results which are taking longer because of corona can you request to take a lifestyle break?

[lucgeo]

Not if you're currently on sick leave.

[sunshineman]

My cousin works in the same store as me as she has been off work since the beginning of COVID19 due to health problems and being told by the government to self-isolate. She has not returned to work as her doctor has said she needs to stay at home until the Vaccine is available. Tesco have been great. She hates being off work as she loves her job but her doctor has said she needs to put her health first and has said if she got COVID19 then the chances are she would not pull through

However, she is suffering from stress due to COVID19 and previous to this she has not had any time off for the 15 years she has worked there. She is currently on sick pay and she is waiting for Tesco occupational health to contact her. Her line manager suggested she goes on a lifestyle break until the COVID19 issue has been resolved and she is safe to return to work. He has said this to safeguard her job as he has suggested that they may not keep the job open for her and may force her to retire early.

I would just like to know if occupational health forces her to retire early what does this mean for her. Her private pension is worthless. She took a lump sum of £7,000  around eight years ago, and she receives £90 per month from her old Tesco pension. She received a statement from her new Tesco pension to say that when she retires she will receive a lump sum of £3,000 and then £1,000 a year. Not a lot for 15 years of service.

She reduced her hours at no fault of her own around four years ago. She had to go from full time to 22 hours or take redundancy. She decided to stay and take the 22 hours.

She is worried at the moment as it has been mentioned that they could pension her off early due to ill health and she does not know where she stands with this.

She would like to know if she receives a pay off if they retire her, or if she should as has been suggested to take a lifestyle break to save her job.

[Redshoes]

As far as I'm aware occupational health only make recommendations.
A lifestyle break is unpaid. Your friend will have run out of sick pay but that does not matter as its topped up as soon as that happens under the current way of doing things.

[notsofunny]

 This is Normal if she has been off sick for more than the 28 week SSP period , Seems from what you are saying is that she has not gone back to work since the first lockdown  in which case she would could be  near the end of the 28 week

 The grey area on this is that tesco have  said they will top up the money if her company sick pay has come to a end but they have not said what will happen if your Goverment SSP sick of 28 weeks has ended , ( from what i understand )
 What she should also  be doing is making a claim for any Government Benefits she can if her SSP has run out

First step would be to get the Doctor to give her a fit note stating that that she is not to return to work due to her high level chance of contracting the Virus , Also to say that she is suffering from Anxiety

They are very unlikely to pension her off as she and her doctor are not saying that she will never be able to return to her job role or any work role ,

Yes they can dismiss her , But I cant see that happening at this time under the Virus situation , and if her doctor states she has Anxiety then they will take a very very long  route to get to that stage since it would end up at a tribunal since anxiety is classed as a disability , and can you see what the papers and media would do to Tesco or anyone else if they did so

Before taking a Life style break , she needs to find out if she will be able to claim any Government benefits since she would be leaving the job her self ,

Me I would go down the route of Doctors fit note stating Virus and ANXIETY  FIRST ,then see what they come up with ,

Hope that helps ,

[sunshineman]

She loves her job and that is why she did not take redunancy when it was offered and accepted a reduction in hours. Even though she can retire in about 16 months, she doesnt want to. She misses her job, but her doctor will not let her go back, and she is suffering from serious stress to the point that her hands shake sometimes.

She has ran out of company sick pay so she is on ssp. She is hoping they don't get rid of her, and is worried if they do get rid of her what she will live off as a single person

[notsofunny]

 I hear you say that she has run out of company sick pay ,so is she classed as CEV  if so she can get the money toped up by the company , 

what has her doctor classed her for ? Does she have a letter from National health service to say she should stay at home (shielding letter )?

Or is it a case of her Doctor telling her not to go to work since she would stress more due to her fear of getting the Virus ? At the momment it seems that she is does not have a Letter since Tesco are not toping up her pay ,,

[Welshie]

she would only have been entitled to be off "shielding" while it was government recommended so while that happens , all wages will be made up even if out of ssp . When shielding isnt government recommended  she would just be off sick and get ssp or when that runs out get nothing . Tesco can take her down the long term absence route if she is not returning to work in between government recommendations which can lead to disciplinary, dismissal or ill-health retirement unless she has HIV, ms or cancer as these are protected under disability law .
The benefit of a lifestyle break is that her pension , death in service and holidays are protected and she should be eligible for ESA if ssp has run out . Noone knows how long it will take to roll out vaccine to the CEV but if she did get vaccine all she has to do is contact work and say she wants to return from lifestyle break early .  I agree that Tesco have been very good with the CEV but I don't think it will last forever especially if they're not returning to work inbetween shielding guidelines but it's very frightening for CEV staff to be working with the public .

[NightAndDay]

I was under the impression that lifestyle break meant Tesco doesn't pay you anything but you don't have to work there and keep your benefits, that it's essentially the same as resigning  but with a guarantee that you'll get your job back after a predetermined period of being off.

I don't think under any scenario your pension wouldn't be protected, even if you've been dismissed, once it's paid in it's in.

[Welshie]

When I say protect your pension, I mean that your pension stays "open" and when you return you start to contribute again . It's not that you're starting another pension which would then mean you e 3 Tesco pensions .
Yes it is unpaid which means you can claim other benefits like ESA or universal credit .

[Welshie]

By your pension staying open , you're still eligible for death in service . I dont know if you are eligible for that if not in company pension .

[oldfashionedplayer]

If they are off with health problems classed as CEV / category C high risk by occupational health referral then they will use a holiday every so often while off currently but also be paid CSP, if they run out of CSP it will be SSP but topped up by the company so the person off won't lose out on anything (only if they are back and then go off non covid related before sickness stuff resets on anniversary date of you joining the company)

Regardless of being off currently for 28 weeks or whatever, they shouldn't be looking at I'll health retirement, if they are have been able to return at all while covid has gone on and been deemed by NHS or occupational health that they don't need to continue shielding (tier lower / reduced area infections etc), then there shouldn't be any discussion from work since its not normal long term absence but pandemic related of which company has partly chosen to keep people off if its been allowed still by government.

Career breaks were effective resignation (you were more opted to take this than a lifestyle and molt told that), lifestyle break uses a minimum of 2 weeks as holiday but can use more weeks while off, it's an agreed break for up to 1 year and a return date is given, you only get paid holidays, it's meant to be taken to spend time out travelling etc with savings or as a rest period but not as a period to be used for another job (misconduct if you don't already have that job when you take it), it allows you to still receive benefits from tesco as your still a colleague but an unpaid one, and secures your role unless there is a heatmap change in which on their return should aim to find you a replacement and suitable position.....

Think your pension just gets frozen too for that length your off then starts up again, would have to check policy with it but it'd be protected anyhow.