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SSP: Get the details right for Covid-19

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Ian Holloway brings us up to date with the conditions for Statutory Sick Pay (SSP), as it applies to employees affected by coronavirus.

22nd Sep 2020
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The Prime Minister announced that the Coronavirus Act would make provision to temporarily allow SSP to be paid from the first day of sickness absence, rather than the fourth day. This was for people who had been told to self-isolate and/or for people caring for those within the same household who display Covid-19 symptoms and had been told to self-isolate. 

This one announcement and subsequent developments have given rise to at least seven different pieces of secondary legislation, and counting. The reason is that the SSP regime was rigid and did not allow for Covid-19 related absences from the workplace.

Here is my summary of the amendments to the 1982 general SSP regulations for Great Britain and Northern Ireland.

Isolating

The Statutory Sick Pay (General) (Coronavirus Amendment) Regulations 2020 and The Statutory Sick Pay (General) (Coronavirus Amendment) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2020 opened up the SSP system to employees isolating themselves. This was so long as the isolation was in accordance with guidance given by the relevant health bodies in each of the nations on 12 March 2020 (Public Health England, NHS National Services Scotland, Public Health Wales or the Regional Agency for Public Health and Social Well-being in Northern Ireland).

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Replies (1)

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By coops456
23rd Sep 2020 13:22

A concise and very useful summary, thank you.

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