Statutory Sick Pay reforms — what’s changing?

We explore the changes to Statutory Sick Pay that are due to come into effect from 6 April 2026 and outline what they’ll mean for employers.
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Our employment law solicitors provide strategic advice to medium and large-sized employers, as well as senior executives, on complex employment matters.
We’re the employment law partner you can depend on to navigate the rapidly evolving legal landscape and turn your ambitions into reality.
We deliver tailored and strategic advice with proactive solutions to address the full spectrum of legal challenges that a business can face — from day-to-day HR advice to complex business reorganisations and employment tribunal claims.
Our team also supports individuals, senior executives and directors to get the most out of their career through negotiating executive settlement agreements, restrictive covenants and compensation packages as well as protecting and defending their employment rights when it matters most.
We serve all of England and Wales from five modern offices in Liverpool, Manchester, Leeds, Lancashire and London.
Talk to our team by calling 0333 004 4488, emailing hello@brabners.com or completing our contact form.

We can support you at every stage of your growth. With our strategic and commercial advice, we’ll help you navigate new legislation including the Employment Rights Act.
Our lawyers provide advice on handling day-to-day employment issues and offer tailored and practical training sessions focused on prevention rather than cure to ensure that your People and HR teams and managers have the skills and confidence they need to handle any situation — from managing misconduct and disciplinary and grievance procedures to absenteeism, capability and performance and long term ill health.
You can also come to us for strategic advice on matters such as business sales, mergers and acquisitions, diversity, equity and inclusion (including discrimination), redundancy, reorganisation and restructure programmes, TUPE transfers and outsourcing, exit strategies, restrictive covenants and trade union and employee relations. In addition, our lawyers are highly experienced in employment dispute and litigation matters including preventing and defending claims of discrimination, unfair dismissal and whistleblowing.
We act for a broad variety of employers ranging from large corporates to SMEs including some of the largest employers in the UK. We work with household names across the public and private sector, including retail, leisure and hospitality businesses, recruitment and workforce solution agencies, manufacturing companies, sports bodies, charities, professional services and registered providers of social housing.

Our team of employment law experts is led by 'expert in his field' Nick Campbell, previously recognised by The Legal 500 as a ‘Hall of Fame’ employment lawyer, with a national reputation for dealing with complex employment-related disputes.
Also recognised as ‘Recommended Lawyers’ by The Legal 500 and offering considerable sector knowledge across the team, Lydia Edgar is renowned for her sports law expertise and Simon Whitehead heads up our recruitment and workforce solutions sector. Lee Jefcott leads our leisure and hospitality specialism, 'superb lawyer' Joseph Shelston acts for several national and international retail brands and Ali Hough handles a range of tribunal claims with his ‘exceptional abilities’. Hannah Morrison is an 'excellent' lawyer who specialises in advising clients in the recruitment sector, Siobhan Howard-Palmer handles complex individual claims across a broad range of industries and Matthew Lavelle supports sports clubs, players and agents in relation to their regulatory obligations and rights.
Kate Venables was recognised as a ‘Next Generation Partner’ by The Legal 500 in 2025 and is a 'fantastic' lawyer who heads up our team providing support for in-house lawyers and General Counsel. Brendan McAleese leads our team in supporting the professional services industry and is experienced in handling business immigration and sponsor licence matters alongside Head of Immigration Ikram Malik. With a strong background in both contentious and non-contentious matters, Christine Hart advises on TUPE, employment tribunal claims and recruitment sector legal issues. Other senior members of the team include experienced employment lawyer Dan Walker and Andy Graham who specialises in advising employers on redundancy and TUPE situations, as well as negotiating and consulting with trade unions and elected representatives.





“The ‘top-drawer’ [team] has well-established capabilities handling the full spectrum of employment matters for its clientele, including those relating to recruitment, immigration, discrimination, unfair dismissal and corporate exits.”
The Legal 500
“The [employment] team is very in tune with the needs of its clients. They listen and don't impose some pre-set solution. Instead, they provide sensible advice which is generated from their vast collective experience. The team works very well together.”
Client feedback, The Legal 500
“Nick Campbell is very knowledgeable — clearly an expert in his field and is always supportive and empathetic in his manner and approach.”
Client feedback, The Legal 500
“Simon Whitehead is very personable and manages a prickly client relationship with aplomb. Hannah Morrison is excellent, on top of the detail, leaves no stone unturned and produces excellent quality work within very short timescales.”
Client feedback, The Legal 500
“The [employment] partners and associates are very ‘down-to-earth’ without being condescending. There's an absence of buzzwords and complexity in their discourse without any loss of substance.”
Client feedback, The Legal 500
“The employment team was very responsive and supportive during a difficult period... took the time to understand the unique situation and commercial challenges... advice is clear and comprehensive... they act as a team, not simply a collection of individuals from different areas of specialism.”
Client feedback, The Legal 500
“I have worked with Stephen Brodie for over 20 years and have always found him to be responsive, reliable and effective. He provides constructive and practical advice often cutting through the detail to focus on the salient issues. He is very approachable and easy to work with. He is a trusted adviser, and I would have no hesitation in recommending him.”
Chief Executive at Autism Initiatives Group








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