Question to the Department for Education:

To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the financial implications for schools in which catering and support staff are employed on contracts that do not provide Statutory Sick Pay.

The government has provided guidance on Statutory Sick Pay (SSP) for all employers, which includes specific information on when your employee is off work because of COVID-19. The guidance is available at: https://www.gov.uk/employers-sick-pay.

SSP entitlement is dependent on an individual’s employment status and their contract with their employer. Employees who are directly employed by schools are entitled to SSP if they have an employment contract which they have performed some work under and they have been sick for 4 or more days in a row (including non-working days). Employees must also earn an average of at least £120 per week, give their employers correct notice and provide proof of their illness after 7 or more days off to qualify for SSP.

The sick pay arrangements for staff supplied to schools under external contract are dependent on the precise nature of the agreement between those individuals and the organisation providing those services.