United Kingdom
Cookies and privacy
skip navigation
Browse frequently asked questions and answers on key HR issues. Navigate by topic or key word search. View latest additions or suggest a question to the XpertHR editorial team.
In what circumstances can an employee claim statutory sick pay? Are employers obliged to top up statutory sick pay to an employee's normal earnings? Is there an upper age limit on statutory sick pay? Are employees employed on a contract lasting less than three months still denied certain rights? What are the potential problem areas of offering benefits to employees in the event of sickness absence? If an employee has been signed off work by his or her doctor for a particular period can the employer allow the employee to return before the end of that period? Where an employee who has exhausted all entitlement to sick pay is to be dismissed on grounds of ill health will he or she be entitled to any payment throughout his or her notice period? Where an employee in the early stages of pregnancy is taking regular time off sick how should the employer handle the situation? Where a pregnant employee who is off sick with a pregnancy-related illness has used up her company sick pay entitlement is there any obligation on the employer to pay her at her normal rate of pay? Can an employee's car allowance be withdrawn while he or she is on long-term sick leave? Where an employee has asked for a phased return from long-term sickness absence, can the employer decrease his or her pay to reflect the reduced hours being worked? Would an employer be at risk if it terminated the contract of an employee on long-term sickness absence before the employee's entitlement to contractual sick pay had been exhausted? If an employee's sickness absence is due to a workplace accident, should he or she be paid in full where there is normally no provision for full sick pay? Can an employer withhold occupational or statutory sick pay from an employee who is frequently absent from work due to sports injuries? Can an employee who is expected to have a long period of sickness absence due to injury sustained during participation in a dangerous sporting activity be dismissed earlier than would normally be the case? Where an employer wishes to reward employees for low sickness absence, what factors must it take into account? If an employee works part of the day before going home sick, should this day count as sickness absence? If an employee goes abroad for treatment will he or she still be entitled to receive statutory sick pay? If an employee fails to return from a holiday abroad and claims that this is due to illness, must the employer treat a medical certificate sent from another country as evidence of incapacity? Where an employer has reason to believe that an employee absent on sick leave is working elsewhere can it arrange for covert surveillance?