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Free tools › Sick pay by country

Sick pay: Australia vs United Kingdom

Statutory sick pay in Australia and the UK, side by side, with the primary source for every figure.

How does sick pay compare between Australia and UK?

Australia: 10 days' paid personal/carer's leave a year for full-timers, employer-funded, accruing from day one with unlimited carryover. United Kingdom: Statutory Sick Pay of the lower of 80% of average weekly earnings or £123.25 a week, from day one, employer-funded, up to 28 weeks.

Australia vs United Kingdom, side by side

AustraliaUnited Kingdom
The rule10 days' paid personal/carer's leave a year for full-timers, employer-funded, accruing from day one with unlimited carryover.Statutory Sick Pay of the lower of 80% of average weekly earnings or £123.25 a week, from day one, employer-funded, up to 28 weeks.
Key numbersEntitlement: 10 days a year full-time, pro-rata part-time; Who pays: Employer, at base rate; Waiting days: NoneRate: Lower of 80% of average weekly earnings or £123.25/week; Payable from: Day one (waiting days abolished 6 Apr 2026); Duration: Up to 28 weeks

Australia

Sick and carer's leave are one combined entitlement under the National Employment Standards: 1/26 of ordinary annual hours, which lands at 10 days on a standard week. The employer pays at the base rate, there are no waiting days, unused balance rolls over indefinitely, and casuals are excluded (their loading compensates).

  • Entitlement10 days a year full-time, pro-rata part-time
  • Who paysEmployer, at base rate
  • Waiting daysNone
  • CarryoverUnlimited
  • Not paid out on termination, unlike annual leave.
  • Strictly an hours-based entitlement: 10 days assumes a five-day pattern.

Source: Fair Work Ombudsman (NES, in force since 2010). Checked July 2026.

United Kingdom

Since 6 April 2026 SSP runs from the first full day off sick: the Employment Rights Act 2025 removed both the three waiting days and the minimum-earnings test. The rate is the lower of 80% of average weekly earnings or £123.25, so low earners receive less than the flat figure. Employers carry the full cost, with no state reimbursement.

  • RateLower of 80% of average weekly earnings or £123.25/week
  • Payable fromDay one (waiting days abolished 6 Apr 2026)
  • DurationUp to 28 weeks
  • Employer reimbursementNone
  • Any guidance still describing SSP as 'flat rate from day 4' is out of date twice over.
  • Below about £154 a week in average earnings, the 80% formula pays less than £123.25.

Source: GOV.UK / HMRC (2026-27 rates, ERA 2025 changes from 6 Apr 2026). Checked July 2026.

Hiring in both markets?

Put a full number on each side with the true-cost calculators: True cost of an employee (Australia) and True cost of an employee (UK). The complete six-market picture is on the Sick pay by country page.

Sources

Every figure on this page comes from the government source for its market.

MarketSourceRule / effectiveVerified
AustraliaFair Work OmbudsmanNES, in force since 2010Checked July 2026
United KingdomGOV.UK / HMRC2026-27 rates, ERA 2025 changes from 6 Apr 2026Checked July 2026
Where Compono fits

Comparing entitlements is the easy half of hiring across markets. The hard half is whether the person you hire in Sydney, Singapore or Seattle will actually work out, and that risk looks the same in every jurisdiction. Compono matches candidates on how they work, not just what the CV claims, so the hires behind these numbers hold up wherever you make them.

See how it works

Common questions

What is the rule on sick pay in Australia?

10 days' paid personal/carer's leave a year for full-timers, employer-funded, accruing from day one with unlimited carryover. Sick and carer's leave are one combined entitlement under the National Employment Standards: 1/26 of ordinary annual hours, which lands at 10 days on a standard week.

What is the rule on sick pay in the UK?

Statutory Sick Pay of the lower of 80% of average weekly earnings or £123.25 a week, from day one, employer-funded, up to 28 weeks. Since 6 April 2026 SSP runs from the first full day off sick: the Employment Rights Act 2025 removed both the three waiting days and the minimum-earnings test.

Where can I check the source figures?

The sources section below links the Australia and the UK government pages every figure on this page was verified against in July 2026.

This page is general information, not legal advice. We check figures annually and update them on a best-efforts basis, but employment rules change and we cannot promise everything here is current or complete. Before you act on it, confirm the detail with the Fair Work Ombudsman, GOV.UK or your own adviser. Last reviewed July 2026.