Statutory Sick Pay (SSP): employer guide

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Overview

Your employees may be eligible for Statutory Sick Pay (SSP), which is £118.75 a week for up to 28 weeks.

This guide is also available in Welsh (Cymraeg).

You can offer more if you have a company sick pay scheme but you cannot offer less. Company schemes are also called ‘contractual’ or ‘occupational’ sick pay and must be included in an employment contract.

There’s a separate guide to Statutory Sick Pay if you’re an employee.

Holiday (or ‘annual leave’)

Statutory annual leave is accrued while the employee is off work sick (no matter how long they’re off) and can be taken during sick leave.

  1. Step 1 Decide what type of employee you need

  2. and Check you can afford to take on employees

  3. Step 2 Make your workplace safe and accessible for employees

  4. Step 3 Register as an employer and set up PAYE

    You need to register with HMRC so you can pay tax and national insurance for your employees.

    1. Register as an employer and set up PAYE
    2. Choose how to run payroll
    3. If you decide to run payroll yourself, choose payroll software
  5. Step 4 Check your responsibilities around workplace pensions

  6. Step 5 Get Employers' Liability insurance

  7. Step 6 Recruit and employ staff