When an employee falls ill and is unable to work, they may be entitled to statutory sick pay (SSP) to help support them financially during their absence However, understanding when statutory sick pay starts can be confusing for both employees and employers In this article, we will explore the rules and regulations surrounding when SSP begins and what employees need to know in order to receive this benefit.
Statutory sick pay is a type of government-mandated pay that employers are required to provide to employees who are unable to work due to illness In order to be eligible for SSP, an employee must have been off work for at least four consecutive days, including non-working days such as weekends and bank holidays This is known as the qualifying period.
Once an employee has been off work for four or more days, SSP will start on the fourth consecutive day of absence This means that the first three days of illness are known as waiting days, and during this time, the employee will not receive any sick pay from their employer However, if an employee is off sick for more than seven days in a row, including weekends and bank holidays, they may be required to provide a fit note from a doctor in order to qualify for SSP.
It is important for employees to notify their employer as soon as possible if they are too ill to work This will enable the employer to start the process of paying SSP in a timely manner Employers may require employees to provide evidence of their illness, such as a doctor’s note, in order to qualify for SSP This helps to verify that the employee is genuinely unwell and unable to perform their job duties.
In some cases, an employee may be entitled to receive sick pay from their employer in addition to SSP when does statutory sick pay start. This is known as contractual sick pay and is provided at the discretion of the employer Contractual sick pay may be paid at a higher rate than SSP and may be paid for a longer period of time Employees should refer to their employment contract or company policy to understand what sick pay benefits they are entitled to.
It is worth noting that SSP is paid by the employer and is funded by the National Insurance contributions that they make on behalf of their employees The current rate of SSP is £96.35 per week, and it is paid for a maximum of 28 weeks Employers are required to pay SSP to eligible employees for up to 28 weeks, after which time the employee may be eligible to apply for other benefits, such as Employment and Support Allowance (ESA).
If an employee’s SSP is due to start but they are made redundant before the qualifying period is completed, they may still be entitled to receive SSP In this case, the employer is still responsible for paying SSP to the employee, even though they are no longer employed by the company If an employee is off sick during their notice period, they may still be entitled to receive SSP from their former employer.
In conclusion, statutory sick pay starts on the fourth consecutive day of absence due to illness, after a qualifying period of four days Employees must notify their employer as soon as possible if they are too ill to work and may be required to provide evidence of their illness in order to qualify for SSP It is important for both employees and employers to understand the rules and regulations surrounding SSP in order to ensure that employees receive the benefits they are entitled to.