Tag Archive for Sick Leave

Sick leave – Making changes to company sickness policy

By Peter Done on Small Business – Advice and Ideas for UK Small Businesses and SMEs
Changing the terms and conditions under which your employees work, which is essentially what you would be doing making changes to a company sickness policy, should be done with careful consideration.
Firstly, your approach is dependent upon whether your sickness policy is contractual or not.
If the policy is clearly non-contractual and reserves the right to be amended from time to time, then you are generally able to simply make the changes you want to make and make your staff aware of this.
>See also: Can I dismiss an employee for sending threatening text?
If the policy is contractual and therefore constitutes part of your employees’ terms and conditions, then you need to tread more carefully. Introducing changes to an employee’s terms and conditions requires agreement by both parties because unilateral changes are not permitted – this means that you cannot simply impose a change unless it is required by law, as was the case when the indoor smoking ban was introduced.
A consultation process is required during which all affected employees should be informed of the intended changes, with an explanation of the reason why the changes are required.

Read more...

Sick leave – Making changes to company sickness policy

By Peter Done on Small Business – Advice and Ideas for UK Small Businesses and SMEs
Changing the terms and conditions under which your employees work, which is essentially what you would be doing making changes to a company sickness policy, should be done with careful consideration.
Firstly, your approach is dependent upon whether your sickness policy is contractual or not.
If the policy is clearly non-contractual and reserves the right to be amended from time to time, then you are generally able to simply make the changes you want to make and make your staff aware of this.
>See also: Can I dismiss an employee for sending threatening text?
If the policy is contractual and therefore constitutes part of your employees’ terms and conditions, then you need to tread more carefully. Introducing changes to an employee’s terms and conditions requires agreement by both parties because unilateral changes are not permitted – this means that you cannot simply impose a change unless it is required by law, as was the case when the indoor smoking ban was introduced.
A consultation process is required during which all affected employees should be informed of the intended changes, with an explanation of the reason why the changes are required.

Read more...

Do I have to pay staff who are self-isolating?

By Calum Covell on Small Business – Advice and Ideas for UK Small Businesses and SMEs

With the lifting of lockdown restrictions from July 19, there is likely to be an increase in Covid-19 positive test results, increasing the number of staff who are self-isolating.

Between July 19 2021 and August 16 2021, it is a legal requirement to have your staff self-isolating if they test positive for Covid-19 or have been notified by Track and Trace to self-isolate.

This all means that employers are likely to encounter self-isolation of employees, if they have not already, so being aware of the options for you and your employees will help.

It will depend on the circumstances as to why staff are self-isolating as to whether you must pay them, the amount you will have to pay them and what you are able to claim back.

>See also: Small business owners face increased national insurance contributions

Can an employee work from home if they have tested positive for Covid-19 or have been told to self-isolate?

Yes. If an employee is well enough to work from home and can perform their role at home, there is no reason why they cannot do this and be paid as usual for their

Read more...

Do I have to pay staff who are self-isolating?

By Calum Covell on Small Business – Advice and Ideas for UK Small Businesses and SMEs

With the lifting of lockdown restrictions from July 19, there is likely to be an increase in Covid-19 positive test results, increasing the number of staff who are self-isolating.

Between July 19 2021 and August 16 2021, it is a legal requirement to have your staff self-isolating if they test positive for Covid-19 or have been notified by Track and Trace to self-isolate.

This all means that employers are likely to encounter self-isolation of employees, if they have not already, so being aware of the options for you and your employees will help.

It will depend on the circumstances as to why staff are self-isolating as to whether you must pay them, the amount you will have to pay them and what you are able to claim back.

>See also: Small business owners face increased national insurance contributions

Can an employee work from home if they have tested positive for Covid-19 or have been told to self-isolate?

Yes. If an employee is well enough to work from home and can perform their role at home, there is no reason why they cannot do this and be paid as usual for their

Read more...

Coronavirus: what are your sick pay obligations if your staff self-isolate?

Originally written by Anna Jordan on Small Business
As coronavirus (COVID-19) becomes more widespread, the UK is taking a ‘self-isolate’ approach to prevent further spreading.
Health secretary Matt Hancock has sent information to employers stating that employees who are told to self-isolate should be entitled to statutory sick pay.
Below, we answer some key questions around self-isolation and statutory sick pay (SSP).
When would my employee be told to self-isolate?
Your employee may be told to self-isolate when they’ve been to a country with a high risk of contracting COVID-19.
At the time of writing, the government’s high-risk countries include:
Category 1

Wuhan city and Hubei Province (China)
Iran
Daegu or Cheongdo (Republic of Korea)
Any Italian town under containment measures

Category 2          

Cambodia
China
Hong Kong
Italy: north
Japan
Laos
Macau
Malaysia
Myanmar
Republic of Korea
Singapore
Taiwan
Thailand
Vietnam

They can also be told to self-isolate if there’s a chance they’ve been exposed to the virus through contact with someone who has the virus or someone who’s recently been to a high-risk area.
Employees waiting for a COVID-19 test result will be instructed to self-isolate while they’re waiting for their results.
Keep up with advice from the government which is being reviewed and updated daily.
What happens when an employee self-isolates?
When someone is told to self-isolate, they should stay at home and avoid going to work, school

Read more...

Football fever: how to handle ‘sick’ leave

With ‘It’s coming home’ fever sweeping the nation, line managers (affectionately renamed ‘linos’ for the duration of the World Cup) will be wary of employees calling in ‘sick’ the morning after the night before. Indeed, during the England-Belgium game in the group stages of the FIFA World Cup, Google searches of ‘reasons to call in
The post Football fever: how to handle ‘sick’ leave appeared first on Small Business.

Read more...