What's the most common workplace sickness policy?
Discussion
Current employer, super paranoid that people might be taking the piss, super paranoid that that everyone here is a theif (but that's another story).
We get no sick pay at all (except ssp after a set number of days), most of us keep a few days holiday to use during the cold/flu season, but we tend to come into work unless were basically at deaths door, of course because of biometrics/fingerprint scanners for clocking in/out, any sickness very quickly spreads through the entire company, my thinking is that surely the loss of productivity is more costly than paying one or two people to be off sick for a few days, it seems like an emotional decision rather than a sensible business decision.
It's the first place i've worked where the sickness policy has been so draconian, and it's got me wondering whether this is now fast becoming the norm???????
lyonspride said:
Current employer, super paranoid that people might be taking the piss, super paranoid that that everyone here is a theif (but that's another story).
We get no sick pay at all (except ssp after a set number of days), most of us keep a few days holiday to use during the cold/flu season, but we tend to come into work unless were basically at deaths door, of course because of biometrics/fingerprint scanners for clocking in/out, any sickness very quickly spreads through the entire company, my thinking is that surely the loss of productivity is more costly than paying one or two people to be off sick for a few days, it seems like an emotional decision rather than a sensible business decision.
It's the first place i've worked where the sickness policy has been so draconian, and it's got me wondering whether this is now fast becoming the norm???????
Re: the bit in bold - if that's true then Mgmt will change the Policy (or suffer financially). If it's not true they won't so, to some degree, the problem will resolve itself. It's certainly nothing for staff to worry themselves about.We get no sick pay at all (except ssp after a set number of days), most of us keep a few days holiday to use during the cold/flu season, but we tend to come into work unless were basically at deaths door, of course because of biometrics/fingerprint scanners for clocking in/out, any sickness very quickly spreads through the entire company, my thinking is that surely the loss of productivity is more costly than paying one or two people to be off sick for a few days, it seems like an emotional decision rather than a sensible business decision.
It's the first place i've worked where the sickness policy has been so draconian, and it's got me wondering whether this is now fast becoming the norm???????
Regarding the policy in general - that's fairly standard for small businesses in the UK. It's not great but perhaps the Employer makes up for it by offering a higher salary / better bonus scheme / subsidised tea and biscuits. Basically Employers need to recruit a certain quality of staff and, to do so, they'll need to offer a certain package. If the package they offer isn't good enough they wont get the quality of staff they need , or they'll struggle to retain them. So the package they're offering will need to improve, and that includes all their benefits such as sick pay as well as salary etc.
Wife works for a massive world wide hotel chain and it’s exactly as you describe.
People come in obviously sick but can’t afford to lose money and subsequently spread their germs to colleagues and guests alike. Duty managers don’t want these people in as their productivity is worse than useless but their hands are tied by senior management who only see the bottom line.
They also can’t see that their staff turnover is so bad that they have adverts for staff permanently on Indeed and the like and that a crappy sickness policy only adds to this.
A lot of low paying companies (supermarkets, hotels, etc) are adopting this approach now when a proper, well managed, proactive sickness policy would be a better bet for all concerned. I guess that these companies also have substandard management in place who can’t be trusted to weed out the pisstakers and so a one-policy-fits-all approach is implemented.
People come in obviously sick but can’t afford to lose money and subsequently spread their germs to colleagues and guests alike. Duty managers don’t want these people in as their productivity is worse than useless but their hands are tied by senior management who only see the bottom line.
They also can’t see that their staff turnover is so bad that they have adverts for staff permanently on Indeed and the like and that a crappy sickness policy only adds to this.
A lot of low paying companies (supermarkets, hotels, etc) are adopting this approach now when a proper, well managed, proactive sickness policy would be a better bet for all concerned. I guess that these companies also have substandard management in place who can’t be trusted to weed out the pisstakers and so a one-policy-fits-all approach is implemented.
Countdown said:
Re: the bit in bold - if that's true then Mgmt will change the Policy (or suffer financially). If it's not true they won't so, to some degree, the problem will resolve itself. It's certainly nothing for staff to worry themselves about.
I think they'd rather suffer financially than risk one or two people taking the piss for a few days.They're very good at saving the pennies whilst flushing the £s down the toilet.
It is an issue when one of the staff has a daughter in hospital under treatment that has effectively shut down her immune system. This is something which happened at a former employer, who basically said they didn't want anyone coming in sick at all, and used to pay full pay during sick leave. Shame that place had a few utter d
head managers, or i'd have stayed.My place gives up to 10 days fully paid sick leave annually, after that it is down to discretion and paid via SSP.
