Process statutory sick pay (SSP)

Process statutory sick pay (SSP) in Sage 50 Payroll Ireland

Before you start

 NOTE: You can run your own sick-pay scheme instead of SSP, but it must at least match statutory rates. 

To check an employee’s eligibility, make sure their start date appears in their record. SSP requires at least 13 weeks (91 days) of employment.

1. Go to Processing, then select Employee Details.
2. Open the employee’s record.
3. On the Personnel tab, in Salary, enter the Start Date.
4. Select Save, then close the record.

 TIP: If you use profiles, add the sick pay element to the profile so the system recognises SSP. 

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Set up the SSP payment

1. Go to Company/Payroll, then select Payments.
2. Select New.
3. In Title, enter Sick Pay.
4. In Type, choose Statutory Sick Pay.
5. Match the Deduct, PRSI, Pension, and SSP Percentage settings with your other payments.
6. Select Save, then Close.

 TIP: You can check current SSP tax settings in the set up a new payment guide. 

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Set the default SSP payment

1. Go to Company/Payroll, then select Company Details.
2. Open the BIK/SSP tab.
3. Select the new Sick Pay payment in Set Default SSP Payment.
4. Select OK.

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Enter the SSP daily rate

You must calculate and enter the employee’s normal daily rate of pay.

1. Open the employee’s record.
2. On the Absence tab, enter the SSP Daily Rate, their normal daily pay.
3. The software calculates the SSP amount automatically from this rate.
4. Track SSP days taken and remaining days in the same window.

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Record SSP on the timesheet

1. Open the employee’s Timesheet.
2. Go to the Holidays/Absence tab.
3. Enter the number of sick leave days in Days taken this period.
4. Adjust the employee’s regular payment to reflect the unpaid days.

Sage 50 Payroll Ireland calculates the correct SSP for the period and adds it to the employee’s payslip.

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How Sage Payroll calculates SSP

Sage 50 Payroll Ireland pays 70 % of the employee’s normal daily wages, up to €110 per day.

Formula:

• Daily rate x Days taken x 0.70

If this amount exceeds €110, Sage 50 Payroll Ireland caps it at €110.

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Troubleshooting

Issue	What to do
SSP days taken exceed entitlement	The employee used all 5 entitled days. Adjust the entry if you included extra days.
No SSP payment set up	Create the statutory payment using the Set up the SSP payment steps above.
SSP capped at €110 per day	The calculation reached the statutory maximum; no action needed.
SSP doesn’t calculate	Enter Days taken this period on the Absence tab instead of typing a value in data entry.
Processed SSP manually using a normal payment	Reprocess SSP using the statutory payment type so the submission includes it correctly.
Paid SSP in error	Refer to the correct SSP paid in error guide.

 

Statutory sick pay legislation

Download and install the Sage Payroll year end update