April 2026 will see one of the biggest changes to sickness entitlement and pay.

Two significant changes will be implemented, namely –

• The removal of the “waiting period”, meaning that Statutory Sick Pay (SSP) will be payable from the first day of absence, instead of the current 3 unpaid waiting days being in place
• The removal of the Lower Earnings Limit (LEL) . Currently staff need to earn the LEL in order to receive SSP.  From April. SSP will be payable at 80% of salary for those who do not earn enough for the usual SSP rate.

It is essential that companies look at their sickness processes for April onwards for the following reasons –

• It will be essential to be able to track sickness patterns and identify staff who are regularly absent
• Carrying out return to work interviews for all absence is recommended, in order to understand sickness reasons
• Companies will need to budget, not only for the additional 3 days SSP, but also to be paying 80% of wages to staff who currently don’t qualify for SSP
• Managers will need to be trained to carry out return to work interviews, spot trends, and have conversations about sickness

 

The cost of sickness absence

Current sickness figures show that employees take an average of 2 weeks (9.4 days) off, each year. A survey undertaken by CIPD and Simplyhealth showed the increase in figures, which has risen from an average of 5.8 days before the pandemic, to 7.8 days in 2023.

The rise in long-term ill health conditions accounts for one of the biggest factors, with 8.7 million people currently estimated to be living with a work-limiting condition.

Other long-term causes include mental ill health, depression and anxiety (41%), musculoskeletal injuries (31%) and serios conditions (including cancer) (30%)

Short term absences were stated as 78% for minor ailments (colds/flu), mental health issues (29%), stress (26%) and caring responsibilities (26%).

A further survey by Kickresume found that 22% of respondents had taken a sick day because they “needed a break”, and 10% admitted to using sick leave to catch up on personal errands.

It is essential to manage absence pro-actively, viewing it as a holistic, daily part of culture, and not just a form that is completed when an employee is off sick.  Equipping managers to act consistently and fairly, and having the tools to signpost for further support is essential.

 

 

Physical and mental ill health

Often, physical and mental ill health can overlap, and staff may suffer from symptoms of both. Ensuring that support is available for employees early on is essential, proactively talking and taking targeted action to help employees manage stress and health conditions can be key to enabling positive attendance to be maintained.

 

Managers and HR

It is also essential to ensure that managers and HR’s own health is not overlooked. These roles play a key part in managing attendance, and should receive their own support and access to resources should they need it.

 

Further Help

If you would like to discuss how we can support with absence management, including forms and templates, managers training, workshops, policy review, or any other aspect, please contact us (team@hrprime.co.uk).