Any chance you can talk to your boss? He might be prepared to tell you, in confidence, what his wishes and plans are. In normal times I’d suggest you offer to buy him a beer.

These days perhaps a facetime, zoom call from off the premises.

You never know ...

PintePeps, I have seen managers taking long sick leaves and returning later to their roles. One manager was absent for almost 2 years, recovered from cancer and came back to their role. I think this is only fair to wait for your boss and support him/her until they are well again. In the meantime you can show yourself as a very good candidate for the next opening of the manager position.

There's another scenario where manager A comes back to work but then moves elsewhere, and the company decides to do a full interview process rather than let 'wannabe-manager' B take the job.


I've been on the burnout side of things. I will be eternally grateful to my management that they respected my right to proper sick leave and to care firstly for me as a human being. Until I experienced it, I though I was invinceable.



Be patient.

indeed - that is the law .

Implementation of it is much more complex ..as I have seen it first hand.

Even after 180days for 6+employment - termination due to the sickness that was caused by the employer-company ( and that is likely the cause for burnout ) carries another set of legal obligations where simply put company may be made liable for partial IV costs.

Needless to say negative press should one depressed sick and fired employe cause in media should something unexpected happen. There is company to take that risk - so it's not just 'good will'

Most large companies would have insurance for all of above and wouldn't care much - while it may raise premium for entire group-insurance however less and less these days I hear.

Yes, but I am not sure which company OP is referring to - but the one I worked in Basel, had a union that fought for internal rules that allowed sick leave up to two years. They could indeed fire you during that time, but you would be paid out for up to two years.

OP, I would make a list of all of the additional tasks you have taken on during this time and use those to find another lucrative position elsewhere. If you are working for the company I used to work for (Roche), it isn't very well looked upon to try and take your manager's role while they are on sick leave ... To me, most likely your manager will not be returning to the same role ... in my experience, they will find another job in a different company or they will place them in an easier position to help them transition back into the workplace. Perhaps you could be patient and wait for this, but don't actively seek your bosses job until it is clear that he or she will not return. Good luck!

Do not do this! It is explicitly against the rules and you could get in serious trouble for this, plus stress your boss out even more.