In a bid to support businesses during the most recent wave of increasing coronavirus cases, the Government has announced that from mid-January, it will be reintroducing the Statutory Sick Pay Rebate Scheme (SSP). This previous scheme ended on 30th September 2021.
For small and medium enterprises, employers can reclaim SSP for up to two weeks where an employee been off sick due to a coronavirus related absence. Currently employers will pay £96.35 per week in SSP.
This scheme only impacts small and medium sized businesses who have fewer than 250 employees.
The purpose of reintroducing the scheme is to help relieve some of the pressure felt by businesses during high levels of sickness absence that has been caused by the omicron variant.
The government website indicates that further guidance is to be published shortly.
Read about emergency changes to the rules on self certifying sickness absence.
5th January 2022