Do you get paid sick?
Discussion
I work at a small business, family owned, grown quite rapidly in recent years.
We have brought in the usual benefits etc, but the one thing I have struggled with is sick pay - they pay SSP only. Wont budge on this so far.
Last year someone was in hospital with Pneumonia, no pay. I had to have an emergency eye op, took annual leave.
So I wondered what everyone else got - I contracted for many years so got nothing if I was sick so am used to it, but I feel we should pay something...................
Its a great company to work for by the way, other than this lol
We have brought in the usual benefits etc, but the one thing I have struggled with is sick pay - they pay SSP only. Wont budge on this so far.
Last year someone was in hospital with Pneumonia, no pay. I had to have an emergency eye op, took annual leave.
So I wondered what everyone else got - I contracted for many years so got nothing if I was sick so am used to it, but I feel we should pay something...................
Its a great company to work for by the way, other than this lol
MOBB said:
I work at a small business, family owned, grown quite rapidly in recent years.
We have brought in the usual benefits etc, but the one thing I have struggled with is sick pay - they pay SSP only. Wont budge on this so far.
Last year someone was in hospital with Pneumonia, no pay. I had to have an emergency eye op, took annual leave.
So I wondered what everyone else got - I contracted for many years so got nothing if I was sick so am used to it, but I feel we should pay something...................
Its a great company to work for by the way, other than this lol
Yes I do.We have brought in the usual benefits etc, but the one thing I have struggled with is sick pay - they pay SSP only. Wont budge on this so far.
Last year someone was in hospital with Pneumonia, no pay. I had to have an emergency eye op, took annual leave.
So I wondered what everyone else got - I contracted for many years so got nothing if I was sick so am used to it, but I feel we should pay something...................
Its a great company to work for by the way, other than this lol
Nothing to stop you taking out an Income Protection policy to cover you should you be in that position again
Full pay for 3 months, then 75% pay for the next 3 months. If the sickness period extends beyond 6 months then the income protection insurance kicks in and pays 2/3 salary (may actually be 75%, I can’t recall) until clear to return to work or retirement age reached.
A good benefit to have.
A good benefit to have.
Defcon5 said:
6 months full pay, then 6 months half pay. Anything that puts me out of action for longer than that would hopefully trigger a critical illness cover payout.
That`s what ours is supposed to be, but it does seem very flexible. I know a couple of people that have been off on long term sick for a couple of years and still on full pay. Small businesses can't afford for people to take random days for minor ailments. If they employ four people and one is off, suddenly 25% of the workforce is gone. I have found that SSP only culls the 'odd day because I don't fancy it' sick leave.
However, I'm not so blind as to see that if an employee is in need of sick leave for something more serious (and similarly compassionate leave) then we pay. The contract says that sick pay is at the discretion of the company but SSP will always be paid. Since there are three unpaid waiting says for SSP, as mentioned, odd days off don't happen.
However, I'm not so blind as to see that if an employee is in need of sick leave for something more serious (and similarly compassionate leave) then we pay. The contract says that sick pay is at the discretion of the company but SSP will always be paid. Since there are three unpaid waiting says for SSP, as mentioned, odd days off don't happen.
It can get abused, chronically, and be used as another 2-6 weeks holiday. And don't start with the "that's bad management" because you will struggle to do anything with a doctor's note that is to do with stress, anxiety or similar when they haven't even seen them in person.
We do a lot of temp to perm. It's amazing how a fantastic temp who only gets SSP from the agency suddenly gets very sickly when they move to perm and get full sick pay for 6 weeks.
It's a fine balance for workforce health and engagement but does need to be applied with the right calibre of people.
We do a lot of temp to perm. It's amazing how a fantastic temp who only gets SSP from the agency suddenly gets very sickly when they move to perm and get full sick pay for 6 weeks.
It's a fine balance for workforce health and engagement but does need to be applied with the right calibre of people.
Me and the wife in different companies and very different roles both have 6 full / 6 half
I don't think it has been tested recently, but in the past it's definitely been a case that for genuine long term cases, cancer etc, full pay has been maintained way beyond 6 and 12 months where I work. But those who are taking the piss are dealt with exactly as per policy.
