Statutory Sick Pay – SSP

What Is Statutory Sick Pay?

Statutory Sick Pay (SSP) is a government-mandated payment made to employees who are absent from work due to illness. S4labour calculates and applies SSP automatically across the rota and payroll export, ensuring compliance with current legislation.

Key Points

• SSP is payable from the first day of a qualifying sickness absence.
• The weekly SSP rate is £123.25.
• All employees qualify regardless of their earnings level.
• SSP can be paid for a maximum of 28 weeks in a rolling year.
• For employees whose Average Weekly Earnings (AWE) fall below the flat rate, SSP is calculated as 80% of AWE, capped at £123.25.

How Sickness Is Recorded on the Rota

Sickness absences are recorded via the absence workbook on the rota, allowing SSP to be calculated automatically.

1. Navigate to your rota.

   

2. Select Absence workbook to open the absence management area.

   

3. Select Add Absence.

   

4. Fill in the absence details. Select the relevant employee, set the absence type to Full Day Sick, and select the applicable days.

   

5. Save the absence. Sick days will show on the rota and SSP will be calculated automatically.

How SSP Is Calculated

S4labour calculates SSP based on the employee’s earnings and the length of their absence.

Key Points

• The full weekly rate is £123.25.
• Employees whose AWE is below the flat rate receive 80% of their AWE, capped at £123.25.
• AWE is calculated using up to 8 weeks of earnings prior to the absence.
• Linked absences within 56 days are handled correctly within the AWE calculation.
• SSP cannot be paid for more than 28 weeks in a rolling year.

Note: The 56-day cycle is measured from the first day of the original absence, not the last day the employee was at work.

Configuring Qualifying Days Per Employee

Qualifying days can be configured per employee by setting their contracted days (working pattern). This ensures SSP is calculated based on the days the employee is contracted to work.

How to Update Contracted Days

1. Select View All Employees from the people navigation area.

   

2. Select the relevant employee tile to open their profile.

   

3. Navigate to the Employment tab.

4. Under Pay Setup, select Schedule a new rate of pay or position.

   

5. Edit the Contracted Days/Week field to reflect the employee’s working pattern. This value determines the qualifying days used in the SSP calculation.

   

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: Is there a waiting period before SSP is paid?
A: No. SSP is payable from the first day of a qualifying sickness absence. There is no waiting period.

Q: Does an employee need to earn above a certain amount to qualify?
A: No. The Lower Earnings Limit eligibility check has been removed. All employees qualify for SSP regardless of their earnings.

Q: What happens if an employee earns less than the weekly SSP rate?
A: SSP is calculated as 80% of the employee’s Average Weekly Earnings, capped at the full weekly rate of £123.25.

Q: How long can an employee receive SSP?
A: SSP can be paid for a maximum of 28 weeks in any rolling year.

Q: What happens if an employee is sick, returns to work, and then falls ill again?
A: If the second absence begins within 56 days of the first, the absences are treated as linked. The employee remains qualified and receives SSP from the first day of the new absence without needing to requalify.

Q: Where can I see the SSP values calculated?
A: SSP is calculated automatically on the rota and is reflected in the account export.

Q: What if the contracted days are not set, or set to 0?
A: The system will default to 5 qualifying days in absence of any set.

Need Help?

For additional support, contact Customer Success.