Statutory Sick Pay (SSP) is the minimum amount of sick pay that an employer must pay to employees who cannot work due to illness
. In the UK, SSP is paid by the employer for up to 28 weeks and is calculated at £109.40 per week
. To be eligible for SSP, an employee must:
- Have been off sick for at least four days in a row (including non-working days)
- Earn an average of at least £123 per week
SSP is paid in the same way as the employee's normal wages, for example, weekly or monthly
. If an employee has more than one job, they may receive SSP from each employer
. Tax and National Insurance will be deducted from the SSP payment
. There are different sick pay rules for agricultural workers
. Limited company directors who are employees of their own company are also entitled to Statutory Sick Pay
. However, sole traders and partners in a partnership are not eligible for SSP but may be able to claim Employment and Support Allowance (ESA)
. In addition to SSP, employers may also pay their own sick pay, usually called 'contractual sick pay' (CSP)
. The amount and duration of CSP depend on the employer's contract or workplace policy