I have friends who have a small number of days a year that are either sick or parental leave that get paid - once they are used up, any more sick is SSP.
It'd definitely be a differentiator for me with jobs - when I badly broke my leg and had complications that almost led to the metalwork they'd put it to fix it being removed again, I was off for 3 months on full pay - it was really great to not be worrying about money when I had to spend most of my time lying flat with my leg elevated above my heart.
I don't think it has been tested recently, but in the past it's definitely been a case that for genuine long term cases, cancer etc, full pay has been maintained way beyond 6 and 12 months where I work. But those who are taking the piss are dealt with exactly as per policy.
I have friends who have a small number of days a year that are either sick or parental leave that get paid - once they are used up, any more sick is SSP.
It'd definitely be a differentiator for me with jobs - when I badly broke my leg and had complications that almost led to the metalwork they'd put it to fix it being removed again, I was off for 3 months on full pay - it was really great to not be worrying about money when I had to spend most of my time lying flat with my leg elevated above my heart.
I work for myself now so don't get paid sick. Before I worked for large comapny that didn't pay sick, and it was really hard on my staff. Having time off for sickness could really cripple people financially.
I used to say to my people to "make the time up" and didn't report them being off. I wasn't the only manager who did this.
The stats must have been really positive, when in reality people were just not reporting.
I used to say to my people to "make the time up" and didn't report them being off. I wasn't the only manager who did this.
The stats must have been really positive, when in reality people were just not reporting.
Tigerj said:
6 months full and 6 months half here too. Though that’s after 5 years of service. It starts on (after 4 months) 1 month full, 1 month half and goes up one month for each year of service, tops out at 6 and 6.
Me too, I purposely moved to a job offering this as I knew I needed an operation that would put me out of action for 12 weeks, my previous job was ssp only and that doesn’t pay the bills.Used to get 12 months 100%, then it would reduce to 50% pay. At the 12 months point it was usually a discussion about redundancy or critical illness pay-outs.
I'm a contractor now.
Zero sick pay for <30 days - unless it's critical illness or hospitalised due to injuries - and I pay into a fund each month, like an insurance for this "cover".
I'm a contractor now.
Zero sick pay for <30 days - unless it's critical illness or hospitalised due to injuries - and I pay into a fund each month, like an insurance for this "cover".
Defcon5 said:
6 months full pay, then 6 months half pay. Anything that puts me out of action for longer than that would hopefully trigger a critical illness cover payout.
Same for my employer, but they do seem more generous than the policy at times. They have supported people with sick pay beyond 12 months before.But....
Jordie Barretts sock said:
Small businesses can't afford for people to take random days for minor ailments. If they employ four people and one is off, suddenly 25% of the workforce is gone. I have found that SSP only culls the 'odd day because I don't fancy it' sick leave.
However, I'm not so blind as to see that if an employee is in need of sick leave for something more serious (and similarly compassionate leave) then we pay. The contract says that sick pay is at the discretion of the company but SSP will always be paid. Since there are three unpaid waiting says for SSP, as mentioned, odd days off don't happen.
The above is also very true. I've been there and built up a business, and sold it, and we only had SSP as it would cripple us to give full sick pay whilst missing 20% of the workforce and having to hire someone else. You end up paying twice for one employee, for what could be a long period of time.However, I'm not so blind as to see that if an employee is in need of sick leave for something more serious (and similarly compassionate leave) then we pay. The contract says that sick pay is at the discretion of the company but SSP will always be paid. Since there are three unpaid waiting says for SSP, as mentioned, odd days off don't happen.
As also said, SSP stops the old 'Mondays and Friday' sickness days.
Defcon5 said:
6 months full pay, then 6 months half pay. Anything that puts me out of action for longer than that would hopefully trigger a critical illness cover payout.
I get this too thoguh never had more than a couple of days off in my whole career, except when I was forced to isolate during the covid days for 7 days or whatever it was. Gassing Station | Jobs & Employment Matters | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff