Sick Pay

[diesel10]

We are a sessional committee run playgroup. Do any of you similar settings have staff sick pay?

 

We have three staff working together for 18 children. Today one had such a bad back that she couldn't stand up and the other had a stomach bug at the weekend. We don't offer sick pay, and they didn't want to take unpaid leave. What do you do? They still have bills to pay and it's a bad time of year to lose money.

 

I would really like to introduce sick pay for occasions like today but playgroup cannot write a blank cheque.

 

What is the answer??

[Deb]

Do they earn enough each week to qualify for statutory sick pay?

 

Otherwise unfortunately, as you say setting's cannot write a blank cheque, I would have to say no work no pay - as much as I would like to pay committed and diligent staff. If you start, you may make a rod for your own back.

 

I've always felt that having the above policy also ensures reliability.

 

Sorry - that's not much help is it!

[SueJ]

Similar way of working to Deb I'm afraid.

 

Sadly the funding money really doesn't allow for sick pay.

 

I think ACAS have a sick pay calculator which I looked at some time ago and you have to be off quite a while to qualify so it might be worth checking out.

[Inge]

as others have said, Statutory sick pay is the only way to be able to afford to pay anything..

 

they have to qualify for this and you get majority back form the Inland Revenue,

Stat. sick Pay HMRC

 

 

on the HMRC web site there are calculators as to if they qualify, ho much they would be paid etc, it is the same as any job they would have to self certify for first week and then get drs cert . it is not much but better than nothing..

 

Inge

[Guest]

Hi, same with us, I'd prefer to pay but it just isn't possible because you have to pay to cover sick staff.

 

We've had an awkward situation where one staff member really shouldn't be lifting, luckily we've been able to adapt things and cover her set up time with volunteers. When I spoke to ACAS they said the alternative was to suspend her on full pay

 

Do you give paid overtime for profiles, planning, etc? If they are able a bit of this could be done on a sick day and you could pay them for that?

[Guest]

p.s. I know you're within ratios with that number of staff but it will be awfully difficult for them to cover 18 children with only 3 of them. I went in to help yesterday and we had 3 of us to 13 children and it was really difficult to keep on top of things and to free flow. On a Wednesday we have 15 and I am looking into giving them an extra bank member of staff for that session. Hard to make it work financially, I know, but staff are your very best resource of all.

[Stargrower]

We operate the same way but as we are a full time day nursery, my staff qualify for statutory sick pay. However this is only after being off sick for a certain amount of days. I feel bad about it too sometimes but I feel that any other system would be open to abuse. A friend who also manages a day nursery told me that they have a policy that staff can have 5 days sick on full pay each year...but she said that this just amounts to them having 5 days extra paid holiday as everyone uses up their 'sick' days every year!

Beehive

[bugbabe]

No sick pay here either Im afraid, just can afford it.

 

Statutory sick pay only and touch wood, have never had to go there

[Guest]

same with us no play no pay!!!!! i think it helps with very little time off by my staff and we find that if staff cover for someone off sick they will return the favour at another time!

[Guest]

Hi I co own and hands on manage a pre-school . Our policy is 3 days sick paid a year , 2 days paid if your own child is sick and you have to be off work- after that its unpaid . We do operate at own discretion after the above has been used up but this is when circumstances are extreme and a staff member is having a really bad time . We don't have abuses of this fortunately . Dizzzz

[Guest]

We have always only paid if the staff work (sessional charity preschool too). We ahve looked this month at paying a member of staff who we encouraged to get signed off due to massive personal issues. She got the sick note but we would have had to pay her from funds and not SSP as she doesn't qualify. In the end we decided to do it this month as a goodwill gesture and to try to take some pressure off but we can only do it this month. In the past a member of staff got paid pro rata and it was all worked out in advance. Sad to say she took the mickey and had lots of time off "sick". Never again!

[diesel10]

Many thanks for all your replies.

 

I think I will stick with no sick pay at the moment and reviewed again later. It is difficult but we cannot afford to keep paying. On reflection some large companies may pay sick pay but they may not provide cover as we do. The member of staff would just pick up the work the next day.

 

I have tried to look at SSP but its quite confusing. Mostly the sickness is old days with colds /coughs etc.

 

I had thought about giving x about of sick days per year but feel this open to abuse. Some already get 10 weeks paid holiday so may end up being 11 weeks.

 

Just to confirm 3 staff with 18 children is fine as all are 4 or coming up to 4. We have our own building so do not have the putting away problem. We have less children in with the 2 /3 year olds. We normally have 1 inside and 2 outside (if majority outside)