No company sick pay

[gunnsgirl]

What is the procedure these days for any type of sick pay when an employee does not pay sick pay,

If you need a month off work following a minor operation what do you do for money and how do you go about claiming it.

No tax credits. No child benefit. No income

I think you're entitled to statutory sick pay but it's less than 90 quid a week I imagine you could get housing/ council tax benefit temporarily as well.

No housing benefit - have a mortgage, and I've paid the council tax in advance for the year.

Just wondered how you go about claiming statutory sick pay. Never done it before. Wouldn't know where to start.

When i was in a job with no paid sick pay and got SSP, I received it in my pay slip, there are 3 waiting days where you don't get paid at the beginning though. I would check that your employer is sorting it out and that you just get it paid through them.

You don't need to claim it, it comes from your employer the same as normal pay.

Get a sick note from Dr/hospital. Give it to employer they should sort out what you can have.

So you get paperwork from the doctor or hospital before your operation I presume to give to employer.

I'm acting totally clueless here. In over 30 years employment, I have never done this before, so thanks for amazing assistance here. It's so gratefully appreciated.

SSP is administered by the employer, paid via usual payroll.

Procedure for employers I think is in E14 handbook. Gov.uk has more basic info about SSP.

When you have had your op, you will get signed off work for say one month or what your Dr finds appropriate, you then send this sick note into work and they sort out the SSP, if you need more time off you will get a further sick note to send into work.

For sickness absences of less than a week you don't generally need a Drs sick note, you just fill one in at work.

Its usually the same procedure whether the company pays full sick pay or you just get SSP, just the money is crap with SSP.

Thank you but does it cost £20?

Company say I need a letter from the doctor now before operation as under health and safety I cannot lift. Doctor says it will cost £20. I don't want a letter, do I? I want a form for statutory sick pay, dont I? All this is making me more ill than the illness itself.

There are three things here:

(1) BEFORE your operation, your company want a letter from your GP confirming that you CANNOT (or should not) lift anything. I take it that lifting is part of your job and you are saying that you cannot do it.

The GP is within his rights to charge you £20.00 for such a letter. It is NOT part of their normal practices. Letters take time to dictate and someone has to type it.

(2) The SSP will only be paid to you AFTER the hospital doctor signs you off from work. You will need to post this certificate to your employers and they will then do the necessary for you payments.

OR!!!

(3) Are you wanting to be signed off as sick now? In that case, you can get a "fit for work" note from your GP and hand it in straightaway to work and you will start receiving sick pay instead of wages until you are fit to work again.

Hope that makes sense!

Well the thing is it might take three months to get a hospital appointment. I dont get sick pay. My manager has said I need to get confirmation from doctor as to illness. I would like to be paid before operation if I'm not allowed to work due to Health and Safety. Therefore I dont know where next week's money is going to come from - I need something to guarantee statutory sick pay immediately don't I?

I don't think you need a letter. If you are not currently fit enough to do your normal tasks (assuming these include lifting). If that is the case your doctor should write you a fit note saying you are fit for reduced duties only, no lifting.

It looks like GPs can charge if you don't self certificate for the 1st week, most firms let you do this, check if yours does

www.gov.uk/taking-sick-leave

Sorry if I've missed something, but ahead of your operation, can't you just get a sick note from your GP if you are unfit for work?

After the OP, the hospital may send you home with one but the GP can write one too.

No letter required.

Are they letting you work with non-lifting duties or do they not want you to work at all now, are you off sick now?

Ive sorted it tonight I hope. I didnt want a letter. I wanted a fit note. I'm happy to do duties that don't involve lifting, although I've been signed off for three months from tomorrow and then a review if I haven't had op or a date for it, etc.

I shall see employer with this note in the morning. I got sent home today under Health and Safety Act to go to doctor, and received conflicting advice re letters, fit notes etc. I now hope this fit note will enable me to receive sick pay after a couple of days - although I will state that I'm happy to work (want to work - three months at home will drive me bananas) in lighter roles. Have to see where it goes now but I do have my documentation now.