Tesco Sick Pay Policy

[Nomad]

"Will I be paid if I am absent?"

As you are aware, The Staff Handbook does not give the full details of Sick Pay.

Here is the Company Policy regarding Sick Pay in it's entirety:

POLICIES FOR OUR PEOPLE 2.16

SICK PAY

If employees are off work because of genuine illness or injury, they may receive Company Sick Pay.

If eligible for Statutory Sick Pay, this will be paid in their salary and the Company Sick Pay will be reduced by the appropriate amount of Statutory Sick Pay.

If an employee on prolonged sickness runs out of Statutory Sick Pay (usually payable for 26 weeks), they may claim further benefit directly from the Department of Work & Pensions (DWP). Payroll will send claim form SSP1 to the employee.

Any sick pay is based on length of continuous service. A sickness year starts on the anniversary date of joining the company and is outlined as follows:

Head Office

Level 1-3 entitlement:

Period of Service                                                   Annual Allowance (Number of Weeks' Pay)                 
Less than 12 weeks                                                                         Nil
12 weeks but less than 1 year                                             3 weeks at full pay
1 year or more                                                        6 weeks at full pay, plus 3 weeks at half pay

NB: Some Work Level 3 and above employees employed before 1st June 2001, who were of the old M7 grade (across Head Office, Distribution, and some Retail Group and Store Managers) have an annual sickness benefit of 26 weeks at full pay (please check personal contract).

Level 4-5 entitlement:
These employees have an annual sickness benefit of 26 weeks at full pay.

Direct Fulfilment:
Employees are only eligible to receive Company Sickness Pay after the first 3 days of any period of sickness.

Stores

For all employees up to and including Senior Team & for Category 5/6/7 Store Managers:

Period of Service                                                   Annual Allowance (Number of Weeks' Pay)
Less than 6 months                                             Nil
6 months but less than 1 year.                             Up to 1 week
1 year but less than 2 years                                 Up to 2 weeks
2 years but less than 3 years                                Up to 3 weeks
3 years but less than 4 years                                Up to 4 weeks
4 years but less than 5 years                                Up to 5 weeks
5 years but less than 6 years                                Up to 6 weeks
6 years +                                                             6 weeks, then one week for each year of service, up to a
                                                                           maximum of 16 weeks*

NB: Employees who joined after 4th July 2004 are only eligible to receive Company Sickness Pay after the first 3 days of any period of sickness. Each time an employee is sick the 3 day waiting period will apply, even if this is soon after a previous period of absence. However, in Express the 3 day waiting period does not apply to Line Managers.

* Once an employee has built up a six week allowance it becomes their 'fall back'
   position, this means that regardless of the amount of sick leave they take in any
   year they will always be eligible for a minimum of six weeks sick leave each year
   going forward.
   To this six weeks an additional week is added for each year of service, up to a 
   maximum of 16 weeks sick allowance. Should an employee with maximum
   allowance need to take any time off sick, the 16 weeks reduces by the amount
   of time taken, and the employee will then qualify in future years for the additional
   one week each year until they reach the maximum 16 weeks again.

For Category 8/9/10 Store Managers, Express Area Managers and Store Operating Managers:
These employees have an annual sickness benefit of 26 weeks at full pay.

Distribution (non-Composite)

Period of Service                               Annual                                  Maximum Allowance
                                                       Number of Weeks' Pay           Number of Weeks' Pay
Less than 6 months                                      0                                           0                                           
6 months but less than 1 year                      1                                           1                           
1 year but less than 2 years                          2                                           3                               
2 years but less than 3 years                        3                                           6                     
3 years but less than 4 years                        3                                           9                               
4 years but less than 5 years                        3                                           12                               
5 years but less than 6 years                        3                                           15
6 years but less than 7 years                        3                                           18                               
7 years but less than 8 years                        3                                           21                     
8 years but less than 9 years                        3                                           24                               
9 years but less than 10 years                      3                                           27                             
10 years or more                                          3                                           30

Maximum Allowance means that employees will be allowed to add their annual allowance of Company Sick  Pay, all of the previous years' annual allowance not taken, up to a maximum of 30 weeks.

Employees who have accrued 30 weeks' allowance and who use up their full allowance due to a protracted illness will, on return to work, be credited with 8 weeks' allowance.

Distribution (Composite sites)

Period of Service                                 Annual Number                             Maximum Number
                                                            of Hours' Pay                                   of Hours' Pay

Less than 6 months                                       0                                                    0                                           
6 months but less than 1 year                      36.5                                               36.5                           
1 year but less than 2 years                          73.0                                              109.5                               
2 years but less than 3 years                        109.5                                             219.0                     
3 years but less than 4 years                        109.5                                             328.0                               
4 years but less than 5 years                        109.5                                             438.0                               
5 years but less than 6 years                        109.5                                             547.5
6 years but less than 7 years                        109.5                                             657.0                               
7 years but less than 8 years                        109.5                                             766.5                     
8 years but less than 9 years                        109.5                                             876.5                               
9 years but less than 10 years                      109.5                                             985.5                             
10 years or more                                          109.5                                            1095.0

TRANSFERS FROM ONE FUNCTION TO ANOTHER

If an employee transfers from one part of the Company to another, their sickness entitlement will remain the same until their anniversary of joining, when it will be 'refreshed' according to the terms and conditions of the new employment.

However, if someone transfers in or out of Direct Fulfilment, they will receive the new terms and conditions at the point of transfer.

SICK PAY EXTENSIONS

The extension of sick pay is down to management discretion but some of the issues worth considering before making a decision are as follows:

- employee's length of service
- employee's previous sick record
- employee's disciplinary record
- employee's performance record

If the decision is to extend, ensure that this is confirmed in writing to the employee with details of how long it is to be extended for and that the extension is NOT an admittance of liability (if the employee is off work due to an accident at work). NB: The Store Manager may also decide in exceptional circumstances that the three day waiting period does not need to apply.

Always keep records of any decisions made on sick pay extensions and the reasons for them so that if challenged, they can be justified as fair and reasonable based on the circumstances of the case.


Related:

AR, Next Steps