If you've got a period of extended sick leave ahead of you, did you know there are ways to make money while on sick leave? Of course, what you do to make money depends on why you're on sick leave. If you're recuperating from surgery and stuck on the couch, you may be more likely to have the energy to take on some money-making tasks. If you're battling an illness, your time may be better spent resting and getting better.
Ways to Make Money While Stuck in Bed
If you're recuperating in bed, there are still ways you can make money. One of the easiest is through online surveys, though you likely won't make much from surveys. Still, it's not challenging and easy to do while recovering.
You can also take on some online tasks. Amazon's Mechanical Turk is an easy way to get started, and the more work you do, the higher your rating, and you'll soon be eligible for higher-paying tasks. Another new-to-me site is UserTesting, where companies hire you to check out their websites and make sure that everything is working as it should.
One thing I often do when I'm stuck home in bed is looking through my old photos and reminisce about vacations I have taken. If you're a bit of a photographer, consider licensing your photos. There are a number of sites where you can list your photos and get paid if someone wants to use them. Of course, by doing this, you lose a bit of control over how your images are used. I would recommend careful consideration before you license a photo of a person.
You can also look into doing some freelance writing, though this may be a longer time commitment than your sick leave allows.
Other Ways to Make Money
If you've got a bit more energy during your sick leave, you have some additional ways you can make money. One of my favorites is to list things for sale. We've all got items sitting around that we aren't using. Get those items out of your house and get some cash for them. I've listed things in local Facebook groups, on Poshmark, and on eBay and had varying levels of success with all of them. I'm currently on maternity leave and have already sold off some of my maternity clothes on Poshmark. It has been a refreshing way to get things out of the house.
Don't Join an MLM
I can't say this strongly enough. If someone you know says "Hey, I know a great work from home opportunity" and offers to sign you up under them for a fee, don't do it. It's an MLM, also known as multi-level marketing or network marketing. I've written extensively about how these companies are predatory and the vast majority of people lose money with them. It's not worth it.
Make Sure Working is Allowed!
If you're on paid sick leave, make sure that it's okay that you are working. Generally speaking, it shouldn't be a problem. Even being on FMLA leave, you are allowed to do other work. However, your company might have a policy about outside employment. For example, I have to get all outside employment reviewed and approved by our legal team because of the work I do. Now, that doesn't include things such as surveys or selling items I own, but it does include freelance work and might include photo licensing, depending on how that is interpreted. That doesn't mean I can't do those jobs, I just need to get it cleared before I work. (And of course, there's no need to say that I'm planning to do them while on sick leave.)
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