Can my employer do this? Is this even legal?

[Stroggle]

have the first 3 days sickness unpaid? Then ssp? So if I get a sickness bug I’m going to lose 2 days pay? I’ve never encountered this and I’ve worked in some Mickey Mouse places

Thank you . I am so bloody tempted to confront her employer about their ‘sickness ‘ policy. Ironically she cannot eat or drink but she has a mortgage. She doesn’t feel well enough to do admin ,but is fiercely stubborn with any offers of help. I do think that she just doesn’t want any contact with anyone because she is so ill ,lost weight etc . Absolutely bloody heartbreaking 💔

No, I'm just interested to know how posters like you are so completely sure that people are phoning in sick when they're not sick.

I’m in professional role too

He wouldn’t from day 1 working for them surely?

So… you believe it but you don’t? You are not making much sense. If you do believe it, then how do YOU no?

Does that wierd thing with nurses still exist wher they can accrue sick pay? By not being 'sick'.

I work in a large supermarket where we only get part-time contracts. The sick-pay is related to your contracted hours, regardless of how many shifts a week you actually work, even if it's 60h.

As a result of 16h a week contracts, you'd have to be sick for 10 days or more before ANY sickness pay whatsoever. Not surprising then that people either come in sick or bust overtime straight after the sickness to make up the lost earnings.

It's disgusting that it's legal to take away all job security whilst still expecting the same hours (overtime) from workers.

I worked in different work places in London for over 10 years and I always had sick days paid, didn't know this was a thing. I'm very surprised people say this is 'normal' 😐.

I have no doubt that some people do it, but I fail to understand why your default reaction when someone calls in sick is that they must be taking the piss. My default reaction is that if they say they're sick then they're sick.

I'm shocked too. I've worked for quite a few places now and always got paid FULL PAY for any sick leave - however long or when taken. Never heard of this 3 days unpaid thing.

Yes, it's from day 1. I seriously don't see the issue. If you found someone was taking the piss with sick leave in their probation period you deal with that in the same you would any other employee. An employee being off sick doesn't mean you can't discipline or sack them.

Perhaps if you read your contract of employment before agreeing and starting your job, you wouldn’t be so stunned.

It’ll all be in there and it’s fairly standard.

I genuinely thought employers had to pay sick leave - for up to six months. This thread is shocking

They do, that's what statutory sick pay is.

I do fail to understand why you’ve decided what my default reaction is? I answered a question that you asked, you’ve 100% made up this point of yours about my default reaction. Some people do phone in sick when they are not sick, it’s just a fact. I haven’t said or suggested anywhere that I assume anyone who phones in sick is lying. You really don’t no what your point is.

Yes but I thought it had to be full pay, and had no idea that statutory sick pay doesn't include your first three days off sick

I used to work in a nursery and this was the case there too, even though they didn’t want you in for 48 hours if you’d been vomiting or had diarrhoea.

My point was that several posters on this thread have said that they worked in places where there was generous sick leave and people "took the piss", and they were outraged by the entitlement, and I'm trying to understand exactly how they ascertained that people were taking the piss rather than genuinely sick.

I'm not singling you out but I'm always absolutely flabbergasted how many people in this country don't seem to know the very basics of employment law. It's so important to know what you are and aren't entitled to.

So far it seems the MN Collectiv is split - between those working with good Sick Pay conditions and those working within the statutory minimums.

My vote is for the workers, not the yadaa yadaa ones that spread their nonsense here, but the actual people that help the world spin round.

I have this and I work for a local authority. Never had it before in my life. Which means we all end up working sick till we crash and burn and are off for longer. We are allowed to substitute annual leave up to a certain amount

People can’t help it if they are ill and for some families the loss of 3 days pay is not affordable. It’s very unfair and I certainly would not work for an employer who did this.

Yeah in the first 6 months it’s ssp. Fucking wonderful. They should put this stuff on the job advert

I agree, it's appalling. My husband has just started a new job with the same 6 month rules. He says that no matter how ill he gets, unless he's dead he's going in. No way can we afford to lose pay like that!

The company is not a charity. You are paid to work. Having 3 days then SSP seems fair to me for the first 6 months. Otherwise you'd get people going from job to job and calling in sick.

I also think it's a totally stupid assumption that people shouldn't get sick in their probationary period. Probationary periods are a totally outdated concept full stop.