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> When is SSP due? > I had two patients today who desparately wanted me to make them well so that > they didn't have to take time off work. One was a chap who had tenosynovitis > from making diving suits. The over was a care assistant working in a nursing > home with chicken pox. > Both stated that their employer didn't pay anything for the first 4 days of > sickness abscence. Both worked a 38 hour week, PAYE and full NI contributions. > Is this legal? > > -------------------------- > Dr David J Plews > email: [log in to unmask] You cannot get SSP if your period of contract is less than 3 months, if you earn less than stlg58/wk. The first qualifying condition is that you must be incapable of work 4 days in a row (weekends included). If you were off in the previous 8 weeks then this time is counted towards your qualifying period. Therefore if you were off 2days in the previous month then you only need to be off 2days in the new illness to complete the qualifying period. You cannot be forced to provide medical evidence for the first 7 days but you have to provide some evidence ie self-certification. If you are off for more than 4 days then your employer has to pay from day 1. If your employer wants medical evidence after 7 days and doesnt get it then he/she can stop SSP In which case you can appeal to DSS and they will organise examination. Similarly if your employer is unhappy with evidence and thinks you should be back at work he can request DSS to arrange examination. Plus all the usual twists and turns of DSS/benefits rules and regs! ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ David Mills [log in to unmask] ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%