sick pay after long service?

mikk

Hi, my partner has worked for the same employer for over 23 years in a nursing home. At 53 she's just had a total hip replacement but recent x-rays have found problems with the other hip, knees, back,neck, arthritus. Still recovering from the operation and only getting ssp at moment the doctor has just signed her off work for 6 months and has said she is not fit for work period. While the surgeon would not commit to saying this was caused by lifting 22 stone residents, we know different. We are looking into DLA at the moment but never having claimed anything ever, before, we are in the dark! A friend told us that having worked for that length of time her employer is required to pay 75% of her wage by law. Is this true and is there anything else available that would help keep the wolf from the door?

LittleVoice

Your partner's employer has to arrange payment of statutory sick pay, which isn't a great deal.

Anything in addition would depend on her contract with the company - some employers do not pay any occupational sick pay.

The length of time she has been employed has no bearing on this, except that it some occupational schemes only kick in after a minimum term of employment but 23 years is way past that point!

So she needs to check her written particulars as far as sick pay is concerned.

honeypop

Details of any sick pay scheme will be in the written statement of employment (or contract if there is one), they do not have to offer anything above SSP but some companies choose to offer something in addition to this. Length of service has nothing to do with it unfortunately, and it certainly isn't the law to pay anything over SSP.