When an employee falls ill and is unable to work, they may be entitled to statutory sick pay (SSP) from their employer This financial support is intended to help employees who are unable to work due to illness or injury However, many employees are unsure of when exactly statutory sick pay starts and how it is calculated In this article, we will explore the rules and regulations surrounding statutory sick pay and when it begins.
According to UK law, employees are entitled to statutory sick pay if they have been off work for at least four consecutive days due to illness This means that if an employee is only off work for one, two, or three days, they are not entitled to statutory sick pay The four-day period includes weekends and holidays, so if an employee falls ill on a Friday and is still unwell on the following Monday, they would be entitled to statutory sick pay from the Monday onwards.
Statutory sick pay starts from the fourth day of absence from work, known as the qualifying days These are usually the days that an employee would normally work It is important to note that weekends and bank holidays can count towards the four qualifying days if the employee would normally work on those days For example, if an employee falls ill on a Friday and is still unwell on the following Monday, their qualifying days would be Friday, Saturday, Sunday, and Monday.
Once the qualifying days have been met, statutory sick pay starts from the first day of absence from work This is known as the waiting days The waiting days are the first three days of sickness absence and are not paid by the employer However, if the employee has been off work due to sickness for more than eight weeks in a row, the waiting days do not need to be served again in any subsequent periods of sickness absence within the same year.
Employers are required to pay statutory sick pay at a rate of £96.35 per week for up to 28 weeks This amount is subject to change annually, so it is important to check the current rates on the government website when does statutory sick pay start. If an employee is eligible for statutory sick pay, their employer must pay them the full amount even if they earn less than the statutory sick pay rate.
It is worth noting that employees who are not eligible for statutory sick pay, such as those who do not earn enough or are self-employed, may be entitled to other forms of financial support such as Universal Credit Additionally, some employers may offer enhanced sick pay schemes that provide more generous benefits than statutory sick pay.
In some cases, employees may need to provide their employer with proof of sickness in order to qualify for statutory sick pay This can be in the form of a doctor’s note, known as a fit note, which confirms that the employee is unable to work due to illness or injury Employers have the right to request this evidence from employees who are off sick for more than seven consecutive days, including weekends and holidays.
Employers should keep a record of statutory sick pay payments made to employees as they may be eligible for a refund from the government Small employers with fewer than 250 employees can claim back up to two weeks of statutory sick pay per employee, per £96.35 per week, that they have paid due to coronavirus-related absences This scheme is intended to help businesses who have been impacted by the pandemic and need financial support to cover the costs of statutory sick pay.
In conclusion, statutory sick pay starts from the fourth day of absence from work, known as the qualifying days It is paid at a rate of £96.35 per week for up to 28 weeks and is subject to change annually Employees must provide proof of sickness to their employer if they are off work for more than seven consecutive days Employers can claim back statutory sick pay payments made to employees if they have fewer than 250 employees and have been impacted by the pandemic Understanding when statutory sick pay starts is crucial for both employees and employers to ensure that employees receive the financial support they are entitled to when they are unable to work due to illness or injury