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Freedom of information request

Sick pay policies

Freedom of information request reference
CAS-272266
Request resolved

Request

I would like to request copies of all current sick pay policies applicable to employees of your organisation. Specifically, I am seeking:

  • Copies of any documents, handbooks, or guidance outlining entitlement to sick pay (including occupational sick pay schemes).
  • Details of eligibility criteria, rates of pay, and duration of sick pay entitlement.
  • Any separate policies or variations that apply to different staff groups, grades, or types of employment (e.g., permanent, temporary, agency, or casual workers).

Outcome

Information provided.

Response

The National Archives’ “Managing Attendance and Ill Health policy” contains a section which sets out employees’ entitlement to sick pay. We have provided the relevant text from the policy below.

Sick Pay

Occupational

Occupational Sick Pay is available for sickness absences where the reporting and certification process has been correctly followed.

Occupational Sick Pay entitlement is calculated in calendar days, not working days. An absence from Friday to Monday will be calculated as 4 days irrespective of whether or not Saturday and Sunday are normal working days.

For the purposes of Occupational Sick Pay, “pay” is an employee’s normal basic pay.

Employees are entitled to:

  • full pay for a period of not more than 6 months (182 days) within a rolling 12- month period
  • on exhausting the entitlement to full pay, employees are entitled to half pay for a period of up to 6 months (i.e. 183 days) within a rolling 12 month period and a further rolling period of 4 years
  • if the total amount of sick leave exceeds 365 days in a 4 year period, the entitlement to occupational sick pay ceases.

Statutory

Qualifying employees will be paid Statutory Sick Pay (SSP) when Occupational Sick Pay reduces to half pay or ends until they have received the maximum amount of SSP (usually 28 weeks from the first linked period of sickness absence).

Qualifying employees include both permanent and temporary employees directly employed by the National Archives, but do not include agency staff.

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