Statutory Sick pay year

chrisbur

maxmycardagain said:

From Gov.uk

it doesnt cost the employer anything as they recoup it from the tax/N.I. they collect off the whole workforce

The refund to the employer of SSP payments no longer exists.  There were limited refunds for a long time but they were stopped several years ago.  Full cost of SSP including any employers' NI is paid by the employer.

chrisbur

tizerbelle said:

If eligible for SSP, it can be paid for a maximum of 28 weeks.

If you have prior periods of sickness absence that received SSP, they may be linked and count towards the same 28 weeks.  To be linked each period of absence must be 4 working days or more and be 8 weeks or less apart.  If you have lots of absence that is linked, SSP will end at 28 weeks paid in total or 3 years of linked absences - whichever comes first.  (The 3 years thing is extreme - not something I've ever seen).

If you were off sick getting SSP and then returned to work and worked more than 8 full weeks, your entitlement to 28 weeks SSP restarts

Just a small amendment to the bit I have put in bold.
To link the period of absence does not have to be 4 working days.  You just need four consecutive days when you are not able to work and have done no work so weekends or bank holidays when you do not normally work can be part of those four days.  For example someone works Mon to Fri and is sick from Sat to Tues (ie four days) and had a period when SSP was paid for sickness prior to this and within the 8 weeks before would be entitled to SSP for the Mon and Tues.