This is a medium sized UK based Retail display design and manufacture Ltd, in this industry I've always had fully paid sick leave.
However, people (including myself), still come in sick unless we are throwing up or running for the toilet... as there is so much work to do that relies on individual roles and responsibilities.
Colds get passed around like crazy.
This is a medium sized UK based Retail display design and manufacture Ltd, in this industry I've always had fully paid sick leave.
However, people (including myself), still come in sick unless we are throwing up or running for the toilet... as there is so much work to do that relies on individual roles and responsibilities.
Colds get passed around like crazy.
designforlife said:
My place gives up to 10 days fully paid sick leave annually, after that it is down to discretion and paid via SSP.
This is a medium sized UK based Retail display design and manufacture Ltd, in this industry I've always had fully paid sick leave.
However, people (including myself), still come in sick unless we are throwing up or running for the toilet... as there is so much work to do that relies on individual roles and responsibilities.
Colds get passed around like crazy.
Pretty much the same where I work. I pay my team for their sick days until I think they’re taking the piss. This is a medium sized UK based Retail display design and manufacture Ltd, in this industry I've always had fully paid sick leave.
However, people (including myself), still come in sick unless we are throwing up or running for the toilet... as there is so much work to do that relies on individual roles and responsibilities.
Colds get passed around like crazy.
Saying that, I’m only in the office today as my phone died last night and I need to setup a replacement and then I’m off to WFH as I’m feeling rough as a
holes today. Yeah tbh nobody really takes the piss despite the sick pay being full pay, I reckon the average sick days of each employee across the business is probably only 2 to 4 a year.
I don't bounce back from colds like I used to, so I try to take a day or two just to get ahead of it and rest before things "go nuclear"
I don't bounce back from colds like I used to, so I try to take a day or two just to get ahead of it and rest before things "go nuclear"
I worked for a bank's head office who would pay 6 months full pay for sickness. Upon return from your 6 month jolly the policy dictated that you must spend at least 12 days at work before you were allowed another bout of up to 6 months sickness.
I briefly managed a woman who did this for over 2 years before I managed to get her out.
The bank no longer exists.
I briefly managed a woman who did this for over 2 years before I managed to get her out.
The bank no longer exists.
We have 9 weeks sick on full pay at my workplace, some of the older staff have an old contract that gives them 6 months on full pay!! There are the odd 5 or 10 that take the piss, one would famously go sick every November and not come back until April/May every single year. As this only counted as 1 sick period in a rolling 12 month period she never got done for it. The sick periods are only so long as they are to cover work-placed injuries (high probability of being injured, in the top 10 dangerous jobs lists regularly) so they'll never cut it down any more than they have now. Has come in handy when I've crashed mountain biking a few times 
We have 6 months of full-pay sick leave as long as the absence is supported by a doctor's note; first week is self-certification. We have limits to catch people who repeat offend; i.e. more than x-number total days off or x-number of periods of absence within 12 months. Passing these limits is grounds for investigation; sometimes it's all genuine and no formal action needed, sometimes it's people knowingly abusing the benefit and formal action is taken.
I think it’s 6 months full pay then 6 months half pay or it might be 1 year full pay 1 year half pay (will check).
Full pay if you are off sick, self certify up to 5 days, no more than 3 occurrence in 12 months (without a doctors note).
Rubbish in comparison to our European sites, but much better than most of the Uk, sadly we are becoming more like the USA and expect people to live for work, yet many people do which is extremely sad.
Full pay if you are off sick, self certify up to 5 days, no more than 3 occurrence in 12 months (without a doctors note).
Rubbish in comparison to our European sites, but much better than most of the Uk, sadly we are becoming more like the USA and expect people to live for work, yet many people do which is extremely sad.
40 weeks full sick pay a year, once diagnosed by your own health care professionals the retained company doctors will help with occupational healthcare, job role adjustment etc to help you return to work as smoothly and comfortably as possible.
I only found all this out recently after hurting my back, its not advertised.
I only found all this out recently after hurting my back, its not advertised.
at the lower levels of where I work it is pretty much as you and others describe. Nothing at all for the first 3 days, followed by SSP when supported by a doctor's note.
I've moved up the chain, and part of my package now includes up to 6 months sick pay and there are certain exemptions even from that which are available - possibly at the discretion of senior management and I don't want to find out of course, but I'd be in line for 12 months full pay if I needed it for something really serious. Of course that is tied in with my paying more into the company pension scheme etc.
