A new sick leave rule is now in force for all workers in the UK, introduced by the Labour Party government. From April this year, staff have been affected by changes to sick leave and sick pay under the government's push to give them more rights.
Key changes to Statutory Sick Pay
Changes to Statutory Sick Pay (SSP) from the fourth month of the year mean more employees will qualify, with no earnings threshold and no three-day waiting period. This is a major change, potentially seismic for millions of workers.
From 6 April 2026, SSP will be available to all eligible employees regardless of their earnings and payable from the first full day of sickness absence. It will be paid at 80% of an employee’s average weekly earnings (AWE) or the uprated weekly flat rate of £123.25, whichever is lower.
Employer responsibilities
Capital Law advised: "Nearly every employer will need to update their contracts and/or handbooks to ensure they reflect the changes to SSP. Payroll systems will need to be updated to calculate the 80% for employees where this is relevant, and to reflect the new day 1 entitlement."
Naturally, some businesses or specific areas of a business will be impacted by the changes more than others. Mapping out how the changes will affect you, to allow for accurate budgeting for the inevitable increase in SSP payments, will be an important job for HR departments over the coming weeks.
Manager training and communication
Managers across all businesses will need to be alerted to, and trained on, the new regime, and thought should be given as to how the change is communicated to employees.
Government statement
Prime Minister Keir Starmer has said: "This Government is delivering the biggest upgrade to workers' rights in a generation. Our Employment Rights Bill is good for workers, good for businesses and good for the economy. It's a core part of our agenda to make people better off and will make a real difference to people's lives."
