Statutory Sick Pay (SSP) is a legal requirement in the United Kingdom that requires employers to pay their employees a certain amount when they are too ill to work But when exactly does SSP start? There are specific criteria that determine when an employee is eligible for SSP, and understanding these criteria is essential for both employers and employees.
In order to be eligible for SSP, an employee must be unable to work due to illness or injury for at least four consecutive days These days are known as ‘qualifying days’, and they do not include non-working days such as weekends or bank holidays The first three days of illness or injury are known as ‘waiting days’, and these are not eligible for SSP.
Once an employee has been off work due to illness or injury for at least four consecutive days, SSP will start from the fourth qualifying day The amount of SSP paid is £96.35 per week for up to 28 weeks However, if an employee is off work for more than 28 weeks, they may be eligible to apply for other benefits such as Employment and Support Allowance (ESA).
It is important for employers to keep accurate records of their employees’ sickness absence to ensure that they are paying the correct amount of SSP This includes recording the start date of the sickness absence, the reason for the absence, and the number of qualifying days Employers must also provide employees with a written statement of their SSP entitlement, including the start date and end date of the payment.
There are certain circumstances where an employee may not be eligible for SSP For example, if an employee has already received the maximum amount of SSP for the year, they will not be entitled to any further payments until the next tax year Additionally, employees who are not earning enough to pay National Insurance contributions may not be eligible for SSP.
There are also specific rules around SSP for employees who are part-time or have irregular working patterns when does statutory sick pay start. In these cases, the amount of SSP paid is based on the employee’s average weekly earnings over the previous eight weeks If an employee has been employed for less than eight weeks, their average weekly earnings will be calculated based on their entire period of employment.
Employees who are on maternity leave, paternity leave, adoption leave, or shared parental leave may be eligible for SSP if they become ill during their leave period In these cases, SSP will start from the first day of illness, rather than the fourth qualifying day However, employees on these types of leave may also be entitled to other forms of leave and pay, such as Maternity Allowance or Paternity Pay.
It is important for employees to inform their employer as soon as possible if they are too ill to work and will be absent for more than four days Employers may require employees to provide a self-certification form if they are off work for seven days or more If the absence extends beyond seven days, employees may need to provide a doctor’s note or fit note to confirm their illness and eligibility for SSP.
In conclusion, statutory sick pay starts from the fourth qualifying day of illness or injury, and is paid at a rate of £96.35 per week for up to 28 weeks Employers must keep accurate records of their employees’ sickness absence and provide employees with a written statement of their SSP entitlement Understanding when SSP starts is essential for both employers and employees to ensure that employees receive the correct amount of sick pay when they need it most.