Personnel Today
  • Home
    • All PT content
  • Email sign-up
  • Topics
    • HR Practice
    • Employee relations
    • Learning & training
    • Pay & benefits
    • Wellbeing
    • Recruitment & retention
    • HR strategy
    • HR Tech
    • The HR profession
    • Global
    • All HR topics
  • Legal
    • Case law
    • Commentary
    • Flexible working
    • Legal timetable
    • Maternity & paternity
    • Shared parental leave
    • Redundancy
    • TUPE
    • Disciplinary and grievances
    • Employer’s guides
  • AWARDS
    • Personnel Today Awards
    • The RAD Awards
  • Jobs
    • Find a job
    • Jobs by email
    • Careers advice
    • Post a job
  • Brightmine
    • Learn more
    • Products
    • Free trial
    • Request a quote
  • Webinars
  • Advertise
  • OHW+

Personnel Today

Register
Log in
Personnel Today
  • Home
    • All PT content
  • Email sign-up
  • Topics
    • HR Practice
    • Employee relations
    • Learning & training
    • Pay & benefits
    • Wellbeing
    • Recruitment & retention
    • HR strategy
    • HR Tech
    • The HR profession
    • Global
    • All HR topics
  • Legal
    • Case law
    • Commentary
    • Flexible working
    • Legal timetable
    • Maternity & paternity
    • Shared parental leave
    • Redundancy
    • TUPE
    • Disciplinary and grievances
    • Employer’s guides
  • AWARDS
    • Personnel Today Awards
    • The RAD Awards
  • Jobs
    • Find a job
    • Jobs by email
    • Careers advice
    • Post a job
  • Brightmine
    • Learn more
    • Products
    • Free trial
    • Request a quote
  • Webinars
  • Advertise
  • OHW+

AbsenceEmployment lawHR practiceEmployment contractsSickness absence

Weekly dilemma: Sick pay

by Personnel Today 24 Apr 2007
by Personnel Today 24 Apr 2007

An employee competed in the London Marathon. She was running for charity in fancy dress and tripped on part of her costume, resulting in a sprained ankle. As a result, she failed to turn up for work the following day. What is the legal position regarding sick leave and sick pay in these circumstances?

With an increasing number of people participating in charitable fun runs and other types of voluntary work each year, employers need to strike a balance between encouraging staff to participate in these activities, while at the same time ensuring that attendance, productivity and morale are not adversely affected.

Best practice is for employers to adopt a workplace policy covering employees’ participation in sporting and charitable activities. For example, you might want to consider encouraging those members of staff who participate in marathons or other sporting events to take the day off after the event as part of their annual holiday entitlement.

Where the event is for charity, you might consider allowing members of staff who are participating to take the following day off as unpaid leave or as an additional paid holiday.

Some employers offer all staff a certain number of paid days off each year to enable them to participate in pro-bono or charitable activities. Whatever the policy, it should be applied consistently among all staff.

Sometimes entitlements to sick leave and pay are made subject to an employee complying with certain sickness notification procedures.

Sign up to our weekly round-up of HR news and guidance

Receive the Personnel Today Direct e-newsletter every Wednesday

OptOut
This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.

An employee will be required to notify their manager of their absence and its likely duration as early as possible. If they are off work for several days, they will probably be required to produce a doctor’s certificate. If the employee fails to follow the employer’s sickness absence procedure, you may take disciplinary action.

Karen Black, partner, head of employment, Boodle Hatfield

Personnel Today

Personnel Today articles are written by an expert team of award-winning journalists who have been covering HR and L&D for many years. Some of our content is attributed to "Personnel Today" for a number of reasons, including: when numerous authors are associated with writing or editing a piece; or when the author is unknown (particularly for older articles).

previous post
Company qualifications should be nationally recognised, says CBI
next post
£500,000 on offer for incoming director-general of the CIPD

You may also like

‘Replace sick notes with gym’, Streeting tells GPs

11 Jul 2025

Ministers loosen fire and rehire proposals in Employment...

10 Jul 2025

Court of Appeal rules that Ryanair agency pilot...

9 Jul 2025

Bereavement leave to extend to miscarriages before 24...

7 Jul 2025

Company director wins £15k after being told to...

4 Jul 2025

How can HR prepare for changes to the...

3 Jul 2025

Top 10 HR questions June 2025: Redundancy consultation

2 Jul 2025

Government publishes ‘roadmap’ for Employment Rights Bill

2 Jul 2025

Employers’ duty of care: keeping workers safe in...

27 Jun 2025

Welfare cuts would ‘undermine workforce inclusion and business...

27 Jun 2025

  • Empower and engage for the future: A revolution in talent development (webinar) WEBINAR | As organisations strive...Read more
  • Empowering working parents and productivity during the summer holidays SPONSORED | Businesses play a...Read more
  • AI is here. Your workforce should be ready. SPONSORED | From content creation...Read more

PERSONNEL TODAY

About us
Contact us
Browse all HR topics
Email newsletters
Content feeds
Cookies policy
Privacy policy
Terms and conditions

JOBS

Personnel Today Jobs
Post a job
Why advertise with us?

EVENTS & PRODUCTS

The Personnel Today Awards
The RAD Awards
Employee Benefits
Forum for Expatriate Management
OHW+
Whatmedia

ADVERTISING & PR

Advertising opportunities
Features list 2025

  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Instagram
  • Linkedin


© 2011 - 2025 DVV Media International Ltd

Personnel Today
  • Home
    • All PT content
  • Email sign-up
  • Topics
    • HR Practice
    • Employee relations
    • Learning & training
    • Pay & benefits
    • Wellbeing
    • Recruitment & retention
    • HR strategy
    • HR Tech
    • The HR profession
    • Global
    • All HR topics
  • Legal
    • Case law
    • Commentary
    • Flexible working
    • Legal timetable
    • Maternity & paternity
    • Shared parental leave
    • Redundancy
    • TUPE
    • Disciplinary and grievances
    • Employer’s guides
  • AWARDS
    • Personnel Today Awards
    • The RAD Awards
  • Jobs
    • Find a job
    • Jobs by email
    • Careers advice
    • Post a job
  • Brightmine
    • Learn more
    • Products
    • Free trial
    • Request a quote
  • Webinars
  • Advertise
  • OHW+