Do you get paid for sick days?

[R1 Indy]

Never understood this, why should you get paid for not being in work??

[Heartworm]

our contract has 5 days paid sick per year, but from other peoples experience we get paid as long as you are off. It's a small company and a rule that was introduced a few years ago when someone was "sick" every Monday.

[oldcynic]

6 or 12 months full pay (can't remember), then insurance based 50% until I retire; also life insurance policy for 6 x basic salary if I die instead.

I'm surrounded by ex-civil servants who think this place is crap. As a former contractor I know I could earn more, but I recognise a good deal when I see one.

[HTP99]

Terminator X said:

Best cure for sickness, go self employed

TX.

Or sales; its amazing how many people in other departments in non sales roles have time off when compared to the sales dept.

I'm not really sure of our sick pay policy, I'm pretty sure the first few days are at the managers discretion but as for after that, I'm not sure.

I've not had a day off sick for probably a decade, but I tend not to get ill anyway; well ill enough that necessitates a day of.

The only thing with working in sales is people do come in to work ill when they really shouldn't.

[ChrisNic]

oldcynic said:

6 or 12 months full pay (can't remember), then insurance based 50% until I retire; also life insurance policy for 6 x basic salary if I die instead.

I'm surrounded by ex-civil servants who think this place is crap. As a former contractor I know I could earn more, but I recognise a good deal when I see one.

Snap, one of the reasons I would find it difficult to leave my employer. I get the same but do pay a very small amount to top it up to that level.

[dtmpower]

R1 Indy said:

Never understood this, why should you get paid for not being in work??

Some job roles have project work and responsibilities that are more important than the odd day off.

[dave_s13]

R1 Indy said:

Never understood this, why should you get paid for not being in work??

Because some firms see the wellbeing of their workforce as something to invest in maybe?

I work for the NHS so the sickness policy is OK but serial malingerers are dealt with effectively.

I had a week off this year with "proper" flu followed by post viral neuritis (I was seeing double for 2 weeks). I couldn't physically work. If I'd not been paid for that time off then I'd likely not be a very productive drone over the long term.

[mike9009]

Last role

Three months full sick pay then insurance kicks in if the sickness is terminal/ long term. (insurance part of company pension scheme). Shop floor would miss first three days off pay when going sick.

New role (different company)

Company pay for sick at the MDs discretion! (small privately owned company) So, I have an amendment to my contract which states three months. But I don't get anything for the first twelve months...


For those questioning the need for sick pay? Why not? If you want to keep your staff and provide additional benefits, it is a good benefit, which I have relied on in the past - appendix out and a vitrectomy (the last thing I wanted to be worried about was money as well as my health.) People will and do take the piss, but there are many ways to incentivise staff not to abuse the system. (Shame our local council do not invoke this, example given is eight weeks off with broken little finger!!)

Mike

PS my appendix had allegedly burst five days prior to hospital admission on a Friday night. I emailed my boss whilst doubled in pain and high on morphine to inform him I may not be in for a couple of weeks. As I came round from the anaesthetic on the Saturday morning, I had an email back asking if I could complete a presentation that weekend and email him back!!

Edited by mike9009 on Saturday 25th April 11:57

[gjc10212]

Yes, 10 days per year.

[boyse7en]

No idea, I've not had a day off sick in the 8 years I've worked for this company. Had a couple of half days due to projectile vomiting and not being able to drive.

Is there a legal requirement or minimum that employers must provide?

[Driver101]

boyse7en said:

No idea, I've not had a day off sick in the 8 years I've worked for this company. Had a couple of half days due to projectile vomiting and not being able to drive.

Is there a legal requirement or minimum that employers must provide?

Statutory sick pay is £88.45 per week paid after missing 4 days at work. That won't exactly go far.

[GoneAnon]

R1 Indy said:

Never understood this, why should you get paid for not being in work??

It should be a two-way street - we are often expected to work without pay (early start, late finish, unused holidays lost, Saturday working) so why shouldn't we expect to be paid if we are genuinely ill?

[s2kjock]

20 days when I first started at my current employer 13 years ago. A few years ago they reduced this to 10 days for new starts to try to reduce the piss takers. Does seem to have helped - fewer people taking their "entitlement" now. Tough for those with chronic health problems but then that's a big cost for a relatively small business to support.

I have only had 1 "normal" sick day in my 13 years at my current employer but was glad of the 20 at full pay when I broke my leg in an RTC a few years ago.

I have a colleague who has served a similar time to me with no sick days at all - he often jokes about when he should take his "entitlement" on a cumulative basis

[mph1977]

s2kjock said:

20 days when I first started at my current employer 13 years ago. A few years ago they reduced this to 10 days for new starts to try to reduce the piss takers. Does seem to have helped - fewer people taking their "entitlement" now. Tough for those with chronic health problems but then that's a big cost for a relatively small business to support.

I have only had 1 "normal" sick day in my 13 years at my current employer but was glad of the 20 at full pay when I broke my leg in an RTC a few years ago.

I have a colleague who has served a similar time to me with no sick days at all - he often jokes about when he should take his "entitlement" on a cumulative basis

which indicates the futility of 'entitlement' to sick days rather than having a proper OSP process and proper attendance management processes to pick up on the mickey takers ... but it also means you have to have proper HR and Occ health advice or risk being arse raped at ET

[mp3manager]

I've been in this job 5 years and get 13 weeks full pay then 13 weeks half pay, although my employer is trying to get rid of that. I was TUPE'd into this company 1 year ago, so the new employer is now trying to strip away my T & C's from my old employer. s!!

[theboss]

Terminator X said:

Best cure for sickness, go self employed

TX.

It works both ways - I've picked up more genuine illnesses 'going round the office' when sitting amongst groups of contractors who never take time off. A few years ago you'd think the plague had struck.

[43034]

I get nothing for being sick, but guys who do the same job as me get paid for sickness (and they get more holidays, a pension and a bonus)

The joys of being an agency worker

[Kiltie]

Thanks for all the replies.

I have a consultation meeting this afternoon with boss and HR.

[Grumfutock]

Made to take a holiday to cover sick days so it is easier for them to work out the pay each month. Everyone is on salary.

[FiF]

The outfit spent most of my working life in you start with ten days. In the second year any unused days are rolled over and more added. Carries on each year until you got to the maximum figure equal to about 160 days, can't remember exactly figure at which point you effectively went onto a year on full pay.

If anyone was off that amount of time then after that it was insurance based 50% until your normal retirement date plus pension contributions maintained. At normal pension date then retire on full earned pension, so if you'd done 30 and LTS for 10, the pension would be 40/60ths.