Hi Markfsb, if your employer pays full or half pay whilst you’re off sick, use this to your full advantage for as long as possible i.e keep on with full time off sick due to M.S…
The employer can’t sack you but they can stop paying you. If needs be, apply for benefits as soon as possible.
Ask your H.R dept what their sickness policy is and the early retirement offers available solely based on a long term, incurable, ill health condition. But never mention voluntary early retirement.
Be aware, if you tell them you want to take early retirement, then you may be reducing your Company Pension pay out. It’s usually 5% off for each year short of their retirement age.
If you have 10yrs before reaching the Company retirement age, Then 10yrs x 5% = 50%. A huge drop!
Your employer may have a disciplinary policy with regular sickness i.e every Friday & Monday off sick sheds a light on regular long weekends (a trick used by healthy employees).
Your firm sound decent to employees like yourself allowing working from home. Though I expect if you requested less hours then your salary would reduce. However, if the Company offers you less hours, they could decide, based on medical reports, to pay less than full pay but not much less.
A lot depends on the Company, their Pension & Sickness policies plus your position in the Company status length of service etc.
The above covers income only. Not the priceless quality of life. A lot can be said for using precious time in living, enjoying the simpler things in life whilst you can. These are priceless memories. I’ve never ever heard anyone say they haven’t worked enough.
Good luck with your choices, nothing insurmountable. Fatigue can be managed.
Chrissie x