Sick leave how long

If you see the doctor about this illness, make sure they are aware that it is work-related. Your rep will explain your options and provide ongoing support. As a trade union, we believe that all workers should be treated fairly and receive adequate pay when they are ill. In the past, we have successfully campaigned for outsourced workers to keep the same sick pay, and other terms, as the people in a workplace who have not been outsourced.

Being in a trade union protects you if you have to take long periods of sick leave or are injured at work. Available as a PDF download only. UNISON toolkit on sickness absence for use by college reps, branches and regional officers to challenge attacks on sickness absence. The information contained within this article is not a complete or final statement of the law and is based on the laws of England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland.

While UNISON has sought to ensure that the information is accurate and up to date, it is not responsible and will not be held liable for any inaccuracies and their consequences, including any loss arising from relying on this information. Not a member? Join now. The content of this blog is for general information only. You can find more detail on this in our Terms of Website Use.

If you require professional advice, please get in touch. Get in touch with us to find out more about how we can help your business with friendly expert HR Support or with our powerful HR software. What to include in a compassionate leave policy, and why you need one. Why use employee attendance software? A quick update from citrusHR. Blog Leave and Absence Long-term sickness absence Long-term sickness absence is usually defined as a period of continuous absence of more than four weeks. The absence may be due to: an unexpected illness a chronic condition an accident or planned operation As an employer, you must take care to manage the situation sensitively and supportively.

On the one hand, you recognise that your employee is unwell, and you sympathise with them. Step 1: Hold a formal stage 1 absence meeting If your employee has been off for more than 4 weeks and there are no plans for an imminent return, you should invite them to a formal stage 1 absence meeting. Discuss what reasonable adjustments can be made to remove barriers to returning to work. A phone call is the best way to let your employer know, but your workplace may have its own systems to tell them you are sick.

Payment for sick leave is only made when it is a day that an employee would otherwise have worked if they were not sick. If it was not an otherwise working day eg if the employee was on unpaid leave or the employee fell sick on a day that they weren't rostered to work then the employee would not be entitled to be paid sick leave.

Payment for sick leave is at the rate the employee would ordinarily be paid on the day leave is taken ie relevant daily pay or their average daily pay where applicable. For example, if James normally works 8 hours Tuesday to Friday and four hours on Saturday and is sick on Saturday, the employer should pay James his relevant daily pay for the sick day, ie four hours.

If the employee works continuously but has an irregular pattern, sick leave is payable if the employee was rostered to work on the particular day leave is taken, or could have expected to be rostered.

Relevant daily pay and average daily pay. This means that if an employee works for part of the day and then goes home sick, this may be counted as using a whole day of sick leave, no matter how much of the day the employee has worked before going home.

However, the employee and employer can agree to describe the entitlement in such terms as hours or part days if this is better for the employee. For example, if an employee worked a half day then went home sick, their employer could agree to only deduct a half day of sick leave which would be better for the employee. Payment for this half sick leave day would be half of their relevant daily pay or average daily pay.

Examples of the better sick leave benefits some employment agreements or workplaces have are:.