Half pay

[Bloom15]

I am employed full time and pick up approximately £1830 per month. I was off for -about 5 weeks on November 2923 and January 2024 over 2 absences due to cataract surgery.

My dad passed away the end of August and I was signed off for 6 weeks. I got paid today and I was £400 down. I contacted my manager straight away and was told I had moved onto half pay from 13/9.

I believe this is incorrect as I should be on 6 months full pay and the letter states 60 days.

Regardless of whether it is right or wrong- should I have been advised in advance of going on half pay? I am livid

I wouldn't expect you to be notified in advance of being paid half pay in accordance with policy, if that is the case here.

Do you do a physical job? That's a long absence for cataract surgery if not.

It's a bit mean for a bereavement, which is what it is really...did you not have any compassionate leave given to you for any of the 6 weeks?

After my second operation I couldn't see to read at all and I couldn't get glasses until a month after surgery. Then I had to wait for the glasses. I work in IT so couldn't see

Your contract should state your sick pay, 6 months is very unusual. Unless you're doing a manual job, taking more than 48 hours off for cataract surgery seems odd, dp had his done on Thursday and worked Friday.

Nothing. My manager said get a sick note from day one - obviously work was on my mind the day I went or the hospice to find out my dad had passed 20 minutes earlier!

My glasses prescription was very high and I couldn't see to do my job

For any queries regarding the 6 months full pay - I am legacy staff from when we were Civil Service

Well 60 days is generally the norm for full sick pay, before you drop down to reduced pay (2/3 or 1/2). You should check your contract.

I would also then ask the Manager about the compassionate leave policy in place and request some of the time to be aligned to that. You suffered a close bereavement. It should not (all) be classed as sick leave.

You have my condolences, but isn't 6 weeks a rather long time to have off for a bereavement? I lost both my parents, and had nowhere near that much time off, and nor did DH, whose mother died last year.

A few days would be the norm, plus another for the funeral, and usually a business would give you compassionate leave for that, they wouldn't expect you to book sick leave.

@blacksax I have suffered from depression previously and the death of my wonderful father has made my depression come back with a vengeance.

We're not all the same

As with all of these things, it comes down to what your absence policy says. I work for the NHS and we get up to 6 months full pay, 6 months half pay in a rolling year. DH is in private practice and gets nothing like that.

What does your policy say?

@SirChenjins

The policy is very woolly and not available to employees who are not line managers, however I am a legacy employee who was in situ when we moved from the Civil Service to a private company. As such, I am under Home Office terms and conditions and that is 6 months full pay.

I pay into the Civil Service Pensjon and am entitled to flexi hours etc.

That seems very strange - HR policies should be available to everyone. I would ask your manager to show you where it states that your rights as a legacy employee don’t apply here. I’d also contact my union - you can’t be the only person who’s been affected in this way.

It’s standard in much of the public sector.

Someone in HR doesn’t understand TUPE.

Worth an email pointing out you retained your CR sick pay entitlement during the transfer and therefore require your corrected salary payment to be made by special payment within 2 working days.

Yep!

I work for a pension company too!

Generally pension expertise is very separate to HR expertise.

I agree - there are a few of us left from various Civil Service departments.

I asked how I can be allowed to be in the Civil Service Pension scheme but not keep my Home Office Ts & Cs.

I agree about the HR policies - it is ridiculous and seems to be in order to stop people knowing what they are entitled to.

When I was on long term sick, when it was nearing the end of the 6 months full pay I had a meeting with my line manager and she let me know I'd be going down to half pay. So I do think the should have told you instead of you just unexpectedly getting paid less and having to query it.

As an aside, my employer said they knew that I might not be ready to come back yet but knew half pay might not be affordable for most people, so I was given the option to come back to work on full pay but on a reduced time table and work back up to my full time hours over a period of X amount of weeks. That was a public service job.

Thanks - will do this.

I am really struggling with depression and this is the last thing I need so I am annoyed. I also think they should have informed me that I was due to go onto half pay. The ACAS website states employees need to be informed.

That sounds like a good employer who knows what they need to do.

I am sorry you were unwell.

Our workplace would notify you two weeks before payday with a breakdown of the deduction so you had time to challenge it, so I do think they have been unreasonable. I also thought companies were required to notify of any pay deductions, but I might be wrong.

Also, having worked in payroll for many years, 6 weeks is about average for the loss of a parent. Some people take longer. Is there really no compassionate leave for at least a day?

My organisation is also 6 month full pay after 5 years service. It sounds like your payroll staff may not know you are TUPE staff.

You absolutely should have access to your T&C. Contact HR asking for them and also state you believe you are still under Civil service T&Cs so should not be on half pay.

In my company we do provide as much notice as possible. Sometimes in particular with new staff where they do not have the full 6 months (it's one month in the first year of service. So we do not have the chance to give much notice.

Ignore comments about how long you have had off. The first week should have been bereavement then it is very common for people to then take the rest off as sickness with a note.

Another who also gets 6 months full pay (after 1 years service!) it definitely exists