The UK Government recently announced the next phase of ‘living with Covid’.
For Scotland, this meant an end to the current statutory sick pay (SSP) rules with COVID-19 from 21st March; we are now back to pre-pandemic rules.
The right to claim SSP from the first day of absence because the worker is sick or self-isolating due to COVID-19 also ended.
Workers who are unwell with COVID should still be eligible for SSP but only from their fourth qualifying day of absence, rather than from their first qualifying day at present.
However, for those who are well but self-isolating (either because they are close to someone with COVID or asymptomatic), the position is more complicated and will depend on the individual circumstances.
According to ONS stats, nearly eight million UK workers rely on SSP when they get ill.
In the UK, when an eligible employee is too sick to work, their employer must pay them £96.35 per week in SSP for up to 28 weeks, incidentally the second-lowest SSP policy in Europe.
To qualify for SSP, an employee must meet the eligibility requirements. Employers cannot pay less than the SSP but may pay more.