However, based on the fact that at the lower levels, people don't get sick pay, and I didn't used to either, it did encourage people who shouldn't be at work to come in to work, especially given that the job involved a) lots of contact with hundreds of different people per day, b) physical contact with a lot of those people and c) a lot of those people were sick/ill/infirm themselves, so you could get ill quite easily.
Except some people from this role had been inherited from a former company who lost the business, and transferred to us on TUPE, and their T&Cs included full sick pay for up to 6 months.
There was no reasonably measurable difference in the number of people going sick who were paid or unpaid, but, there was a considerable amount of time spent in dealing with the unpaid sick people compared to the paid sick people, at the Duty Manager/Supervisor level, which detracted far more than it added
I've moved up the chain, and part of my package now includes up to 6 months sick pay and there are certain exemptions even from that which are available - possibly at the discretion of senior management and I don't want to find out of course, but I'd be in line for 12 months full pay if I needed it for something really serious. Of course that is tied in with my paying more into the company pension scheme etc.
However, based on the fact that at the lower levels, people don't get sick pay, and I didn't used to either, it did encourage people who shouldn't be at work to come in to work, especially given that the job involved a) lots of contact with hundreds of different people per day, b) physical contact with a lot of those people and c) a lot of those people were sick/ill/infirm themselves, so you could get ill quite easily.
Except some people from this role had been inherited from a former company who lost the business, and transferred to us on TUPE, and their T&Cs included full sick pay for up to 6 months.
There was no reasonably measurable difference in the number of people going sick who were paid or unpaid, but, there was a considerable amount of time spent in dealing with the unpaid sick people compared to the paid sick people, at the Duty Manager/Supervisor level, which detracted far more than it added
Kind of lucky here, well very lucky. now working in a civil service role and we get full sick pay although goes down to half pay after i believe 30 days. but if you have 8 separate. days of absence you get called in for a meeting to discuss it possibly disciplined if no proof . but if you had say a few weeks off in one go due to say an injury it is only counted as 1 absence so they advise if your not fully well dont come in as if you have to leave again it mounts the tally up. I have never been in a role where it has been full sick pay before. you still need to do the self sickness stuff or a doctors certificate after so many days but puts the mind at ease if you are legitamately ill.
p4cks said:
I worked for a bank's head office who would pay 6 months full pay for sickness. Upon return from your 6 month jolly the policy dictated that you must spend at least 12 days at work before you were allowed another bout of up to 6 months sickness.
I briefly managed a woman who did this for over 2 years before I managed to get her out.
The bank no longer exists.
I'll be honest... I'd be tempted hahaI briefly managed a woman who did this for over 2 years before I managed to get her out.
The bank no longer exists.
I draft a few of these and they vary quite considerably and it is not always the larger firms with the "better" policies. Generally if you can also check if the company has a PHI Policy or Private Healthcare, these can make such a difference to the genuinely ill it is untrue. Though I should add I do also have to , um, persuade, some employers that they need to engage the PHI etc....as they seem to "forget".....
I know quite a few who have very generous holiday / sickness schemes.
I can't remember the exact numbers but it's something like they can effectively take off 2 or 3 weeks as illness every 6 months and it is NOT challenged in any way. No need for even a doctors note.
My friends who work in places like this take FULL advantage of it.
However they tell me stories of someone who went sick 2 days early (so 2 days before 6 months) and subsequently got fired.
These places all have "Unions".
Make of that what you will.
FYI I have no problem with unions as they serve a good cause but also enables piss taking to another level.
I can't remember the exact numbers but it's something like they can effectively take off 2 or 3 weeks as illness every 6 months and it is NOT challenged in any way. No need for even a doctors note.
My friends who work in places like this take FULL advantage of it.
However they tell me stories of someone who went sick 2 days early (so 2 days before 6 months) and subsequently got fired.
These places all have "Unions".
Make of that what you will.
FYI I have no problem with unions as they serve a good cause but also enables piss taking to another level.
2 different levels at my work. The management get full sick pay for every day they are off up to a set ammount (i forget how long it is)
The front end staff unpaid for the first 3 days then full for up to 6 weeks.
The front end staff are off for every sniffle, sore throat, and actively look for a reason to be off.
The management are hardly ever off. They know the strain it puts on the few managers in when they are off.
The front end staff unpaid for the first 3 days then full for up to 6 weeks.
The front end staff are off for every sniffle, sore throat, and actively look for a reason to be off.
The management are hardly ever off. They know the strain it puts on the few managers in when they are off.
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