# Whirl the World - Company Sick Pay

It is the Company’s policy that employees should neither suffer loss of basic income nor increase their income during personal illness. Employees who are unable to work because of personal illness will normally be granted paid sick leave within time limits related to length of service.

Unless agreed otherwise, qualifying days will be the employee's normal working days - Monday to Friday for the majority of employees.

## Policy and scale of benefits

Item | Policy / Procedure
Entitlement | For permanent employees, paid sick leave entitlement within any one continuous period of sickness absence, or in any one Company Sick Pay year, will be as follows, based on the start period of the sickness:
Completed years of continuous employment | Maximum paid sick leave entitlement
Less than 1 year | 4 weeks
1 to 5 years | 13 weeks
More than 5 years | 26 weeks
Payment of benefit | Pay for the above periods will be paid automatically by the Company for any single or linked periods of incapacity. After expiry of the Company Sick Pay period, the Finance Department will reduce the rate of pay to the maximum statutory weekly rate. it is the responsibility of employees to have appropriate insurance in place. it is the responsibility of employees to have appropriate insurance in place.
Company sick pay year | The Company Sick Pay Year is from 1st January to 31st December. Where one continuous period of sickness absence runs into a second Sick Pay year, the total amount of Company Sick Pay payable in that continuous period of absence will not exceed the balance of the entitlement of the sick pay year in which the absence started.
Days per year | All days of sickness absence in any one year for which Company sick pay is paid, whether continuous or discontinuous, will count towards the maximum entitlement of paid sick leave in that year.
Frequent absence | In the event of frequent absences, or absences for long periods, the Company may call for confirmatory medical evidence and reserves the right to treat such cases as outside the scope of this Policy. The employee may also be asked to agree to an examination by a general practitioner or specialist nominated by the Company.
Sickness preventing holiday being taken and sickness on holiday. | If an employee's sickness prevents him/her taking a pre-authorized holiday, it will be treated as a period of sickness and not count against holiday entitlement provided the sickness is properly certified. Sickness while on holiday will however count as holiday entitlement.
Self-certification | Self-certification must be completed on the company intranet for every absence even if for half a day.

## Statutory Sick Pay (SSP) eligibility and guidelines

It is not intended to reproduce here all the regulations and provisions of Statutory Sick Pay, the information is a guide to the main points.

Item | Eligibility / Guidelines
Qualification | Most employees who pay National Insurance contributions are entitled to SSP if the sickness has lasted for four or more consecutive days, which may include days on which the employee does not normally work. This is called the period of incapacity for work. SSP will be paid only for qualifying days, which are days on which the employee is normally required to work. SSP will not be paid for the first three qualifying days of any period of incapacity for work, which are called waiting days.
Certification | SSP requires that, if a period of sickness absence has lasted for seven days or less, a self-certification form must be provided by the employee. If the sickness absence is more than seven days, the employee's doctor must provide a standard NHS certificate. Further certificates must be received for each additional week of absence.
Failure to notify absence | SSP may be withheld from an employee who has failed to observe the notification procedure without good reason.
SSP not payable | Statutory Sick Pay will not be payable if the employee: Does not pay National Insurance Class 1 contributions Is receiving Maternity Allowance Is over State Pension Age Is working outside the European Community when he/she becomes sick.
State Sickness Benefit deduction | Where there is entitlement to SSP, Company Sick Pay will be basic salary less any State Sickness Benefit [SSB] to which the employee is entitled.
Cessation of entitlement | Entitlement to SSP ceases after a period of 28 weeks of a single or linked absence. After 28 weeks, employees may be eligible for state incapacity benefit.

Employees who need further details should contact Finance Department.

## Procedure for eligibility - Company Sick Pay

### Notification

Should you be too ill to come to work, you should telephone your manager as soon as possible after the start of the working day and explain:

Why you are unable to come to work

How long you think the sickness absence might last

What action you are taking to mitigate the effects of the illness - for example, visiting the doctor

Where you can be contacted during the day should the company need to get in touch with you.

If you are not able to talk to your manager, then you should contact the HR Department. If your incapacity lasts for more than one day, unless you have submitted a doctor’s certificate, you should telephone every other day to keep the organization abreast of progress, unless agreed otherwise.

### On your return to work

When you return to work, you should report to your line manager before you begin work. Your manager will ask you about your illness and how well you have recovered. Your manager will also ask you to complete a self-certificate for the first seven days of illness.

Please note: the seven days includes those days on which you do not normally work, such as weekends and public holidays.

If you have been absent for more than seven days (including weekends and public holidays), you should bring with you a certificate from your doctor. This should explain the nature of your illness and confirm that you are fit to return to work.

If the organization has cause to be concerned about your health - for example, you have had a number of periods of sickness for the same reason in a short period - then your line manager may suggest that you visit your doctor for a check-up. In certain circumstances, especially if your long-term employment is in doubt because of your sickness record, then the organization may ask you to see a medical practitioner of its choice.

Your sickness absence will be marked on your personnel record.

## Abuse and unacceptable levels of absence

The Company may, at its discretion, discontinue sick pay for failure to adhere to the above procedures or if there is doubt about the integrity of a sick pay claim.