The scheme is intended to supplement Statutory Sick Pay and Employment Support Allowance so as to maintain normal pay during defined periods of absence on account of sickness, disease, accident or assault.
Absence in respect of normal sickness is entirely separate from absence through industrial disease or injury arising out of or in the course of employment with Bromley Council. Periods of absence in respect of one shall not be set off against the other for the purpose of calculating sick pay under the scheme.
Employees who are absent through sickness will receive an amount of sick pay based on the following:
During first year of service 1 month’s full pay and (after completing 4 months service) 2 months half pay.
During second year of service 2 months full pay and 2 months half pay.
During third year of service 4 months full pay and 4 months half pay.
During fourth and fifth year of service 5 months full pay and 5 months half pay.
After 5 years service 6 months full pay and 6 months half pay.
The period during which sick pay shall be paid, and the rate of sick pay, in respect of any period of absence shall be calculated by deducting from the employee’s sick pay on the first day the aggregate of periods of paid absence during the twelve months immediately preceding the first day of absence.
In the case of full pay periods sick pay will be an amount which when added to Statutory Sick Pay and Employment Support Allowance receivable will secure the equivalent of normal pay.
In the case of half pay periods sick pay will be an amount equal to half normal earnings plus an amount equivalent to Statutory Sick Pay and Employment Support Allowance receivable, so long as the total sum does not exceed normal pay.
Normal pay includes all earnings that would be paid during a period of normal working, but excluding any payments not made on a regular basis.
The sickness benefits to be taken into account for the calculation of sick pay are those to which an employee receives on the basis that the employee has satisfied so far as is possible:
The conditions for the reporting of sickness as required by Bromley Council.
The claiming of benefits.
The obligation to declare any subsequent changes in circumstances affecting sick pay.
An employee who is prevented from attending work because of contact with infectious disease shall receive normal pay. The period of absence on this account shall not be reckoned against the sick pay the employee has already received under this scheme.
If an employee abuses the sickness pay scheme or is absent on account of sickness due or attributable to deliberate conduct prejudicial to recovery or the employee’s own misconduct or neglect or active participation in professional sport or injury while working in the employee’s own time on their own account for private gain or for another employer sick pay may be suspended. Bromley Council shall advise the employee of the grounds for suspension and the employee shall have a right of appeal to the Director of Human Resources. If the Director of Human Resources decides that the grounds were justified then the employee shall forfeit the right to any further payment in respect of that period of absence. Repeated abuse of the sickness pay scheme will be dealt with under the disciplinary procedure.
