Sick Pay

paycre

After a little advice. I’ve been off sick since Monday and will see my GP today. I expect I will be off for the rest of the week. My employer will pay full pay,  but only if I am off for more than three days, for up to 10 days. With the caveat that they’ll pay only if they have a doctors note (or a positive covid test, go figure). Can I ask if this is legal? I’m concerned from what I read that If I ask the GP for a sick note he will tell me to self cert for the first 7 days and then I will be left with only SSP if I go back in that timescale. Thank you 

TELLIT01

Not paying for the first 3 days of sickness is becoming much more common.  SSP isn't paid for the first 3 days so employers are modifying their own sick policy to match.  Let the GP know that your employer won't provide company sick pay without a med cert.  They cannot refuse to pay SSP to anybody who qualifies.

Company sick pay is generally discretionary so their rules are legal.

Diamandis

They can set any rules out providing they still pay you at least ssp after 3 days. Your GP practice may charge you for providing a certificate in these circumstances. 

oh_really

Ask employer to pay for this if they are insistant on GP fit-note.

TELLIT01

oh_really said:

Ask employer to pay for this if they are insistant on GP fit-note.

They can ask the employer if they wish, but the employer is under no obligation to pay for it.  The employer holds all the aces - no fit note, no sick pay.  Refuse to pay for sick note if the GP demands it - no fit note, no sick pay!

Savvy_Sue

paycre said:

After a little advice. I’ve been off sick since Monday and will see my GP today. I expect I will be off for the rest of the week. My employer will pay full pay,  but only if I am off for more than three days, for up to 10 days. With the caveat that they’ll pay only if they have a doctors note (or a positive covid test, go figure). Can I ask if this is legal? I’m concerned from what I read that If I ask the GP for a sick note he will tell me to self cert for the first 7 days and then I will be left with only SSP if I go back in that timescale. Thank you 

The point about the positive Covid test is that normally the employer cannot reclaim anything for SSP, and no SSP is paid for the first three days. However, if it is Covid related, the employer can reclaim SSP which is paid from day 1. 

It would be quite wrong if the employer did NOT pay at least SSP following a positive Covid test ...