Sick Pay for PAs

A man ill in bed with tissues and medicines

If you are off work sick, and you are classed as an employee, then you might have a right to sick pay. Both physical and mental health issues can count as sickness.

Checking sick pay

Your contract should tell you:

How much sick pay is paid
How long sick pay can last
Any rules the employer has for using sick pay.

Statutory Sick Pay (SSP) is the minimum amount employers must pay. If an employer pays more than SSP it’s known as ‘company’, ‘contractual’ or ‘occupational’ sick pay.

Statutory Sick Pay (SSP)

By law, employers must pay Statutory Sick Pay (SSP) to employees and workers when they meet eligibility conditions, including when:

They’ve been off sick for more than 3 days in a row, including non-working days
They earn on average at least £125 a week, before tax.

Agency, casual and zero-hours workers can get SSP if they meet the eligibility conditions.

What do I do if I am ill and can’t work?

If you are ill and can’t work you should tell your employer as soon as possible so that they can arrange for cover while you are off. Your employer might have a specific procedure to tell them about illness, so you should ask them and check your contract of employment to make sure you follow the procedure correctly.

If you are eligible for Statutory Sick Pay (SSP) then your employer is responsible for covering SSP, in full, for up to 28 weeks. You could lose some of your SSP if you do not tell your employer in time before the deadline they set (or within 7 days if they have not set one).

To claim SSP tell your employer by the deadline set, and complete the form they ask you to.

An employer may ask you to complete the HMRC form SC2 to ask them for Statutory Sick Pay. You can find a link to this form here.

If you are sick and off work for more than 7 days in a row (including non -working days) you must give your employer a fit note from a: