Right to pay
Entitled to usual sick leave and sick pay entitlements (contractual/statutory sick pay (SSP)).
The right to SSP is now from day 1 of absence, rather than day 4, for incapacity related to coronavirus, with effect from 13th March 2020.
Employers with fewer than 250 employees can claim repayment of SSP for up to 2 weeks, under the Coronavirus Statutory Sick Pay Rebate Scheme which opened on 26 May 2020-. The portal to apply for a rebate can be found here.
Best practice
Best practice to pay full pay as discretionary sick pay (if not contractually obliged), to encourage employee not to attend workplace and risk contaminating others. Make clear that this is an exceptional step taken in the specific circumstances of the coronavirus outbreak.
Waive normal requirement to produce a sick certificate after 7 days.