Every employer in the country needs to update their sickness absence policy this year. This applies to every employer, in every sector, of every size.
Starting April 2026, two significant changes to Statutory Sick Pay (SSP) will take effect:
– The three waiting days will be abolished. SSP will now be payable from day one of sickness absence, rather than day four.
– The lower earnings limit will be removed. Workers who previously earned below approximately £123 a week were not entitled to SSP. Now, every employee will be entitled to it, regardless of their earnings.
Employers with part-time or lower-paid workers will now have SSP obligations that did not exist in March.
The immediate consequence is that any sickness absence policy referencing waiting days is now inaccurate. Employers with outdated policies regarding employee entitlements may find themselves in a precarious position.
Moreover, the removal of waiting days will alter the economics of short-term absence management, a factor that many line managers may not have considered. Managers who previously took a relaxed approach to a one-day absence—partly due to the lack of payment obligation—must now recognise that every absence incurs costs from the very first day. This necessitates a review of return-to-work procedures and absence trigger points.
Updating your sickness absence policy is a straightforward compliance task with a defined scope and a universally applicable reason. If your policy hasn’t been updated this year, it needs to be. Get in touch with me if you want our help!