Introduction

Occupational pay schemes (OPS) pay all or part of an employee’s salary during absence. Companies can configure multiple schemes to suit different employee contracts and an employee's entitlement within a scheme depends on their length of service.

Occupational Sick Scheme Configuration

You can set up the Occupational Sick Pay in Company Setup > Occupational Pay Schemes.

To create a new scheme please click + Add scheme and complete the below details

• Name - Enter a name to help you identify the scheme.
• Leave type - select Sick.
• Pay frequency - If a pay frequency is provided, only employees using that pay frequency will be eligible for this scheme. Leave blank to match all pay frequencies.
• Department - If a department is provided, only employees with this department will be eligible for this scheme. Leave blank to match all departments.
• Entitlement Behaviour - Entitlement behaviour determines how the length of service is calculated.
  - Start of Absence - For each absence day in the absence period, the length of service is calculated as the number of days between the employee's start date and the first day of the absence period. This means that when an employee takes absence with this behaviour, the entitlement is fixed for the entire absence period.
  - Day of Absence - Length of service is calculated on each day of the absence period, meaning that the employee's entitlement bracket is evaluated on each absence day. This means that the employee's entitlement is not fixed for the period of the absence. 
• Analysis Fields (to configure follow steps from Set up an analysis field) - If provided, only employees with this selection will be eligible for the scheme. Leave blank to match to all.
• Advanced
  - Priority - Priority is used to determine which scheme is assigned to an employee in the case of tie-breaks. E.g. if there are two company sick schemes for the same pay frequency and department, the one with the highest priority wins (i.e. a value of 1 can be considered 1st priority, 2 is 2nd priority etc.)
  - Effective From Date - The date at which this scheme is available to employees. Useful for if you want to set a future dated scheme introduction or change. E.g. on 1st Jan next year, we are going to introduce an enhanced sick pay scheme. Setting an effective date allows you to automatically activate this scheme on that date.
  - Effective To Date - Date at which this scheme will end and be no longer available to employees.

Click Next Step

You can set up multiple Entitlements for one scheme by clicking the + button. 

• Length of Service - Minimum length of service required before this entitlement becomes active based on the selected length of service basis
• Length of Service Basis - select from Days, Weeks, Months, or Years
• Method - Choose the entitlement method to apply to this scheme.
  - None - Employee is not entitled to any pay.
  - All - Employee is entitled to unlimited full pay.
  - Rolling Window - Employee is entitled to a maximum defined pay over moving time period e.g. maximum of 10 days full pay any 3 months.
  - Fixed Window - Employee is entitled to a maximum defined pay which resets each year on the provided date e.g. reset entitlement on 6th April.

If you select Rolling Window you will get additional fields below

• Rolling Window Months - The employee is entitled to number of full/half pay only within this window. E.g. over a 6 month window the employee is entitled to a maximum of 10 days/weeks full pay as defined by the selected pay basis.
• Full Pay - Number of units of full pay (e.g. 1 week, 10 days, 2 months)
• Half Pay - Units of half pay after full pay is exhausted
• Pay basis - select between Days or Weeks

If you select Fixed Window you will get the additional fields below

• Window Start Month - Select a day and month in which the yearly entitlement is reset. E.g. reset the employee's entitlement on 1st Jan each year.
• Window Start Day - Select a day and month in which the yearly entitlement is reset. E.g. reset the employee's entitlement on 1st Jan each year.
• Full Pay - Number of units of full pay (e.g. 1 week, 10 days, 2 months)
• Half Pay - Units of half pay after full pay is exhausted
• Pay basis - select between Days or Weeks
   

Once you have set up some schemes, you will be able to view , edit , or delete the scheme. 

In order to just view the setup without the risk of accidentally editing it please use the eye button - this will show you the whole scheme setup on one page (see below example).

You can find some guidance on importing historic sickness here Importing absence - Sickness Leave.