UK mandates first-day statutory sick pay for up to 9.6 million workers
Change
UK enacted changes requiring statutory sick pay to be paid from the first day of illness for about 8.4 million existing claimants and extended eligibility to 1.2 million low‑earners, covering up to 9.6 million workers.
Why it matters
Employers must start paying statutory sick pay immediately from day one for newly eligible and existing claimants, creating an immediate change to payroll timing and liabilities. Payroll and HR operations will need to update processes and documentation to avoid pay errors under the new law.
Implications
- • Employer payroll teams must reconfigure payroll schedules and calculations to pay statutory sick pay from the first day of absence or risk underpaying eligible staff.
- • Human resources teams at UK employers must update sickness‑absence policies and employee communications to reflect the expanded eligibility or face increased disputes and pay queries.
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