Hi Everyone! Can anybody help me approximate my monthly wage please? I have recently returned to work after a period of sickness and I would like to work out how much I should of received this month as I believe there are discrepancies in my employer's calculations. The GOV.UK SSP calculator has worked out I am entitled to £173.41 for the period of sickness. I am on £18,000 pa salary and paid every month. All help is greatly appreciated, thank you in advance.

Hello to all I am currently recovering from having my appendix removed and I'm looking to start back work asap! I am due to start back to work on Saturday which will be 7 days off in total. I would like some clarification about my right to use their statutory holiday entitlement during my sickness period. My employers have stated, "On the issue of your sick pay we are unfortunately unable to allocate holiday to the time you have been absent as we have a legal obligation to use SSP. It is also our company policy not to authorise the use of holiday for absence due to sickness in most circumstances." However, http://www.Gov.uk advices the following ot it's website, "Employees only need a fit note from a doctor after 7 days off work sick and have the right to use their statutory holiday entitlement during their sickness." Can anybody enlighten me as to my rights as an employee? Thanks in advance

hello im wondering if anyone can help me . Firstly I suffer with mental health problems- I had a breakdown in 2008 before which I went bankrupt and was discharged. I was off 18 months but got myself back working as I just wanted a normal life. ive had recurrent depression all of my life but I got a job after my breakdown , I got a store card with jd Williams as id put on lots of weight on my medication and the limit increased as I was paying, but I was on a low income , t hen vanquis offered me a card and increased my limit I left my job because of ill health and got another job, before this I loaned from quick quid at xmas I think this was 2011 then I got progressively into further debt with payday loans and where ive kept wanting to work got another job - I went on a plan with Harrington brooks but they took 3 payments of 175 just to get plan started. then I was ill in my new job and didn't get paid so stupidly took a loan with cheque centre and did loads of overtime then I got ill aain and kept having to reloan with cheque centre. then I thought it must be wrong job so started teacher training and because I tried to push myself and the nature of what is my illness I had to leave then I applied for part time job but had to leave after a week it was too much im on esa now and started with Kensington but ive made two and half payments and cant afford it - ive been looking at dros on here so contacted stepchange and have recommended dro but I wont here from specialist team til Monday. I cant budget and because I was working thought I could pay but im now under the mental health team and they are assessing me for borderline disorder in a couple of months. im worried re dro im worried itl be revoked not approved that il be seen as reckless whether a creditor will appeal against it I owe 6k . I will never take out lending again, learn budgeting etc. I never knew about paydayloans and not good at considering interest etc im understanding my condition will persist and when I thought I was ok I wasn't I catastrophise and am very low and anxious I feel ashamed and stupid any advice would be great thankyou

hi I have just found out that i had ppi on a loan i took out back in 2005. Loan ended 2010 Didnt even know i had it, and only found out by accident last week. We have never knowingly taken out ppi for anything. Problem i have is I was ill(eventually lost my job through it)at the time/or thereabouts. I cannot remember if it asked me if i was on sick or any Something tells me i may have went on the sick a month later (but cannot remember) . As i did not know i had ppi i did not claim anything. As i worked for Inland Revenue, i got full sick pay for 6 months, then 1/2 for the next year, then i was payed off. So what do i claim it under, thanks

Wonder if anyone can help me, I have been employed with the same company for 5 years, in the last 2 years we've had a couple of managers promoted from a very low level with no managerial experience. During this time period i have been subjected to what i feel discrimination, bullying, intimidation and general unfairly treated that also some colleagues have picked up on and notified me also. It has taken me to a point where im now off with work related stress and depression which is a living nightmare. After 2 years of this i have decided enough is enough and lodged a 7 page grievance on the managers. Now the HR department is very one sided, i have seen it from a outside of the box perspective ie from previous colleagues who have had the similar treatment to what i am receiving and i will not get a fair investigation of my claims. All claims i know will be refuted and dismissed of. I am aware this will happen. The last time i went to work was in a meeting where a manager clearly and blatantly lied to cover himself, later after this meeting i had a huge anxiety attack and my doctor advised i need to take off work before something more serious happens. I have been off for 3 weeks. Recently i lodged a grievance which actually i have been writing and adding bits to it for over a period of time (few months). Now i am asked to attend a hearing which i feel in no fit state of mind to do so. I desperately would like to attend in the hope something can be done and i can get back to work and work happily again. However i really feel uncomfortable to attend at the moment. So my question really is, where do i stand on this? this is the first time ive ever had to raise any concerns in this manner in my lifetime and i do not know the system with regards to this. Could i ask the employer to reschedule? if they do not agree to can i ask them to investigate without my presence? Thanks alot

