Recording Sickness for Casual Workers (From 6 April 2026)

This guidance applies to casual workers engaged by the University who are treated as workers for PAYE/tax purposes.

Casual workers may be entitled to SSP where they:

• Are paid through payroll under PAYE
• Have undertaken work for the University
• Are absent due to sickness on a day they were due to work

This guidance does not apply to:

• Self-employed individuals
• Contractors who are not engaged as employees or workers by the University
• Individuals who have not yet completed any work for the University

From 6 April 2026:

• SSP is payable from the first full day of sickness absence
• The lower earnings limit is removed, so there is no minimum earnings threshold for SSP entitlement
• SSP is paid at the lower of:
  • 80% of average weekly earnings, or
  • The flat SSP weekly rate

For casual workers, SSP may be payable where the worker is:

• Scheduled to work on the day in question
• Absent for the full day due to sickness
• Already engaged and has completed some work for the University

For local administration purposes, a day of sickness absence should therefore normally be treated as a full day of absence on a day the worker was scheduled to work, after they have already undertaken some work for the University.

For casual workers at Loughborough University, SSP will normally be calculated using 5 qualifying days, Monday to Friday. Qualifying days are the days on which the worker is normally expected to work for the purpose of SSP calculation.

Casual workers must notify their line manager of sickness as soon as reasonably practicable, normally no later than one hour after their expected start time. Where the worker is unable to make contact personally, someone else may do so on their behalf.

Evidence requirements are:

• Self-certification for the first 7 calendar days
• A fit note/medical certificate for absences of more than 7 calendar days

Separate periods of sickness may link under SSP rules where they are 8 weeks (56 days) apart. Managers should ensure that all absences are recorded promptly and accurately so Payroll can assess entitlement correctly.

Where a University Teacher or contracted casual worker is absent due to sickness, the absence must be recorded in iTrent at the time of the absence by the line manager or relevant HR administrative contact, in the same way as for substantive staff.

For non-contracted casuals (dashboard) once the self-certificate is completed (found here) please send to hr.services@mailbox.lboro.ac.uk for processing.

Accurate and timely recording of sickness is essential.

Where a casual worker holds more than one position, sickness absence must be recorded separately against each relevant position by the appropriate manager.

Managers should only record sickness against positions or shifts that the worker was due to work and was unable to work because of sickness.

Managers should:

• Ensure the worker reports the sickness absence promptly
• Confirm whether the worker was due to work that day
• Record the absence in iTrent, or if the individual is on dashboard, send the completed self-certificate to HR Services without delay
• Ensure separate records are entered where the worker has multiple positions

This guidance is intended to support managers with local reporting processes. Payroll will determine SSP entitlement in line with statutory rules