More than half of employers that operate sickness schemes paying above the statutory minimum allow new staff to benefit from these as soon as they join the organisation - according to a survey conducted by Incomes Data Services. The report called HR study on sick pay analysed the practices of 28 employers from the public and private sectors that operate sickness schemes paying above the statutory minimum.
Around three-quarters of employers surveyed offer single integrated sick pay schemes. A minority also operate more than one type of scheme, typically to distinguish between white and blue collar workers. The most common way among employers to calculate sick pay is to take an employee's basic salary and add statutory sick pay.
But the period during which an organisation is prepared to pay employees while off sick varies. During this time, however long it may be, around two-thirds of employers pay a flat rate, while the remainder reduce their payments in steps. The survey also found that where employees became ill while on annual leave, the majority of employers allow staff to reclaim their holiday entitlement.
However, many employers judge individual cases on their own merits. The study also includes detailed profiles of each of the participating organisations' sick pay schemes.
To purchase the IDS HR study on sick pay visit www.incomesdata.co.uk/studies/sickpay.htm