Our company operates a sick pay scheme where employees are paid in full for upto 5 periods of sickness or a maximum of 30 days (whichever is the sooner)in any 12 month period. At this point a review is carried out with the employee to determine future sick pay eligibility. One of our employees had just informed us that she is pregnant and is currently on 4 periods of absence. In the event that she may be off sick again between now and her maternity leave, can we put her on SSP if and when she goes over the 5th period of absence?

Thank you in advance for your guidance on this matter.

Dawn Durkin