Employee sickness absence is often given little attention until it starts costing the business money. Absence is one of the most frequent reasons clients contact GAP HR. Sometimes it is a long absence with no clear end in sight; more often it is a short-term pattern that everyone in the business has noticed, and nobody … Read more
The statutory sick pay changes 2026 represent the most substantial reworking of the scheme since it was introduced in 1983. Some employers have felt little difference, while others, particularly those with part-time or low-paid teams, are still adjusting to what their absence costs now look like. Tracking reform of this kind so that clients do … Read more
Anyone searching for the rules on statutory sick pay 2026 will find a scheme that looks quite different from the one employers knew a year ago. The waiting days and earnings threshold have gone, and the amount an employee receives can now vary with what they earn. At GAP HR, we have supported small, owner-managed … Read more
Pregnancy affects every person differently, and the range of health-related issues that can arise during those nine months is broader than many employers realise. Understanding the reasons for sick leave during pregnancy matters not just from a compassion standpoint, but also from a legal one. Pregnancy-related absence is treated differently in law from ordinary sickness … Read more
How much would you have to pay if you lost a discrimination case at tribunal – what is it capped at? Bad news – it is unlimited! Which is why all those female city bankers can claim millions of pounds in compensation. What irritates me more is when the NHS, who should know better, do … Read more
If your employees call in sick there are things that you shouldn’t do. If you are worried about levels of sickness absence, there are ways to solve that. These things are not the way to go! Make them call you every hour they are sick, to prove that they are still at home Call them … Read more
So. You’re a small business with just a few employees, and managing them is one job you have to do yourself. And do it well. Learn from the costly traps that other employers have fallen into, with this free guide on the pitfalls you simply must avoid. Remember these are the seven biggest mistakes that … Read more
In the past few months we have been asked by 6 separate clients (different industries and locations) to help them deal with sickness absence. Before that, we hadn’t had to do any GP reports for almost a year. What is going on out there??!! The situation could be long-term sickness absences (are they ever coming … Read more
