Make a written pay timeline before the payslip changes
Sick pay may combine an employer scheme and statutory minimum. Ask payroll to show which rule applies in each week and when evidence is needed.
Your absence and pay record
Keep the employer policy and current statutory information together.
- The sickness-reporting method, deadline and each notification you made.
- Self-certification period and fit-note dates with no accidental gap.
- Contractual sick-pay rate, duration, qualifying rules and interaction with SSP.
- From 6 April 2026, the first qualifying day and the lower of 80% of normal weekly earnings or the current statutory cap used for SSP.
- Payslip deductions and the date each pay source is expected to reduce or end.
- The official refusal or ending form and written reason if SSP is not paid.
- A benefits and insurance check before income drops.
Questions for payroll or HR
Ask for numbers and dates, not only a link to policy.
- Which days count as qualifying days in my work pattern?
- How was normal weekly earnings calculated for SSP?
- Does contractual sick pay top up, include or run alongside SSP?
- What happens to pension, holiday, benefits and salary-sacrifice deductions?
- Which form and challenge route apply if statutory pay is refused?
Ask for a line-by-line forecast
This helps you plan before the lower payment arrives.
“Please confirm in writing my contractual sick pay, statutory sick pay and take-home estimate by pay period, including the date each element changes or ends and any form I will receive.”
Protect the evidence trail before pay changes
Statutory Sick Pay is the legal minimum for eligible employees, while an employment contract or workplace policy may offer more. The reporting rule, evidence rule and pay calculation are separate questions.
Notify the employer using the stated sickness procedure and retain the message or call record. Current Statutory Sick Pay rules changed in 2026, so check live GOV.UK or nidirect guidance instead of relying on an older staff handbook or internet summary.
A fit note can say that a person is not fit for work or may be fit with changes. Suggested changes are a starting point for discussion. If suitable changes cannot be agreed, the current fit-note guidance explains how the employee should be treated for that period.
Ask payroll to set out contractual sick pay, statutory pay, deductions and the expected change dates. If Statutory Sick Pay is refused or coming to an end, request the written reason and the official form needed to explore benefits.
A practical way through it
Use the parts that fit your situation and leave the rest.
- Find the reporting ruleCheck who must be contacted, by what method and when. Tell them enough to record the absence without disclosing unnecessary clinical detail.
- Keep a dated absence recordSave notifications, fit notes, return-to-work plans and payroll messages. Keep the original fit note if the employer only needs a copy.
- Ask for the pay timelineRequest a written breakdown of contractual and statutory sick pay, expected end points and what happens during a phased return.
- Use fit-note advice practicallyDiscuss hours, altered duties, workplace adaptations or a gradual return where “may be fit” recommendations are relevant.
- Plan the next income sourceBefore sick pay changes, check Universal Credit, New Style ESA, insurance and pension options with an adviser.
- Challenge the right issueIf the dispute concerns statutory entitlement, follow the official route; if it concerns contractual pay, use the employer’s grievance process and get advice.
What this can look like
When payroll and the manager say different things
Nadia’s manager says she has three months of full sick pay, but her payslip falls sharply after six weeks and payroll refers to a different policy.
A practical response
Nadia asks payroll for the contractual clause, absence dates used and a written calculation of each pay element.
She checks her contract, handbook version and previous payslips, keeping the discussion factual rather than relying on the verbal assurance.
If the calculation remains disputed, she seeks Acas or union advice and uses the internal grievance route.
Notify correctly
- Follow the employer’s sickness-reporting rule and keep a record.
- A fit note may say not fit or may be fit with suggested changes.
Check each pay source
- From 6 April 2026, eligible employees in Great Britain and Northern Ireland receive SSP from the first full day they would normally have worked, and the Lower Earnings Limit no longer applies.
- SSP is paid for up to 28 weeks at the lower of 80% of normal weekly earnings and the current statutory weekly cap.
- Ask whether contractual sick pay applies as well, and request written reasons and the official form if statutory pay is refused or ends.
Plan before pay changes
- Ask payroll when each payment changes and what deductions will apply.
- Check benefits and insurance before the final payslip.
A manageable next step
What you could do now
- Find the sickness policy and reporting contact.
- Ask payroll for a written pay timeline.
- Keep fit-note evidence continuous where required.
Checked sources
Read the original guidance
We summarise carefully and link to the source so you can check the full, most current information. Sources were checked 9 September 2026.