Employee of sick for Covid | do you pay them SSP?
Just a reminder of what to do when an employee is off with Covid-19 related issues. It’s not as simple as it was, and here are the most likely options:
1. Employee is self-isolating
They have to have been told to self-isolate either by Government guidance, a doctor, or after calling’s 111.
You pay them SSP from the first qualifying day they are off work, but only if they are off for at least 4 days in a row.
If they are off for less time, they receive no SSP.
2. Employee is shielding
When an employee has a letter from the NHS or a doctor telling them to stay at home for at least 12 weeks (called ‘shielding’) you pay them SSP from the first qualifying day they are off work, as long as they are off at least 4 days in a row.
3. Employee has been contacted by the NHS through test and trace
When an employee has been told that they have been in contact with someone who has tested positive for COVID-19, you pay them SSP from the first qualifying day they are off work, as long as they are off at least 4 days in a row.
2. Employee is shielding
When an employee has a letter from the NHS or a doctor telling them to stay at home for at least 12 weeks (called ‘shielding’) you pay them SSP from the first qualifying day they are off work, as long as they are off at least 4 days in a row.
3. Employee has been contacted by the NHS through test and trace
When an employee has been told that they have been in contact with someone who has tested positive for COVID-19, you pay them SSP from the first qualifying day they are off work, as long as they are off at least 4 days in a row.
Continue paying them until
• 14 days from the date of the most recent contact with the person who tested positive or,
• sooner if specified in the notification
4. Someone in the employee’s support bubble (or extended household in Scotland or Wales) has coronavirus symptoms
When someone in an employee’s support bubble (or extended household in Scotland or Wales) has coronavirus symptoms, you pay them SSP from the first qualifying day they are off work, as long as they are off at least 4 days in a row.
How to claim SSP
Unlike non-Covid-19 SSP, you can claim any amounts you have paid out.
Unlike non-Covid-19 SSP, you can claim any amounts you have paid out.
You cannot claim until after you have paid them.