As predicted they did it again. I don;t know why my advisor just didn't say from the beginning that he had no intention of allowing me to go on the new enterprise allowance scheme. Here's what happened today. After raising this with the manager of the site last week I was supposed to go in today to fill in the paper work. Only I had this job interview, and as part of my JSA deal I had to go along with it even though the intention was to go on this scheme. I rearranged the interview for after today, and filled in the application form they sent me. I suspected all along it was a set up. I saw the emails they sent me printed off when I went in on his desk so then I knew it was coming then. This company basically have handed the job centre personal documents of mine without my consent, which I think breaks the data protection act. I have reported this to police and guess what- not a police matter. The company also cancelled the interview following my application form, so I sent them a cheeky email back telling them where to shove it and they grassed me up to the job centre, who have now referred my claim to a decision maker. My advisor also refused to sign me up foe this scheme on these grounds as well, so basically the whole thing has been a set up. My question first of all is where do I stand on this with regards to the data protection act, and what can I do about it? I'm ill from all the stress they have caused me this year and going get a sick note from my doctor again tomorrow. I thought if I could start up my own business then this would allow me to be self sufficient without having to worry about not sleeping and turning up late for work all the time, and making myself more ill. Second question- can I now claim ESA if I have been referred to a decision maker and how does that affect my claim for that? I was on it last year but ATOS kicked me off it, I should have challenged it, but I honestly want to work. I am having transient health problems which are causing me a lot of worry.

Extract from http://www.newstatesman.com/business/2013/10/disabled-and-work-programme-cold-calling-companies-8-16-hours-week Despite this, the Conservative Party conference launched with George Osborne’s pledge to practice “tough love” on the people who, having gone through the Work Programme, are still unemployed. Yesterday, it emerged the disabled and long-term sick would not be exempt from being penalised for the scheme’s failure. Leaked documents show Iain Duncan Smith is seeking ways to give jobcentre staff more powers to make people on ESA undergo further tasks to prove they are “trying as hard as possible to get back into work.” This includes forcing people with serious health conditions that have been judged as ‘time-limited’, to take up any offer of work. Department of Work and Pensions staff would be given the power to strip the disabled or sick of their benefits if they refused. Might account for why I have 3 appointments booked in the space of 8 days all with the word, mandatory highlighted. 1 of those appointments is a rescheduled doctors appointment (rescheduled because of the work providers added appointments) be interesting to see if they will allow it (without a sanction). It is not just an appointment it is for further tests with an on going condition.

Hi I started a new job at the beginning of october. The day before starting I broke my wrist. However, I've been able to do my job and as far as I know there were no issues with my performance. Last week, the day after I had my splint removed I was asked to lift heavy boxes (not usually part of my job) and shortly after my wrist and hand became sore and started to swell. Few days later it was so swollen I couldn't dress and now have to keep it raised. Was off work for three days last week after being advised complete rest for it and having it raised to reduce swelling and had hoped to return today but still have to see the doctor. It's still swollen though not as bad and I have some limited movement in it. I'm really worried how this will affect my probation period. I'm reluctant to take any more time off incase I'm let go but I'm worried going back too early could leave permanent damage. Any advice would be gratefully received.

Hi guys My question is can i be sacked even though i have 2 sick notes signed by my doctor over the past 5 days ive had viral gastroenteritis and ive had the worst pain in my stomach with than ive ever had before i defiantly could not go to work. Luckily now im on day 6 and im not far better not 100% but im getting there and hoping ill be ok on Friday when i return to work. Basically my sickness started 22nd November until 26th then i still felt crap so went back to my doctors where he signed me off for a further 3 days 26th - 29th. Basically my question is even though ive been off for a total of 7 days they get rid of me, i started my job in telecoms for a contractor back in June since then ive had 2 days off in that 6 month periods for small illnesses but returned to the job the next day.

