Sick pay for a day?

hgm127

Hi all,

Apologies for the potentially stupid question...

I've just started my first job, contracted 18k a year.

I take home £1367 per month which funds a poor but manageable lifestyle - but I appreciate every penny of it as it really doesn't go far.

I took a day off last week as I had to go to the doctor for blood tests. I notice I've been docked that day's pay, which was £70 and obviously that's a lot of money - factored in to my measly budget anyway.

Is that normal, to have your pay docked if you are off sick?

Thanks in advance

AP007

To put it blunt yes unless you get paid full pay. You may want to look at your contract

SSP is only available from the 4th day of sick

annie_d

Yes, you ordinarily do. Check your contract. Book blood tests when yu are not working.

WestonDave

Most lower grade contracts in the last five if not ten years have been on the basis of no pay for the first 3 days off sick (which is when SSP kicks in). You may then get full pay after those days depending on your contract but employers generally use it to deter "hangover days".

hgm127

Thanks all for your replies.

What made me question it is that my contract seems to totally ignore it. It mentions SSP, but that's it. Nothing about an odd day here or there.

It worries me, though - if I was off sick with a fever and the flu - they wouldn't want me in work to infect everyone else but they wouldn't pay me, and even just 2 days off I'd lose nearly £150. That's a huge part of my budget.

I spoke to a colleague at work and apparently my predecessor once had a vomiting bug that saw her off work for 3 days - she said she was miserable the following month as obviously she was over £200 down.

AP007

hgm127 wrote: »

Thanks all for your replies.

What made me question it is that my contract seems to totally ignore it. It mentions SSP, but that's it. Nothing about an odd day here or there.

It worries me, though - if I was off sick with a fever and the flu - they wouldn't want me in work to infect everyone else but they wouldn't pay me, and even just 2 days off I'd lose nearly £150. That's a huge part of my budget.

I spoke to a colleague at work and apparently my predecessor once had a vomiting bug that saw her off work for 3 days - she said she was miserable the following month as obviously she was over £200 down.

If it makes no mention of company sick pay then you obviously do not get any at all and will only be SSP.

I have never had a job where you get sick pay only SSP but I never expect to get paid when sick so its not an issue for me but what is in some jobs is where you don't get paid but are expected to still get the job done.

timbo58

That's part of the package you should always check before accepting a job frankly just as annual leave entitlement.
Employers don't need to pay any sick leave at all and many don't.
Some such as my own don't pay anything in the 1st 3 months of employment and 5 days full after that per year.

If you take a day off for a docs or hospital appointment you have to book leave for them though-they aren't regarded as sick leave.

comeandgo

Welcome to the working world. You are expected to save for these events. You are not supposed to take "an odd day here and there" off work. To take a whole day off just for some blood tests seems rather a lot of time. I am lucky enough to get paid all my sick time but that only kicks in after two years service. Next time you are off would your boss allow you to make up the time - ie come in an hour earlier for 8 days so that your wage is not reduced?

Takeaway_Addict

Going for blood tests unless you are covered by the equality act is not a good enough reason for a day off sick.

if you are not covered by the equality act you are lucky they haven't been tougher on you

comeandgo

Agree with Timbo regarding using sick days for appointments - to reduce your number of sick days you could use some of your leave as companies may use a formula to weed out people who continually take days here and there and it can be used as a reason to get rid of you.

hgm127

comeandgo wrote: »

Welcome to the working world. You are expected to save for these events. You are not supposed to take "an odd day here and there" off work. To take a whole day off just for some blood tests seems rather a lot of time. I am lucky enough to get paid all my sick time but that only kicks in after two years service. Next time you are off would your boss allow you to make up the time - ie come in an hour earlier for 8 days so that your wage is not reduced?

It wasn't that I had them booked and phoned up sick on the day. I was extremely ill overnight and spent the whole day having all sorts of tests. I used 'blood tests' as a short hand for that really.

I understand that's why you're meant to save, but I have literally walked out of uni and into this job without much time to save. I live a totally hand-to-mouth existence for the time being and whilst I am saving towards that, it's obviously a worry because if I ever was ill for a more prolonged period of time, I couldn't afford to live.

I wasn't saying an 'odd day off here or there' flippantly or like I intended to do that. But I am human and I do get sick from time to time. I would only ever take a day off if I really needed it, like I did this time, but I might think twice in future and just bring a sick bucket into work. If it saves me £70.;)