How is Statutory Sick Pay calculated for part-time workers?

Full answer

Statutory Sick Pay (SSP) works differently from many other statutory payments because it is a flat weekly amount rather than a percentage of earnings, which creates some specific effects for part-time workers. **The flat rate applies regardless of hours** SSP is paid at £118.75 a week for 2026/27, and this figure does not change based on how many hours you normally work -- a part-time worker contracted for 15 hours a week receives exactly the same £118.75 weekly SSP rate as a full-time worker contracted for 37.5 hours a week, provided both meet the earnings eligibility test. **The earnings eligibility test** To qualify for SSP at all, your average weekly earnings must be at least the Lower Earnings Limit (£125 a week for 2026/27) -- this is assessed by looking at your average earnings over a specific 8-week reference period before the sickness began. Part-time workers earning below this threshold do not qualify for SSP at all, regardless of how long they have been off sick, which can affect workers with very few contracted hours or low hourly rates. **How SSP is spread across qualifying days** SSP is only paid for "qualifying days" -- the days you are actually contracted to work each week -- so a part-time worker who only works 3 days a week (say Monday, Wednesday, Friday) only has those 3 days each week counted as qualifying days for SSP purposes, and the weekly rate is effectively divided across those qualifying days if only some are affected by sickness, not necessarily paid as a full week for a partial absence. **Worked example** A part-time worker contracted to work 3 days a week (Monday, Wednesday, Friday) qualifies for SSP based on earnings above the Lower Earnings Limit. If they are off sick for a full week that includes those 3 contracted days, they receive the full £118.75 weekly SSP rate for that week, exactly the same amount as a full-time worker off sick for the same week -- the flat weekly rate is not reduced simply because they work fewer days. **Waiting days** SSP is not payable for the first 3 "waiting days" of a sickness absence (which must be qualifying days), so it typically starts from the 4th qualifying day of sickness onwards, though separate periods of sickness within a short period of each other can sometimes be linked together, avoiding a fresh 3-day waiting period for each short absence. **Multiple part-time jobs** If you work multiple part-time jobs, SSP eligibility and payment is assessed separately for each employer based on your earnings and qualifying days for that specific job -- being off sick from one part-time job does not automatically affect SSP entitlement (or lack of it) from a different job with a separate employer. **Employers can offer more, but do not have to** Many employers offer contractual (occupational) sick pay above the statutory minimum, sometimes on a full-pay basis for a set period -- SSP is only the legal minimum floor, and part-time workers should check their specific employment contract for any more generous company sick pay scheme, which is not restricted to the same flat-rate structure as SSP. **Practical tip** If you have irregular or part-time hours, check your average earnings over the relevant 8-week reference period carefully against the £125 a week Lower Earnings Limit before assuming you qualify for SSP, since inconsistent or seasonal part-time work can sometimes fall just under the threshold in a way that is not obvious from your regular pay alone.

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