What's your paid sick leave policy?

[2020nymph]

One of my colleagues has long covid and has been signed off work. After the first three months their pay dropped to 50%. I was shocked by this, three months is nothing and 50% is a massive amount to suddenly lose. In comparison, Furlough was 80%.

DH's work is six months and I was wondering how that compares to other businesses?

It ranges from 2 weeks full - 2 weeks half - SSP to 6 months full - 6 months half - SSP depending on long you've worked there

I just checked. It's 6 months, full pay, 6 months half pay

6 months full 6 months half

12 weeks (over a two year period). Then it resets. Difficult for me as I’ve had cancer twice in two years. I had no income, virtually. Private sector.

My company is small. Contracted sick pay is statutory only.

We couldn't afford to pay people who aren't able to do their job,

One job is full pay for 6 months.

My other job is SSP

A paracetamol and the expectation that we will just ‘get on with it’ usually
ssp after 5 days- it’s around £18 a day !
nothing else

healthcare here. It’s terrible as we’ve all been at work with vulnerable patients possibly infecting them too

Even if people were having cancer treatment?

It used to be 6 months full then 50% for 3 months then SSP. Contract was changed and it’s now 3 months full pay then SSP. They have put money in a pot to help return to work, occupational health- access to counselling /support network etc. It was worked out that was more beneficial than paying full pay for six months.

I live overseas and it's 15 days.

6 months is incredible.

Sounds like your employees are subsidising an inefficient business or your lifestyle. Do you really value your staff so little? I suppose if they’re all on zero hours contracts they know what they’re taking on but doesn’t feel like a good way to treat loyal and long serving staff.

I'm in the EU, not the UK.

Private company - 2 years 100%, 1 year 70%, 1 year 50%, then onto SSP.

A very generous policy.

Used to be a very generous 6 months full plus 6 months half in nhs. I left after covid when my job was changed to a job that I couldn't physically do and I now get 1 month plus 1 month which is a huge worry.

Third sector: 3 months full. 3 months half.
For reference we have an older workforce and I assumed because of the fairly generous sick pay maternity would be good too. It’s not, it’s statutory. A lot less than 50% of my usual salary. I empathise because it’s impossible to live on when you have a mortgage and bills. Our organisation supports vulnerable people, including those with low incomes and those struggling to make ends meet, oh the irony.

Those who are criticising us or or financial model have never run a start up. There are 9 of us. We are in year 2 and doing well but we have very tight finances and can't afford to pay people who aren't there, overall.

It's not Zero hours. People are well paid based on our industry. But we are not a large corporation yet and can't afford the types of benefits that come with it.

At the moment, people who join us know that the salary is good, the holiday is good, the work style is flexibility and accommodating and the work is massively interesting.

But the pension is the minimum. There's no private healthcare, car allowance or death in service etc.

The sick pay is statutory. This allows us to be discretionary. If someone has Covid or breaks their leg, then we can, do and have paid them in full for a few weeks.

But if we had two or three people need to go off on long term sick, we would not be able to sustain the business if we contractually had to pay them in full.

That's the way it is.

@CaronPoivre

And the same rules apply to me, too.

Private sector, big multinational. Varies from 1 month for a new start to 6 months for those with 3 years plus service.

It's one of those things you take for granted if you have it but of course many people only get SSP and that does make people go back to work quicker than they might otherwise because they can't afford to be off sick. Probably leads to exacerbating any long term problems.

@Greytea

It doesn't matter what your illness is.

We are a small company. Small companies sadly just can't sustain the wider benefits and safety nets that large companies can if they choose to.

We specifically make the terms of employment clear from the outset and that limits the people who work for us. They have to be in a position and/or have the risk appetite to move from a large multi-national to a start up.

We are not shit bags, or a shit employer, or don't care, despite some comments on this thread.

It's just commercial factors. If we can look after people financially when they need it, then we will. But we can't guarantee it, and that's why a lot of people won't choose to work for us and will go for stable security (understandably).

Very little. I think 2 days paid

SSP in my employed role. Nothing in my SE role (obviously!). I do have critical illness and other things in place which pays out if I'm ill/ broke my arm etc.

At the moment four weeks but it goes up gradually, the longer I work for the company. Not sure what the maximum is but it’s definitely not as good as some on here!

I’ve no idea. I really should know and usually I’m hot on stuff like this. I’m currently off with covid. My first time. I’ve had 3 days off on a 0.5 contract in my first year of teaching. I might dig out my contract but I’ve been too ill to care. Luckily I’m financially buoyant enough to ride it out. I should be back in next week.

I'm 6 + 6 (public sector)

DH is 3 days nothing then SSP (construction)

I work in the public sector so get 6 months full and 6 months half pay. That is incredibly generous and many private companies will only pay statutory sick pay only.

Update to my post. Turns out, as I quite suspected, having had a week off with covid, bugger all for the first year. ‘It’s in your contract’ said HR. Oh that makes it ok then 🙄