Im hoping someone can give me some advice on this please. Its really getting to me and Im at my wits end at the moment. Here goes. Up until 2011 I had a really good job, never claimed any benefits. Come November 2011 I was made redundant, but luckily got a new job two days later (on about half the pay). We lived on the wage from the new job and the redundancy for about a year (used it to repay debts etc). My new job was with an agency. During February 2013 the company who used the agency said they were not going to renew my contract, but offered me a permanent job starting 1st March 2013 (on slightly more money). The HB and CTB payments continued. Fast forward to April 2013. The company I worked for lost their bid to extend their contract with a national company they worked for. The work was awarded to another company. I was transfered to the new company via TUPE (Wages unchanged), Now this company is undergoing a restructuring plan, and I am uncertain whether there will be a position for me. Whilst looking at my finances this week I realised I had never told the council about the increase in wage back in April. It just didnt register with me at the time due to all the stuff that was happenig at work and the threat of being made redundant twice in the space of 4 months. Llke I said I just dont know what to do. I know I should contact the council and tell them but im so scared of what the result will be I just cant pluck up the courage to do it. Its really starting to affect me now, Im not eating, not sleeping and Im being physically sick at the thought of what might happen. Can anyone help please?

All, I work for a Goverernment Department, but the team i work for doesnt work standard hours (it's not a 9 - 5 job. My hours are based on an annualised contract were i do 2104 hours over the year, plus an extra 250 hrs. My hours aren't set, I normally work a 9.5 hr day (including 1hr lunch), but this can be changed at any time, basically if i have to do a 24 hr shift, then thats what i do. We also work at any time of the day, normally start at 0700, but this can be changed to any time of the day, as and when required. This is not regarded as a flexi-time contract, but it is accepted that if a do a double shift, i am then owed a shift as time in lieu, or part there of. We are allowed to have a running total of hours that is +/- 5% of my expected hours. As an example, for November this year, i am expected to do 197hrs +/- 5%. Three times a year the hours are reviewed and would be brought into line at these reviews, (i.e. make up hours or take time off to stay within the 5%) During the summer, i was off ill for 11 weeks. Now that i have returned to work, I have been given a written warning for my attendance. My employer has stated that there is no problem with my work but just that I have had too many absences. I was fully compliant with departmental sick terms and OH during my illness. I have just been informed that, a days sick is only worth 8.5 hrs, so i now owe the department 55 hours! My boss says that it is not a problem, as i am still within the -5%. However, If i now do a double shift, i am no longer entitiled to the time of in lieu, as it will just be taken off the 55hrs i owe. With christmas looming and public hoildays/annual leave which i have booked, i have calculated that i will go beyond the -5% allowed in my hrs. The boss says he will deal with that, if it happens. (NB - a days leave is only worth 8.5hrs too, so if i take a day off, i owe 1 hr!) Until a couple of yearsa ago, I was a union member, but I (and many others) left afterthier handling of another attendance issue a couple of years ago. So i dont have any faith in the Unions ability to advise with this issue. If anyone could give any opinion on this situation, it would be greatly appreciated. Or conversley, will i just have to bight the bullet and make up the 55 hrs thanks in advance, paul

Hi all, I am under JSA since March 2013 and was sick in august for two seeks. Presently I am (wrongly) sanctioned since September 2013 for three months but I still sign on. However, I am sick again since yesterday and I am supposed to sign on today but I was not able to go to this appointment : Also, I would like to know if that will be fine in order to still under JSA if my present sickness is not more than 14 days. Thanks in advance for your help, Emily

HI! New to this but desperately need some advice.I made a single persons child tax credit claim in december 2011 and have been receiving them ever since. I received a letter from compliance telling me thatthe details for money earned didnt match to their information.Frantically looking for pay slips I agreed it didnt. I had put in my salary not the final pay at end of year. I then checked and have done the same thing for the previous year. I called them and they said they would amend and send out amended amount presumably with me owing them. I am in a state of panic will I have to just pay back what I owe.will I be penalised or worse be prosecuted.there is only me and my two kids so no family for advise and support and am petrified that I will lose my job.

