Overview
Non-clinical staff should tell their Line Manager
Once you’ve called your Line Manager or the Rota Team to let them know that you can’t come in, they will record your sick leave in WhosOff for you.
NB. Time off for sickness is added to WhosOff using the leave type ‘Sick leave’. However, for bank staff, the leave type is ‘Bank staff sick leave’.
If you’re off sick for more than 1 day
If you’re sick for more than 1 day, please call us each day that you can’t come in, and let us know when you think you’ll be back at work. You should do this until you have a sick note from your GP, or if you agree with your Line Manager that daily updates are not necessary.
If you’re off sick for a longer period of time and have a sick note from your GP, you can update your Line Manager weekly about how you’re feeling and when you think you’ll be well enough to come back to work.
If you’re off sick for an extended period of time, we’ll keep WhosOff up-to-date for you.
Sick pay
Statutory sick pay (SSP)
You’re entitled to get SSP if you can’t work because you’re sick, and you meet the eligibility requirements below.
Company sick pay (CSP)
After you’ve worked with us for 1 year, you become eligible to receive CSP (for non-GPs). 🥳
Salaried GP sick pay (GSP)
Under the BMA model contract, some salaried GPs are able to get GSP if off sick. This is also subject to NHS England’s policy of reimbursement towards locum cover. The amount you receive is dependent on your length of service and whether you’re a regular or remote GP.
Other things to know
When do you need a sick note?
In order to claim SSP or CSP you need to provide proof of sickness:
- For the first 7 days (including non-working days) of sickness you can self-certify
- If you’re sick for more than 7 days in a row (including non-working days) you need a Statement of Fitness for Work (or sick note) from your GP
More information about self-certification and sick notes can be found on the Gov.uk website.
Coming back to work
We hope that you’re feeling better and able to come back to work as soon as possible!
When you return to work after any sickness absence, you’re required to have a welfare meeting with your Line Manager. This meeting is to check how you’re doing now, and if we need to make any adjustments to your work to help support you after your sickness.
Time off for medical appointments
Whilst we hope our teams are able to stay fit and healthy, we know that sometimes you may be feeling unwell and might need time to attend medical appointments. If possible you should book appointments outside of working hours. If that’s not possible, please try to book appointments either at the start or end of your day to minimise disruption.
If you’ve been with us for over a year, you’re able to take time off for medical appointments as paid leave under our Company Sick Pay (CSP). If you’re not eligible for CSP and you need to go to an appointment during working hours, you will need to take unpaid leave or use your annual leave.
Eligible for CSP — ‘Med appointment’
Not eligible for CSP — ‘Absence from work - Un-paid Leave’ OR ‘Holiday / Vacation’
Medications
If you’re taking any medications you should check possible side effects with your GP or pharmacist and tell your Line Manager if there are any safety concerns. For example, anti-depressants, sleeping pills or hay fever remedies can cause drowsiness and loss of concentration. These side effects increase the risk of accidents, particularly if you’re operating machinery or working at heights.
A note about Bradford Factor
The Bradford Factor is a simple formula that allows us to assess number of unplanned absences (e.g. due to sickness, emergency time off for dependents, time off for appointments). This gives a ‘score’ for each person that tells us how much unplanned leave they have taken in the past 12 months.
A high Bradford Factor score (indicating that you took a lot of unplanned leave) may be cause for us to further investigate these absences and your performance.