{"id":189891,"date":"2024-08-20T04:00:21","date_gmt":"2024-08-20T03:00:21","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/legalvision.co.uk\/?p=189891"},"modified":"2024-08-21T00:57:16","modified_gmt":"2024-08-20T23:57:16","slug":"statutory-sick-pay-changes","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/legalvision.co.uk\/employment\/statutory-sick-pay-changes\/","title":{"rendered":"What Small Businesses Need to Know About SSP Changes"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

As a small business, when you begin employing staff, your business costs increase as you pay them wages. When working for you, your employees have many legal rights, including your legal obligations towards their health and safety at work<\/a>. When your employees are sick and unable to work, you have a legal duty to pay them Statutory Sick Pay (SSP) on their non-working days at a specific weekly rate. You must be aware of the rules regarding SSP to avoid underpaying your employees and facing potential legal action. This article will explain what small businesses need to know about SSP changes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What is Statutory Sick Pay?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

SSP is the minimum amount of sick pay you as an employer must pay your employees where they meet the criteria. Of course, you can pay them more than this; if so, your employment contracts will detail this. For example, you may offer your staff a sick pay scheme, which you may also refer to as an occupational scheme. You should note that if you are a business in the agricultural industry, the rules of SSP vary for your agricultural workers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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SSP is in place to ensure that your employees can rest and get well while still receiving a reasonable income. If, instead, they have to work while ill, they could make themselves worse.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

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2025 Key UK Employment Law Changes<\/div>\n
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This factsheet outlines key developments in 2025 affecting workforce management.<\/p>\n <\/div>\n \n\nDownload Now<\/a> <\/section>\n <\/div>\n\n\n\n\n

What Do I Need to Know About Statutory Sick Pay Changes?  <\/h2>\n\n\n\n

As an employer, you must be aware of any changes to SSP. Not complying with any changes means you are not abiding by employment law. The type of changes that occur can vary and will often happen with the new tax year in April. For example, changes to SSP could include the:<\/p>\n\n\n\n