Hi, I would like to ask for some more information about Company Sick Pay. I am working on full time contract over 4 years (from 30.03.2009) and I am entitled to Company Sick Pay however I do not know haw it is working. Terms and Conditions of Employment is saing: " Company Sick Pay Your entitlement to sick pay is detailed below, all payments are at the discretion of local management and normal monthly pay will be made up after allowing for the Statutory Sick Pay. Continuous Service - Entitlement Less than 1 year - 10 days 1 year-3 years - 6 weeks 3 years plus - 12 weeks Again your continuous service date is taken into consideration. If on joining the organisation, you are in the possession of either a leaver's statement SSP (1) or a Form BF220 from your local DSS office it must be given to the Human Resources department at the earliest opportunity. " We can have 3 periods of sickness during rolling year and any more will couse a disciplinary acction but I do not know how it is related to Company Sick Pay, for example: If I am off sick 4th time in rolling year but it is my 3rd time from April 1. Is my Company Sick Pay entitlement renew every year (from April)? If "No" how it works? Thanks for any help.

Hi I'm not very well and don't think I will be able to sign in 2mrow! :/ Does anyone know what I have to do please? Will I lose my 2weeks money? Think I hav this stomach bug going round Someone says ur covered for 14 days or something? Thank u peeps! Alf

I'm off sick with work related stress. I'm feelingg really depressed, I cant stop crying and have no one to turn to. During maternity leave, I was basically restructured out of my job and moved by HR to role in a new profession. I worked in a specific profession and was moved to an admin role. I don't want to give to many details with the specifics of this. Let's just say it's like a dentist or say an architect being moved into an administration role. I tried to get HR to explain how they thought I had the skills and training and they said I will be provided it. They said I have no say and I was moved. I was moved and worked in this new role for a while. HR did not provide the training and my manager followed this up and with no luck as was told it was the managers responsibility to train me. Long story short I haven't had the training I required for this job. For many months I was started having health problems and I was battling on trying to get workplace to help me with this issue - no luck. Ultimately it was HR who made the decision to place me in this role. My health problems and my stress snowballed that I am now off sick with work related stress. I've been called to an attendance meeting and issued a formal letter but told to ignore the formal wording around disciplinary as the process would be used only to deal with my situation. However, they haven't amended the letter and said that they have to keep the wording in as its a formal letter. I don't understand this- it's like having some one telling you to sign a contract and saying dont worry about the formal wording it doesnt apply but we just have to keep it there? On top of this my manager insists on me phoning manager every week even though my sick note is for a longer period then this. This is really depressing me and making me really stressed. How often am I required to keep in touch by law. Our work handbook says on a 'regular basis' On top of this I have been referred to occupational health. Do I have to by law have these meetings if I have a doctors note in place. I feel like I am in a bottomless pit. I think I have been very reasonable in giving my company ample opportunity to sort out a situation they created with no success

Hello to everyone. I don't expect sympathy here but am looking foe a bit of advice. I recently finished a Work Programme so have been referred back to the JobCentre. I suffer from severe anxiety and OCD and see a psychiatrist monthly and to say that this has gotten in the way of my life is an understatement. However, I have been determined not to go on any form of incapacity because I live in hope that the corner will be turned. I went to sign on for JSA today and they kept my jobsearch. The thing is, it has been an awful month and I copied-down jobs which I hadn't applied for onto the form you have to fill-in to prove you are looking for work. They have kept it and I am worried sick - literally, I have vomited - that they will check, do me for fraud and that I'll be arrested. Shall I just phone them or visit them and come clean?

