The SSP legal changes scheduled for April 2026
Two reforms to Statutory Sick Pay are scheduled from April 2026.
Statutory Sick Pay will be payable from the first day of sickness absence, rather than starting on day four.
Employees will no longer need to meet the Lower Earnings Limit to qualify for Statutory Sick Pay.
The practical impact is straightforward. More employees will qualify and employers will begin paying sooner. For many organisations this increases cost exposure, particularly for short term absences of one to three days, and it puts more pressure on day one reporting, accurate record keeping, and consistent manager handling.
The stance for 2026: wellbeing first, structure always
A proactive absence approach is not about cracking down on sickness. It is about doing two things at once. Prioritising wellbeing so people recover properly and return sustainably, while keeping a clear, consistent structure so the organisation can respond fairly, identify patterns early, and manage risk.
When wellbeing is prioritised without structure, managers avoid conversations and inconsistency grows.
When structure is prioritised without wellbeing, presenteeism rises, recovery takes longer, and employee relations risk increases.
The best approach is supportive, consistent, and early.
Key tool one: wellbeing as the foundation, not a bolt on
If you want absence levels to improve, prevention and early support must come first. A proactive wellbeing approach reduces the likelihood of absence occurring, shortens recovery time when it does, and reduces the risk of issues becoming long term.
Wellbeing in practice means managers have the confidence to check in early and appropriately, and employees know it is safe to be honest about what they need. It means there is visible support available and it is easy to access. It means workload and working arrangements are reviewed when patterns appear, rather than waiting for crisis points.
Practical wellbeing foundations include access to an Employee Assistance Programme, clear internal signposting, manager mental health awareness training, and structured approaches such as wellbeing action plans. It also includes basics that prevent absence in the first place, like role clarity, manageable workload, predictable breaks, fair rotas, and psychologically safe leadership.
With day one Statutory Sick Pay scheduled from April 2026, wellbeing becomes even more important. Short absences that might previously have had less direct cost will now trigger payment immediately. Prevention and early intervention are the most sustainable ways to manage the impact.
Key tool two: stress and health risk assessments at company and individual level
A truly proactive absence approach includes risk assessment as a core prevention tool. That means looking at stress risk and health risk in a way that tackles both organisational causes and individual needs.
A company wide stress risk assessment helps you identify systemic drivers of stress across the business. It looks at themes like workload and capacity, role clarity, support, change, control, communication, relationships, conflict, working hours and the working environment. It allows you to reduce risk at source, rather than repeatedly managing the same issues through individual sickness absence cases. It also strengthens your wellbeing strategy because it turns wellbeing into measurable actions.
Individual stress risk assessments are used when a person is showing signs of struggling, such as anxiety, burnout indicators, recurring short term absences, sleep issues, reduced performance, or a direct disclosure. This creates a structured, supportive conversation focused on what is driving pressure for that individual and what practical steps will reduce risk. It often links directly to adjustments, workload changes, temporary flexibility, wellbeing action plans, and review dates.
Health related risk assessments focus on how work may affect someone’s health and how someone’s health may affect their ability to work safely. They are particularly relevant where employees have long term conditions, recurring health issues, side effects from medication, neurodiversity related needs, pregnancy related considerations, or physical limitations. They can also be relevant following injury, after surgery, during phased returns, or where a role includes manual handling, display screen work, night work, driving, lone working, or safety critical tasks.
Health related risk assessments should identify practical controls and adjustments such as changes to hours, duties, breaks, equipment, workload, environment, supervision, training, or temporary restrictions while someone recovers. When completed early, they help prevent absence, reduce relapse, and support sustainable attendance. They also provide a clear record that the employer has taken reasonable steps to manage foreseeable risk.
The key point is that risk assessments are not paperwork. They are prevention. If you are only reacting after someone goes off sick, you are already late.
Key tool three: return to work conversations as standard every time
The most effective day to influence future absence is the day someone returns. A consistent return to work conversation after every absence, including a single day, is simple, human, and highly effective.
A good return to work conversation checks the employee is well enough to be back, explores whether anything at work contributed, identifies what support or adjustments might help, and resets expectations around attendance and communication. It also creates a consistent record that supports fairness and reduces the risk of managers handling similar situations differently.
Key tool four: HR software for early pattern spotting and consistent action
HR software should be used for visibility and fairness, not surveillance. It helps employers see patterns early, prompt consistent actions, and maintain clear records.
Your HR system should support day one absence recording, capture reasons and evidence status, and flag where health issues may require additional sensitivity or consideration. It should provide dashboards showing frequency, duration and patterns, and it should automate workflows such as return to work prompts, trigger notifications, review meeting templates and documentation storage.
These features matter more under the April 2026 SSP reforms because the business needs accurate day one information for payroll, and a consistent approach across a wider eligible population, including part time and variable hours staff.
Key tool five: clear triggers that prompt support and consistency
Triggers are best positioned as prompts for a supportive review rather than a punishment mechanism. They help managers respond consistently, reduce unconscious bias, and ensure early intervention happens before absence becomes entrenched.
When triggers are reached, the aim is to understand what is driving absence, agree a support plan, consider whether adjustments would help, and set a clear review date. If attendance still does not improve after support, a fair capability route can then be considered, but the groundwork will already be in place.
Key tool six: HR professional support to keep cases safe and consistent
Even with strong policies and good intentions, sickness absence can become complex quickly. Cases may involve disability considerations, mental health, stress, recurring absence patterns, and difficult decisions about adjustments, capability, or operational impact. This is where working with HR professionals adds real value.
HR professionals help you interpret the rules correctly, apply them consistently, and avoid common legal pitfalls. They can guide managers through sensitive conversations, ensure documentation is robust, and support fair decision making. If you have HR software in place, HR support also ensures the data is used properly so patterns are reviewed objectively and interventions are targeted before issues escalate.
The risks if employers do not act
If organisations do not prepare for the April 2026 SSP reforms and do not strengthen absence management now, the risk is not just increased cost. Employers often experience payroll errors due to inconsistent day one reporting, increased operational disruption from repeat short term absence patterns, and growing employee relations issues where different managers handle absence in different ways.
There is also increased legal risk. Where absence is linked to disability, pregnancy, or mental health, failing to consider adjustments and document supportive action can lead to discrimination risk and grievances. From a health and safety perspective, failing to complete meaningful stress and health related risk assessments when warning signs exist can leave employers exposed and can contribute to longer term absence outcomes.
A trusted partner to help you implement this properly
Many employers know what good looks like, but the challenge is implementation. It takes time to review policies, align payroll, set up HR software, train managers, and embed risk assessment and wellbeing practices so they are used consistently.
Craven Consultancy Services can support you with all of this. We help you build a proactive wellbeing led sickness absence strategy that is practical for your business, legally robust, and supported by the right tools. That includes reviewing and updating absence policies and templates, implementing stress and health related risk assessments at company and individual level, strengthening manager capability through toolkits and training, and setting up HR software to monitor trends and trigger early intervention. We also provide ongoing HR support for complex cases so you are not navigating sensitive situations alone.
Support
If you want to be ready for the Statutory Sick Pay reforms scheduled from April 2026 and strengthen your sickness absence approach at the same time, Craven Consultancy Services can help.
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Email The Craven Team at hello@cravenconsultancyservices.co.uk to book an SSP and absence management readiness review and we will map out exactly what needs updating in your business.
