Brits left in the dark over sick pay entitlement

Millions of workers are being left in the dark over how much sick pay they are entitled to, with many unaware that they could be facing a From Subject Received Size Categories
Anita Patel Re: Have you been left in the dark? 13:09 91 KB salary shortfall if they are unwell and unable to work.

In fact, many Brits mistakenly assume their employer would continue to pay their full salary if they were off sick, with people believing on average they would receive it for three and a half months. In reality, 43% of firms reduce an employee’s wages to statutory sick pay after two weeks of an employee being unable to work through illness. One in six firms immediately switch to paying statutory sick pay once an employee has been off work for four days.

Employees are entitled to statutory sick pay if they are too ill to work and have been off work more than four days in a row. They are eligible to receive it for up to 28 weeks, at a rate of £89.35 a week, less than a fifth of the average UK weekly wage of £510. However, just one in twenty-five (4 per cent) Brits know how much they would receive in statutory pay, and eight per cent have never even heard of statutory sickness pay.

“This research highlights a worrying disconnect between peoples’ expectations and what they would actually be entitled to if they were to unexpectedly fall ill,” said Trevor Bush, head of Direct Line Life Insurance, “Statutory sick pay is significantly lower than the national average salary and people are only eligible for 28 weeks, so those with long term conditions could find themselves in struggling financially if they are unable to work for a long period of time.”

HR professionals are concerned that employees don’t realise how long the qualifying period is for sickness pay schemes, with around one in three revealing their company’s schemes take between one and two years, with 92% requiring former documentation to authorise any sick leave. More than a third said that depending on the situation, more paperwork would also be expected.

“it’s important for people to be able to quickly secure sick notes or medical certificates when they’re unwell,” continued Bush. “This is why Direct Line has recently partnered with Doctor Care Anywhere, a virtual GP consultation service, so that in the event of non-urgent medical enquiries, customers can consult with a GP quickly and easily, issuing sick notes/medical certificates, prescriptions and referrals within a matter of minutes.

“This provides policyholders and their families with more convenient appointments, helping them avoid potentially long waits for consultations.”

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