Can anyone help me understand sick pay in my new contract

[wonderstuff123]

Sick Pay Scheme eligibility: [Statutory Sick Pay / Core 5 days /
Under 12 months continuous service SSP only

Does that mean for the first 12 months,I'll only get SSP?

Also,can anyone help me make head or tail if this

If you have not been absent due to ill health in the previous 12 months you will receive the

salary when sick for time periods specified in the clause below. If you have been absent due

to sickness in the previous 12 months no company sick pay will be paid for the first three days
of absence]
Probationary Period from Start Date: Three Months
Notice During Probationary Period: One Week
After Probationary Period: One Month

Hi yes ssp only , the last clause I can't understand- have you copied it word for word ?

Yes,word for word.

So,the Gov Website says SSP only paid after 3 days off sick. So for the first year I work there,I get paid nothing if I'm off for 1-2 days at a time. Is that right?

Probationary Period from Start Date: Three Months
Notice During Probationary Period: One Week
After Probationary Period: One Month

These are not part of the sickness absence policy.

@wonderstuff123

Sick Pay Scheme eligibility: [Statutory Sick Pay / Core 5 days / Under 12 months continuous service SSP only

Does that mean for the first 12 months,I'll only get SSP?

Also,can anyone help me make head or tail if this

If you have not been absent due to ill health in the previous 12 months you will receive the

salary when sick for time periods specified in the clause below. If you have been absent due

to sickness in the previous 12 months no company sick pay will be paid for the first three days
of absence]
Probationary Period from Start Date: Three Months
Notice During Probationary Period: One Week
After Probationary Period: One Month

It's SSP for the first 12 months then rolling 12 months.

If you start work on 1st April 2022, any sickness between then and 31st March 2023 will be SSP (£0 for days 1-3 depending on illness).

Fast forward to 1st June 2023 and you're off sick for a week they look back at the last 12 months e.g. 1st June 2022 to 1st June 2023. Any sickness during that period, the first 3 days of each absence would seem to be £0 with company sick pay kicking in from day 4.

The last 3 lines are termination of employment notice periods - either party.

@wonderstuff123

Yes,word for word.

So,the Gov Website says SSP only paid after 3 days off sick. So for the first year I work there,I get paid nothing if I'm off for 1-2 days at a time. Is that right?

Yes that's correct.

@wonderstuff123

Yes,word for word.

So,the Gov Website says SSP only paid after 3 days off sick. So for the first year I work there,I get paid nothing if I'm off for 1-2 days at a time. Is that right?

Correct

Great. Can I ask,is this normal? I know no companies have to pay sick pay but do most of them don't these days?

@wonderstuff123 Yes, it's quite common for terms and conditions to be this poor. I have worked for global corps and public sector and it's shocking to see how little protection many workers have outside these sectors.

It'll only get worse now we're out of the EU.

Anyone can get ill. Properly ill. I hate where this country is heading.

It seems fairly common. All companies I've worked for since graduating have only paid SSP (even after being there a long time, and this included both small and large companies). I've never taken any significant time off but heard via colleagues at my last place that they seemed to give full pay on a discretionary basis, but it certainly does put you off taking any sick time when are worried about pay.

DH, on the other hand, has worked at 2 companies in his career and they both pay full sick pay for ages. It seems like it might be industry-dependent.

Yes at mu Dad's work everyone was always sick for 3 days or more unless no pay at all.

It’s not unusual within a lot of industries. It’s why it’s difficult to compare a lot of jobs on a face value salary basis, without taking into account the holiday, sickness and pension benefits that are on offer.

I've worked as a TA in an independent school for 20 years
We get SSP only
Even if off with covid / isolating etc etc

So this is an independent special school. So the private sector. So this seems normal in this kind of sector

I was a manager in the private social care sector before I returned to nhs back end of last year. The company in private sector did not offer any sick pay, and as your contract reads SSP only kicked in after 3 days. I think this is pretty standard in private sector I'm afraid.

Thank you all for you replies,very helpful. I'm going to have to go back to the company and ask to negotiate some sort of sick pay package. I'm in a profession which is in high demand and I know they're desperate to fill this post so I may have some traction. But with health problems I've developed in the past year which mean I'll have to take 2 weeks recovery time for an operation later this year,I can't sign a contract with no sick pay entitlement. They know about this situation as well as I told them in interview.

Last question,could anyone shed any light on why this would be in the contract? I don't like the idea of being tied into a contract where they can demand I see their own doctor and then discuss my health with them!
You agree to consent to medical appointment and referrals (at the Employer's
expense) by a doctor appointed by the Employer should the Employer reasonably
require.

The results of the appointment may be disclosed to the Employer and the Employer
may discuss such results with the relevant doctor. Alternatively, you may be asked to
obtain a medical report from your GP or another person responsible for your clinical
care and to provide this to the Employer

Ime the doctor thing is valid. Lots of companies require a medical before you start.

You can use the sick pay as a point of negotiation absolutely. Good luck

These terms are completely normal

Can you take the time off after your op as holiday?

Also the last term you posted is normal. If you are absent a lot then the company can request you see someone to establish if you are able to work, etc

@wonderstuff123

Thank you all for you replies,very helpful. I'm going to have to go back to the company and ask to negotiate some sort of sick pay package. I'm in a profession which is in high demand and I know they're desperate to fill this post so I may have some traction. But with health problems I've developed in the past year which mean I'll have to take 2 weeks recovery time for an operation later this year,I can't sign a contract with no sick pay entitlement. They know about this situation as well as I told them in interview.

Last question,could anyone shed any light on why this would be in the contract? I don't like the idea of being tied into a contract where they can demand I see their own doctor and then discuss my health with them!
You agree to consent to medical appointment and referrals (at the Employer's
expense) by a doctor appointed by the Employer should the Employer reasonably
require.

The results of the appointment may be disclosed to the Employer and the Employer
may discuss such results with the relevant doctor. Alternatively, you may be asked to
obtain a medical report from your GP or another person responsible for your clinical
care and to provide this to the Employer

Sounds like a slightly clumsy way of referring to occupational health assessments. Quite usual if you have periods of sickness, or disclose a disability that may require reasonable adjustments to be made.

www.acas.org.uk/using-occupational-health-at-work

Brill,thank you all,your help had been much appreciated