Sick Leave
Income
If a worker is unable to attend work due to sickness (with proof of their illness) and has been sick for 4 or more days in a row, he/she may get Statutory Sick Pay (SSP). SSP is money required to be paid by law, whereas contractual sick pay is money a worker may be entitled to according to their contract of employment. SSP is paid at a fixed weekly rate, on the condition that the worker has a contract of employment and earns over a certain amount per week. An employee can get Statutory Sick Pay (SSP) of £118.75 per week if they are too ill to work. It’s paid by your employer for up to 28 weeks. For contractual sick pay, the amount paid per week may be higher, but cannot be below the statutory rate. If the worker is not eligible for SSP, he or she may qualify for Employment and Support Allowance.
From 6 April 2026, Statutory Sick Pay is due to become more accessible. The Employment Rights Act 2025 removes the lower earnings limit for SSP and abolishes the three waiting days, so eligible employees can qualify from the first day of sickness absence rather than from day four. For 2026/27, the standard weekly SSP figure is £123.25, but because of the 2025 reform, the amount payable is £123.25 or 80% of average weekly earnings, whichever is lower.
For more information, please refer to the page: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/rates-and-thresholds-for-employers-2020-to-2021#statutory-maternity-paternity-adoption-shared-parental-and-parental-bereavement-pay; https://www.gov.uk/statutory-sick-pay; Employment Rights Act 1996, as amended by the Employment Rights Act 2025
Medical Care
In the UK, General practitioners (GPs) are self-employed and have contracts to provide services for the National Health Service (NHS). GPs have a measure of discretion in accepting applications to join their patient lists. However, they cannot turn down an applicant on the grounds of race, gender, social class, age, religion, sexual orientation, appearance, disability or medical condition. If an employee needs hospital treatment or to consult a specialist, an NHS doctor will arrange the treatment for them. In an emergency, the employee may be admitted directly to a hospital. Being registered with a GP does not necessarily mean entitlement to free NHS hospital treatment. If a person ordinarily resides in the United Kingdom, then he/she is entitled to free NHS hospital treatment. A person’s spouse/civil partner and children under the age of 16 (or under 19 if in full-time education) are also entitled to free NHS hospital treatment if they are living with the person on a permanent basis.
Job Security
Under section 6 of the Equality Act, a person has a disability if they have a physical or mental impairment which has a substantial and long-term adverse effect on their ability to carry out normal day-to-day activities (Equality Act 2010 Section 1(1), a) and b)). Under the Equality Act 2010, it is unlawful to discriminate against an employee or worker on the grounds of mental or physical disability. Employment Rights Act 2025 reduces the qualifying period for an ordinary unfair dismissal claim from 2 years to 6 months, so an employee dismissed after six months’ continuous employment (including dismissal linked to long-term sickness/capability) can bring an unfair dismissal claim, subject to the employer proving a fair reason and fair process. The change does not take effect automatically; it will start on a date set by commencement regulations, with current implementation planning indicating 1 January 2027.
Source: §1 & 4 of the Disability Discrimination Act 1995; §4d of Employment Rights Act 1996; §25 of the Employment Rights Act 2025
Regulations on Sick Leave
- Employment Rights Act (ERA), 1996 last amended in 2012
- Disability Discrimination Act, 1995
Income
If a worker is unable to attend work due to sickness (with proof of their illness) and has been sick for 4 or more days in a row, he/she may get Statutory Sick Pay (SSP). SSP is money required to be paid by law, whereas contractual sick pay is money a worker may be entitled to according to their contract of employment. SSP is paid at a fixed weekly rate, on the condition that the worker has a contract of employment and earns over a certain amount per week. An employee can get Statutory Sick Pay (SSP) of £118.75 per week if they are too ill to work. It’s paid by your employer for up to 28 weeks. For contractual sick pay, the amount paid per week may be higher, but cannot be below the statutory rate. If the worker is not eligible for SSP, he or she may qualify for Employment and Support Allowance.
From 6 April 2026, Statutory Sick Pay is due to become more accessible. The Employment Rights Act 2025 removes the lower earnings limit for SSP and abolishes the three waiting days, so eligible employees can qualify from the first day of sickness absence rather than from day four. For 2026/27, the standard weekly SSP figure is £123.25, but because of the 2025 reform, the amount payable is £123.25 or 80% of average weekly earnings, whichever is lower.
For more information, please refer to the page: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/rates-and-thresholds-for-employers-2020-to-2021#statutory-maternity-paternity-adoption-shared-parental-and-parental-bereavement-pay; https://www.gov.uk/statutory-sick-pay; Employment Rights Act 1996, as amended by the Employment Rights Act 2025
Medical Care
In the UK, General practitioners (GPs) are self-employed and have contracts to provide services for the National Health Service (NHS). GPs have a measure of discretion in accepting applications to join their patient lists. However, they cannot turn down an applicant on the grounds of race, gender, social class, age, religion, sexual orientation, appearance, disability or medical condition. If an employee needs hospital treatment or to consult a specialist, an NHS doctor will arrange the treatment for them. In an emergency, the employee may be admitted directly to a hospital. Being registered with a GP does not necessarily mean entitlement to free NHS hospital treatment. If a person ordinarily resides in the United Kingdom, then he/she is entitled to free NHS hospital treatment. A person’s spouse/civil partner and children under the age of 16 (or under 19 if in full-time education) are also entitled to free NHS hospital treatment if they are living with the person on a permanent basis.
Job Security
Under section 6 of the Equality Act, a person has a disability if they have a physical or mental impairment which has a substantial and long-term adverse effect on their ability to carry out normal day-to-day activities (Equality Act 2010 Section 1(1), a) and b)). Under the Equality Act 2010, it is unlawful to discriminate against an employee or worker on the grounds of mental or physical disability. Employment Rights Act 2025 reduces the qualifying period for an ordinary unfair dismissal claim from 2 years to 6 months, so an employee dismissed after six months’ continuous employment (including dismissal linked to long-term sickness/capability) can bring an unfair dismissal claim, subject to the employer proving a fair reason and fair process. The change does not take effect automatically; it will start on a date set by commencement regulations, with current implementation planning indicating 1 January 2027.
Source: §1 & 4 of the Disability Discrimination Act 1995; §4d of Employment Rights Act 1996; §25 of the Employment Rights Act 2025
Regulations on Sick Leave
- Employment Rights Act (ERA), 1996 last amended in 2012
- Disability Discrimination Act, 1995
