Ordinarily for the purpose of administrating SSP employers allow self-certification for seven days and then require a fit note from the GP for longer periods. The seven day self-certification has temporarily been changed to 28 days.
The temporary measure relates to any period of incapacity for work which either started during the period of 17 December 2021 to 26 January 2022 or which started before 17 December 2021 but at that point had not lasted seven days (and so medical evidence had not yet been required). Should a spell of incapacity commence after 26 January 2022, the new rules will not apply.
Employers will need to ensure that the new self-certification rules are applied when administering SSP during this period. Consideration will also need to be given to the impact on company sick pay.
Employers will need to review the contractual requirement for medical evidence when paying company sick pay and check whether the scheme is linked to the rules for SSP.
If you need any assistance with regard to sick pay please do not hesitate to get in touch.
Please note that the self-certification rules for Statutory Sick Pay purposes have now returned to seven days. The temporary 28 day period of self-certification only applied to incapacity between 17 December 2021 and 26 January 2022.
