Changes from September 2025

Pay during annual leave & sickness absence

As you may be aware, an interim pay solution has been underway within HSCNI to review and enhance the methodology used for calculating pay during annual leave and sick leave. This involves updating the existing calculations to include additional wage types that were previously excluded.

In April, we introduced changes to the Working Time Directive (WTD), including the implementation of new codes and an increased percentage rate. Since then we have been working on system updates to amend the 13-week average calculation in line with this WTD change.

We are pleased to confirm that, the changes required have now been implemented to the system in September.

What’s changed?

The system has now recalculated the 13-week average sick pay from 1 April 2025. This update deducts the previously paid OSP and Sick 13-week Average amounts, applying revised OSP values and incorporating two new codes when applicable:

• Sick 13 Week Average Pens
• Sick 13 Week Average NPen

How will it show on my payslip?

For employees who have not worked any of the newly added wage types in the calculation period it will display as a like for like deduction versus payment.

For employees who have not worked any of the newly added wage types in the calculation period but have worked one of the reclassified wage types the total deductions will negate the total payments due.

For employees who have worked any of the newly added wage types in the calculation period it will display as a deduction for the sick payment previously paid but with a higher amount in the new payment codes.

There will a small number of employees whereby the re-calculation is subject to a series of changes in the system. In the example below, the employee has:

• Worked some of the newly added wage types in the calculation period
• Has had a sickness absence in the period since 1 April 2025, and is currently on sickness absence
• Has had a late notification of sickness or has had a manual adjustment applied to ensure accurate payment

For any employees who do not understand their payslip or who need a more detailed explanation of their payslip, please raise a ticket.