"Wages" Topic

Hi guys

This one is for poeple in the UK. Can a company cut your wages with out telling? I have been off sick for a few weeks, no one has contacted me either via email or letter.

Jules

Sick pay is a bit of an odd area….

Some companies pay full pay no matter how long you are off sick. Others will let you have the first week on full pay and then fall back on SSP (Statutory sick pay). As far as I know you don't have to be informed of this, but I think it has to be in your contract of employment.

All the employment law stuff is in the office.. when I get in I'll have a look.

has to be in your contract. Our place gives something like 26 weeks full then onto half pay. My wifes old place used to give you 5 days full then onto SSP. Legally you are only entitled to SSP anything over this is a benefit provided by your employer.

Hope this helps, get well soon!

Alan

The letter of the law is that ccompanies are obligated to pay you statuory sick pay for up to 28 weeks of absence due to illness at a rate of £72.55 GBP a week. They only have to pay this if you have a formal employment contract with them.

For most office jobs, employers will keep you on full pay for that period after which they will put you on long term disability.

I'd bet the detials of our company's policy on sick pay is buried somewhere in your employment contract or an employee handbook. You might want to check that out, but be careful about making a big fuss. They do have the right to pay you less when you are sick.

"Can a company cut your wages with out telling?"

Well. They can. If they don't tell you it'll probably constitute grounds for a claim of constructive dismissal.

"I have been off sick for a few weeks, no one has contacted me either via email or letter."

Have you considered giving them a call and asking?

I'm sort of presuming your most recent payslip has just turned up rather smaller than expected with no explaination.

Normally, depending on your job, there's so much time at full pay, often some other time at half-pay and then you're into SSP. The polices are, as people said, buried in your various handbooks or your contract.

Thanks guys

I have just talked to the temp manager who is also now off sick, and she said we only get 6 weeks sick pay which is in our contract (which I have never recived my copy despite asking loads of times).

I now will have to go back to work even though I am not 100% fit and well. Looks like I'll be looking for another job very soon.

Jules

our contract (which I have never recived my copy despite asking loads of times).

A good enough reason all by itself to seek other employment. An HR department that can't (or isn't) responding to simple lawful requests like this could be capable of all sorts of negligence, abuse, and/or culpability in managerial schemes of questionable legality. The iceberg analogy comes to mind…

Did you know that you can be sacked for being off work you have not going in to work and there for broken your contract to work 52 weeks less your holidays
i found this out when one of my union members was in hospital i did my nut down at HR and then got my divisional officer in then was told by him the company could do it
having been a shop stward for a few year i was tahen back on this one
get better soon