Ssp

choccyface2006

Hi,

My colleague has been working at our company (3 days per week) for for almost 6 years, recently she was signed off work for two weeks by her doctor, this is the very first time she has had any time off sick.

She has been told that she is only entitled to 3 days Statutory Sick Pay for her second week off and not a penny for the first week, how can this be fair? She has children and is really struggling, she is not even well enough to be back at work but can’t afford to be off any longer.

Our contracts only say that current SSP rules apply.

Thanks in advance,

CF

gettingtheresometime

There are 'waiting days' for claiming SSP so the company aren't doing anything discriminatory or illegal.

LilElvis

No-one gets ssp for the first 3 working days, so it's as fair for your friend as anyone else.
Here's the link to the government guide https://www.gov.uk/employers-sick-pay/entitlement

choccyface2006

Thank you, don’t employers pay the first three days at the normal rate though?

I’m probably being terribly naive as I’ve never had any time off sick either.

TELLIT01

choccyface2006 wrote: »

Thank you, don’t employers pay the first three days at the normal rate though?

I’m probably being terribly naive as I’ve never had any time off sick either.

No there is no entitlement to SSP for the first three days. Some firms pay company sick pay over and above SSP and others don't. Some firms pay company sick pay from day one and others don't.
Certainly not what your friend wants to hear but it is the reality of the situation.

choccyface2006

TELLIT01 wrote: »

No there is no entitlement to SSP for the first three days. Some firms pay company sick pay over and above SSP and others don't. Some firms pay company sick pay from day one and others don't.
Certainly not what your friend wants to hear but it is the reality of the situation.

No it’s not but as you said that’s how it is, I just feel absolutely rotten for her

pramsay13

I'm fairly sure the reason for the 3-day rule is to stop people from pulling a sickie for a day or two safe in the knowledge that they will get paid.
If money is really that tight is she able to ask for it to be taken as a holiday instead?

choccyface2006

pramsay13 wrote: »

I'm fairly sure the reason for the 3-day rule is to stop people from pulling a sickie for a day or two safe in the knowledge that they will get paid.
If money is really that tight is she able to ask for it to be taken as a holiday instead?

That's a possibility yes, thanks.

chrisbur

As has been said there is no payment for the first three qualifying days. A qualifying day is a day that is normally worked so if only three days are worked then as has happened there is no payment for the first week.
When it comes to the second week there is an entitlement to 3 days SSP But SSP is defined as a weekly payment so if you have three qualifying days each week you should get 1/3 of the weekly figure for each day which means the full weekly SSP rate for the second and any future full weeks of sickness. If the sickness ended so that only one day was due in that week then that would be 1/3 of the weekly rate.
The current weekly rate of SSP is £92.05 so this amount should be paid as gross earnings for each full week (ie three days) off work.
Also if tax has been paid so far this year should also be a small tax rebate if on the normal cumulative tax code.

Undervalued

choccyface2006 wrote: »

Thank you, don’t employers pay the first three days at the normal rate though?

I’m probably being terribly naive as I’ve never had any time off sick either.

Some employers do, but unless she has a hard and fast contractual entitlement to company sick pay they are not obliged to.

Sorry but with respect the hard luck story about her children is not her employer's problem. Why should that entitle her to any more than a single employee with lots of savings in the bank!

ACG

I do not mean this post to come across as mercenary but is more for information for someone else who may end up in the same position.

We often discuss something called Income Protection with our customers. Many people disregard it as they have sick pay in work. But the reality is sick pay usually ends after a few weeks or months, a year at most for the majority of people. After that you end up on government benefits. If you (or anyone reading this) could not survive on a significant decrease in income, it might be worth looking in to Income Protection insurance before you need it. Again, this is not a sales post but I know your friend will not be the first person in this postion nor the last. So better to know about it before it is needed than after.