I can't live off SSP

sniggings

paddedjohn wrote: »

From the GOV.UK web site.

Other aspects of holiday entitlement

Workers have the right to:

• get paid for leave
• build up (‘accrue’) holiday entitlement during maternity, paternity and adoption leave
• build up holiday entitlement while off work sick
• choose to take holiday at the same time as sick leave

wow a new low for the Government :eek:

paddedjohn

Why is it a low for the Government? its a win win scenario. The employee gets extra income while they are scraping by on ssp and it helps the employer out because they have to allow the holiday to be taken anyway so when is a better time than when they are already off.

sniggings

paddedjohn wrote: »

Why is it a low for the Government? its a win win scenario. The employee gets extra income while they are scraping by on ssp and it helps the employer out because they have to allow the holiday to be taken anyway so when is a better time than when they are already off.

because SSP should be enough to live on, you shouldn't have to do without a Holiday for a whole year when working 40 hours a week 48 weeks a year, just so you can live whilst on the sick.

A holiday is a break from work, how the heck can you class being sick a holiday, yes it's extra money but that's not the point, the employer gets the biggest benefit here, the employee is off work anyway , the employer only has to cover the sick so doesn't have to cover the holidays too.

Tell you what, why doesn't he take his meal breaks whilst on the sick too save the employer a bit more money.

paddedjohn

I think you are getting the wrong side of this, the employer cant tell the employee to take holidays during sick leave its entirely the choice of the employee. If they just want to manage on ssp then good for them but the option is there for their benefit.

sniggings

paddedjohn wrote: »

I think you are getting the wrong side of this, the employer cant tell the employee to take holidays during sick leave its entirely the choice of the employee. If they just want to manage on ssp then good for them but the option is there for their benefit.

No I get that, the choice is starve or be sick whilst on holiday

It's a measure put in place which on the face of it looks like it's an employee benefit, whilst in fact it's totally in the employers interest.

If you had enough to live on whilst on the sick/ssp would anyone think "hey I know what, whilst I'm in bed throwing up every 5 mins, I might as well take my holidays too, will save me bothering to go to Skegness later in the year"

paddedjohn

In an ideal world ssp would equal your normal wage but there is no way that is going to happen as the cost would be too prohibitive.
For a few quid a month you can buy insurance to cover yourself in the event of not earning due to sickness.

sniggings

paddedjohn wrote: »

In an ideal world ssp would equal your normal wage but there is no way that is going to happen as the cost would be too prohibitive.
For a few quid a month you can buy insurance to cover yourself in the event of not earning due to sickness.

A better solution then exists then, so don't come up with this daft solution, a cake is a cake, calling it bread doesn't make it so, sick is sick calling it a holiday doesn't make it a holiday, heck even those on benefits are allowed a holiday.

Doesn't excuse the Government for coming up with this one instead, either pay more, make the employer pay more, make insurance compulsory if you have to but don't come up with a way for the employer again benefit at the expense of the employee.

Marisco

sniggings wrote: »

A better solution then exists then, so don't come up with this daft solution, a cake is a cake, calling it bread doesn't make it so, sick is sick calling it a holiday doesn't make it a holiday, heck even those on benefits are allowed a holiday.

Doesn't excuse the Government for coming up with this one instead, either pay more, make the employer pay more, make insurance compulsory if you have to but don't come up with a way for the employer again benefit at the expense of the employee.

What should happen is that the employer makes up the difference between SSP and your wage! But given that is never going to happen for all, (some do do that) then the op has been given the best advice in his present circumstances.

chris1973

In an ideal world ssp would equal your normal wage but there is no way that is going to happen as the cost would be too prohibitive.

And of course, in your ideal world, all of those unhappy in their jobs or having a bad week in them would probably be more tempted to take more 'sickies' if society made up their wages, rather than losing pay as with the current system.

The SSP system is unfair, I was unable to work for 16 weeks after a severe crush injury to my leg in an accident, yet despite working for twenty years with nothing more than the odd day off sick, I didn't get a pot to urinate in, either from my employer or 'the system' when an accident came out of the blue.

Because of lack of income and making up the shortfall using credit cards, I went back to work a hell of a lot earlier than I should have done, resulting in delaying the healing process, to the point where I am, eighteen months later, still in the process of healing the internal injuries and on a stack of pain killers just to get through the working day.


In the meantime, a 'friend', who has never done a full days work in his life, continues to swan around at the expense of the tax payer, his annual "pay rise" this year cemented by the fact they have a fourth child on the way. So please don't insult my intelligence by saying it doesn't happen, when its rubbing my nose in it and i've seen it unfolding since he left school.

Unfortunately we have created a society who reward the non participants with honour, praise and financial security. Whilst those who become ill, disabled or unemployed through no fault of their own have to continually defend and justify themselves for small change.

Marisco

@ Chris, why didn't you get SSP? Nearly everyone is entitled to that, it's not a lot but at least it's something.