Sickness Benefits form part of your contract of employment as long as you report them correctly.
In addition to this we have a Group Income Protection (GIP) scheme in place with Aviva. This will start if you are off work for more than 8 weeks continuously and will provide up to 75% of your income for up to 24 months. Hopefully you will not need to use GIP, but if you do then it will be administered by People and Culture team.
For more general information please read this article.
As a Line Manager there are two things to be aware of in relation to Group Income Protection:
- Proclaim Care (vocational rehabilitation) - This is a programme of support, guidance, advice and treatment following an illness or injury. A referral to Proclaim Care does not have to be once you have been off work for eight weeks but can be completed as soon as possible and should be completed if the absence is likely to be four weeks or more. If your team member is likely to be off work for longer than four weeks please contact the People and Culture team and they will, with the team members permission, complete a referral. This can be done prior to being off work if, for example, someone was going to have an operation. It may also be applicable if someone is unwell and struggling to stay in work.
- Group Income Protection - to ensure that claims can be accepted and processed the People and Culture team will contact Group Income Protection by the end of week four of an absence. To do this, permission is needed from the staff member with some wider information; please complete this form. When you speak with a team member who has been off work for a few weeks, please mention Group Income Protection and ask if we have permission to start the process. Initially we need verbal consent, and then once the referral has been started, the People and Culture team will complete further paperwork.