Sick Pay, Holiday Pay and Other Things Nobody Explains
You know you get “sick pay” and “holiday pay” in the abstract, but the actual mechanics — how much, from when, and what happens if you’re off longer than expected — usually only becomes clear the first time you actually need to use either.
By the First Wage Editorial Team · Published 18 September 2026 · 10 min read
The Short Answer
Statutory Sick Pay (SSP) is £123.25 a week for 2026/27, payable from your very first day of sickness (the old three-day unpaid waiting period was scrapped), for up to 28 weeks — though many employers offer more generous company sick pay on top of this legal minimum. Statutory paid holiday entitlement is 5.6 weeks a year for a full-time employee (commonly delivered as 28 days, which usually includes bank holidays), prorated if you work part-time or joined partway through the year. Both are legal minimums — your specific contract may offer better terms, so it’s always worth checking what you’re actually entitled to rather than assuming the statutory minimum is all you get.
Statutory Sick Pay: How It Actually Works
The rate. For the 2026/27 tax year, SSP is £123.25 a week, or 80% of your average weekly earnings if that’s lower — though for most people in full employment, the flat rate applies.
When it starts. SSP is now payable from your very first day of sickness. This is a relatively recent change — until April 2026, employees had to wait three unpaid days before SSP kicked in, but that waiting period has been abolished.
How long it lasts. Up to 28 weeks of SSP for a single period of sickness (or linked periods of sickness within a certain timeframe).
Eligibility. You generally need to be classed as an employee (rather than certain other working arrangements), earning at least the qualifying threshold, and following your employer’s notification process for reporting sickness — usually informing them within a specific timeframe and providing a doctor’s note (a “fit note”) if you’re off for more than seven days.
What many people don’t realise: SSP is a legal minimum, not what most people actually receive. Many employers offer enhanced company sick pay — full pay for a set number of weeks, for example — which is more generous than the statutory floor. Always check your specific contract or staff handbook rather than assuming SSP is all you’ll get.
Holiday Entitlement: The Actual Numbers
The statutory minimum. Full-time employees are entitled to 5.6 weeks of paid holiday a year. For someone working a standard five-day week, this is commonly delivered as 28 days, which typically includes bank holidays (though some employers give 28 days plus bank holidays separately — check your specific contract, since this varies).
If you work part-time, your entitlement is prorated based on how many days a week you work — the 5.6-week principle still applies, just calculated proportionally.
If you start partway through the year, your holiday entitlement for that first year is usually calculated proportionally to how much of the year remains, not the full annual amount.
Carrying holiday over. Whether you can carry unused holiday into the next year depends on your employer’s specific policy — some allow a limited carryover, others operate strictly on a “use it or lose it” basis within the holiday year. This is genuinely one of the most employer-specific parts of UK employment terms, so check your staff handbook rather than assuming either way.
What Happens If You’re Off Sick During Booked Holiday
If you fall sick during a period of pre-booked annual leave, you’re generally entitled to reclaim those days as sick leave instead and take the holiday at another time — though the exact process (self-certification, doctor’s notes) depends on your employer’s sickness policy.
What Happens If You Leave a Job With Holiday Unused
If you leave a job with holiday days you haven’t taken, you’re generally entitled to be paid for those unused days in your final pay, calculated pro-rata. Equally, if you’ve taken more holiday than you’d accrued by your leaving date, your employer may be entitled to deduct the difference from your final pay, depending on your contract.
Other Statutory Pay You Might Not Know Exists
Statutory Maternity, Paternity and Adoption Pay exist for eligible employees, with their own separate rates and qualifying conditions — relevant later in working life for many people, worth knowing exists even if not immediately applicable.
Bereavement leave entitlements exist for specific circumstances, again with their own rules separate from standard sick pay or holiday.
These aren’t relevant to most first jobs immediately, but knowing they exist as a category — separate from ordinary sick pay and holiday — is useful context for understanding how UK statutory employment rights are structured.
Common Misunderstandings
“I don’t get paid at all for the first few days I’m sick.” This used to be broadly true under the old three-day waiting period rule, but SSP is now payable from day one — though double-check your specific employer’s policy, since practical processes can still vary.
“28 days of holiday is more generous than the legal minimum.” For most full-time employees, 28 days (inclusive of bank holidays) is actually just the standard way the 5.6-week statutory minimum is delivered, not necessarily an enhanced benefit — worth checking your contract to see exactly how your specific entitlement breaks down.
“If I don’t use my holiday, I automatically lose it every year, no exceptions.” Carryover rules vary by employer and sometimes by circumstance (for example, if you were unable to take leave due to long-term sickness). Check your specific policy rather than assuming the strictest possible interpretation.
First Wage Takeaway
The statutory minimums for sick pay and holiday are a useful baseline, but they’re rarely the full picture — the details that actually matter (whether your employer tops up SSP, how holiday carryover works, what counts as a qualifying absence) live in your specific contract and staff handbook. Read them once, before you need to rely on either.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need a doctor’s note to get sick pay?
For short absences (typically up to seven days), self-certification is usually enough. Beyond that, a fit note from a doctor is generally required to continue receiving SSP.
Does my employer have to pay more than the statutory minimum sick pay?
No, not unless their contract or company policy says so — SSP is the legal floor, but many employers voluntarily offer more generous terms as part of their benefits package.
What counts toward my holiday year?
This depends on how your employer defines their holiday year (often, but not always, the calendar year or the tax year) — check your contract or ask HR if it isn’t clear.
Can my employer refuse my holiday request?
Generally yes, particularly around business-critical periods, though they typically need to give you reasonable notice of the refusal, and can’t unreasonably prevent you from taking your full statutory entitlement across the year.