Statutory Sick Pay Ssp
In the United Kingdom, any employee who is sick and unable to work is entitled to statutory sick pay. This applies even if you have just started a new job, but there are regulations in force to make sure that employees do not abuse the system. The money is paid by your employer but you must be unable to work due to sickness for four consecutive work days. While you do have to inform your employer that you are ill, receipt of the payment is contingent on a note from your doctor attesting to the fact that you are indeed too sick to come into work on those days.
You will not receive any pay for the first three days you are off work. These are called waiting days and payment does not kick in until the fourth day. A person who is off for four days will receive pay for the fourth day only. There is also a stipulation on earnings in order to determine eligibility for this payment. As of April 2009, your weekly earnings must be at least 95. In calculating how much you receive in statutory sick pay, your earnings are calculated for the eight weeks prior to your claim and all earnings must have been subject to National Insurance deductions. It can include overtime pay and any bonuses you may have received.
Payment is only made for qualifying days, which are the days that you would normally work. If, for example you work three days a week and you are sick for the other four, then you are not entitled to any payment. The standard rate of pay for statutory sick pay (SSP) is 79.15 per week. Your employer can work out your rate of pay and tell you how much you are eligible to receive. You will receive the payment on the same date as you would normally be paid and it is subject to National Insurance deductions as well.
If you are not eligible to receive SSP, your employer must complete a form providing details of why you are not able to receive the payment. If you are off work for the full 28-week period, your employer also has to notify you when the payment period will end and the last date of the payment. These forms are necessary in order for you to claim for Employment and Support, which is another government program in place for workers who are unable to complete the duties of their jobs for illness reasons.
Some employers do not participate in the SSP if they have a sick payment scheme in place that is equal to or greater than the payment of the government plan. Employer run programs are known as company sick pay or occupational sick pay and each company has its own rules and regulations concerning eligibility and payment.
