UK Day-One Sick Pay Starts April 2026

Starting April 6, 2026, millions of UK workers will gain access to statutory sick pay from the first full day of illness, removing the previous three-day waiting period and extending eligibility to all employees regardless of earnings. The changes, part of the Employment Rights Act, aim to provide financial support for lower-paid individuals during sickness and curb workplace infections, according to government officials.

Under the new rules, eligible workers will receive the lower of 80 percent of their average weekly earnings—calculated over the eight weeks prior to absence—or a flat rate of £123.25 per week. Payments will be rounded up to the nearest penny and apply to absences beginning before April 6 that extend into the period, even if the waiting days were not completed earlier. Businesses must update sickness absence policies, payroll systems, and communicate the shifts to staff and management teams ahead of the deadline.

A study by the Advisory, Conciliation and Arbitration Service (Acas) highlights the sick pay reforms as the most significant for both employers and employees. Commissioned to assess the act's impacts, the research found that 43 percent of employers and...