Hi, I've been using the PPI forum recently as I had discovered that we were not only in a lot of debt but it seemed that my wife has been fleeced by lenders for unasked for extras, amongst other things. However things have just got a whole lot worse as our mortgage company has broken off negotiations and late yesterday we received a letter telling us that they were instructing their solicitor to start repossession proceedings. I am retired with just a basic state pension. Until Nov last year my wife had a good job. She lost it in such an underhand way that her union has taken up the case and a tribunal is sitting sometime in Dec. The union barrister has told us that she has a good and valid case and should she win there will be a substantial payout. However, this is not Dec and is no real help! She has been trying to get back into work, but so far with no success. Her health has suffered as a result and I'm extremely worried about her. We have been paying as much as we can afford to them each month, and even more whenever we have some spare money. The DWP has also chipped in with a contribution which they pay direct to them. We have tried to negotiate with them but their stock stance is that we should pay the arrears or face eviction. We are paying way above the odds in interest rates, as this mortgage was sold to my wife by a broker who knew he could bamboozle her and has since gone out of business. We tried a while back to get legal advice about how we could start proceedings for a miss sold mortgage but he advised that as the company had gone out of business (Crystal Clear Home Loans) there was little chance of success. (I have since discovered that one of the directors is still trading , in the same building, offering financial services) Recently our loan was transferred to the 'solutions' dept in GE and we were in contact with a 'nice' guy who gave us the impression that they were actively working on a solution for us. On Tuesday morning he rang us to say that he hadn't heard back from Finance but was expecting to hear later in the day and would ring back around 5. 5o'clock came and went as did Wednesday and Thursday. Late Friday afternoon a letter arrived informing us of their proceedings. We immediately rang him but they refused to put us through to him, instead insisting that we spoke to their legal Dept. This young man was as close to being a brick wall as is humanly possible. Despite anything we said to him his stance was to repeat over and over again that we had to pay the arrears before the solicitors action would be stopped. The thing is, we did everything we could to reassure them that we were not simply 'not paying'. We rang them as soon as my wife lost her job, we kept them informed every month, and as I said we paid as much as we could without fail. Even the 'brick wall' we spoke to yesterday conceded that he would have expected the arrears to be much higher. They currently stand at about £2,500. As the title says, we are worried sick. Housing down here is at a premium and as rare as hens teeth. The council list currently has 29,000 on it, and we're not on it either. We have however phoned the Council to ask about the mortgage rescue scheme, but the word is that around here it's almost impossible to get onto it unless you're almost gasping your last, and I'm a few years off that I think... So... What on earth can we do? This feels like the end of the world for us. We have a house full of memories, a retired greyhound and a couple of cats, and it seems that everything is crashing down around our heads. We always saw this financial situation as a temporary blip. We remained optomistic that we would be able to heave ourselves out of it (In fact my wife has a job interview next week, small salary but it's a start) We're terrified that GE will steamroller through the courts and the glimmer of hope we see on the horizon will be lost in all the debris. Sorry to go on in such a long post but I'm genuinely at my wits end trying to hold all this together and seeing my wife's face looking so devastated is hard to take. Hope someone can point us in the right direction, in fact any direction would be good... Thanks.

My husband suffered an injury at work in October. He has been unable to work since and has recieved SSP which will run out this week.His employers (a public school) have not accepted liability for the accident and to be honest have been quite nasty. He works 3 days a week as a general maintenance man. He read somewhere that he could have holiday pay rather than SSP so he asked for 2 days from last year and 4 days accrued for this year. He received the following reply. Holiday entitlement can be requested at anytime during the holiday year but it is the employers decision when it can be taken. It would be quite unusual to pay holiday entitlement unless the contract has come to an end when we would of course factor in any accrued holiday not taken' Is this true? I cant see any reason for refusing other than making life difficult for us.

Hi all I'm having a bit of a debate with my employers about whether or not I'm entitled to sick pay and could really use someone's help. I've worked at the same place for 11 years. We were TUPE'd over 2 years ago to a large organisation which of course has a Sick Policy. A year before the merge I was off work having spinal surgery and I was told by my manager at the time that the company's policy for sickness changed. We were told that we would only be entitled to 2 weeks occupational sick pay. I have only just 'found' the policy on a memory stick. What it actually states on the policy is: I have not had any time off sick since the merge until May when I was off again with my back for 2 weeks and then a few days later after tripping at work which jarred my back again. Hence why I have never queried this before. The new company's Sick Policy clearly states that only 1 of the other companies in the group has it's own sick policy and that the Administrator (which is what I am) is entitled to: I asked whether I am to be paid under the 'old' policy as I have now discovered or the new policy (either means I would be entitled to receive full pay for these 3 days I had off when I tripped) I've been told that the wording on the 'old policy' was ambiguous and unclear and as there is no historical evidence of it being put into place they will only pay me 2 weeks sick. Surely if the old policy STATES I am entitled to a week for each year I have worked there AND their policy is not clear that only 1 other company has it's own policy anyway - I should be entitled to full pay?! Any help would be really appreciated.

I have been off sick for the last 6 weeks, my employer called me up today and asked that I attend a 12 week performance review next week. Do I have to attend? The review is not related to my sickness it is for assess the 1st 12 weeks that I have worked for them. Surely if I am signed off sick, then I do not need to attend? Any advice would be great, cheers.

