17 July 2015: Pay As You Go Sick Pay?
According to press reports this week David Cameron is prepared to look at making workers’ pay into flexible saving accounts to fund their own sick pay or unemployment benefits. Whether that happens, and the value to employees remains to be seen.
In the meantime it’s worth remembering that Statutory Sick Pay kicks in for qualifying employees off work sick for 4 or more days in a row (including non-working days). SSP of £88.45 pw is payable for absences of up to 28 weeks.
To qualify for SSP, employees must earn at least £112 gross pw & tell the employer they are sick before their deadline, or otherwise within 7 days. Employees still qualify if they have started the job recently and haven’t received 8 weeks’ pay yet. Employees only have to get a doctor’s fit note after missing more than 7 days of work.
Employers offering more generous contractual sick pay (such as 3 months full pay, 3 months half pay) sometimes find that employees with performance issues go off sick with stress for protracted periods. For this reason many employers say that they will only pay additional sick pay on a discretionary basis.
Call one of our employment lawyers today for advice on statutory sick pay and sickness related dismissals on 0207 118 0950 or email info@reculversolicitors.co.uk