Hi, Just need some advice and I know someone on here will be able to help....... My partner has epilepsy has been completely controlled for approx 20yrs. Medication has recently stopped agreeing with him and neurologist has changed medication. This has resulted in seizures - both full seizures and absence seizures. He did self cert from work for first 5 days then GP signed him off of work for 4 weeks. Informed employer and posted in sick cert - kept copy for records. End of 4 weeks, GP issued another sick cert for 4 weeks. I spoke to his manager, his speech is very slurred and he is confused and muddled at all times, and explained. She said that 1st cert not received, I said I had a copy and should i send that with the new one. She said yes. I sent this a couple of days ago He is now on half pay which is same as SSP. Manager has been phoning every couple of days for updates. He isnt improving and being referred to UCLH Neurolgy hosp as urgent case with a view to admitting as epilepsy so unstable. Manager calls today and says no certs received. I said new one and copy only sent a couple of days ago and sent 2nd class - money is v.tight. She said that copy is now no good as shes checked with hr, and they also needed it by today for next months pay!!!! I said I can request copy from GP but earliest i can request that is next weds!! She then said she wants a meeting with my partner as hes been off 4 weeks. I explained that he cant, hes completely out of it most of the time, having absences and wouldnt be abe to speak for himself in the meeting. She then asked if her and hr can come to home address errr no. Can they suddenly hold ssp/half pay without the cert? Have called GP and no gps there now. Earliest it would be ready to collect is next thurs afternoon..... Can they request meetings when he is in this state and signed off work???? Any help would be great as with 2 small children, and a very poorly partner I cant even think straight! xxxx oh and when i get the next cert i have to take it into the employer in person and hand it to her......

Hi guys, I was involved in a RTA yesterday whilst at work delivering goods for my employer. Witnesses have informed my employer, the police and insurance company that it was not my fault as the other vehicle drove straight into my lane causing me to slam on the breaks. After a couple of 360's across the dual carriageway the van finally came to a stop after thumping the barrier and skidding 100 yards down the road on the drivers side. Unfortunately myself and witnesses never got the registration of the other vehicle who was probably oblivious to what they had caused! After a visit to A&E yesterday and the my GP this morning I have been signed off work for 1 week due to contorted muscles and general painful bumps and bruises (nothing too serious thankfully)! I can find nothing in my contract about sick pay due to an accident at work and im wondering if I will be entitled to full usual wages, statuary sick pay or claim loss of earnings from my companies insurance? Any advice much appreciated, Thanks.

I've been unemployed for a few months now after managing to secure 6 months of work last year. I'm a long time sufferer of severe depression, yet find it is alleviated by work, I enjoy work and am proud to say I have never taken a single day off sick despite many issues in my personal life. I am trying desperately to find work, I am not restricting what I look for, I am happy to do just about anything. I am applying for several jobs a day and am getting really depressed by the whole thing. I am so anxious with worry I spend nights thinking only of dying. After the below incident I went to the Doctors and was signed off sick for one week. Can I use the sicknote to basically stay on JSA (counting as sick?) or do I need to sign on to ESA for the week? Sorry if this is confusing, not really in the best frame of mind. I am now basically being bullied by the Job Centre, my personal advisor today was looking for any reason to sanction me and told me that I have to apply for every single thing they consider me able to apply for, if I miss anything they are stopping my benefit. She went through a list of jobs (on Universal Jobmatch) asking why I hadn't applied for any of them, I explained I had. She then double checked and I was correct. She then found one that had been put up that day and was outraged I hadn't yet applied for it. I also got in trouble when she asked what the Work Programme were doing for me (nothing)... how is that my fault? I said how I was changing my CV as I wasn't having any luck with it and was told off for not changing it earlier. I was even told off for writing in the activity log that I had found a certain job (with link) and was applying for it later. She said that made no sense to put on and again I'd be sanctioned if I did it again. I am surpassing my Job Seekers Agreement quite comfortably, but it seems to count for nought.

been working full time in a bar since november and in march i found out i was pregnant and i told my employer straight away. since announcing i was pregnant i have rang in sick 3 times, all pregnancy related the latest being a bad back after standing for 8 hours while working in a kitchen. my manager wants a chat when i am next in on weds and i am worried i'll get sacked. any advice?