Clergy Sickness Procedure
If clergy become incapacitated due to illness, they must inform the appropriate person in parish on the first day of sickness. This may be another member of clergy, parish officer (churchwarden) or Area Dean.
In cases of serious illness, please ensure the Archdeacon is informed as soon as possible.
Sick pay arrangements
In order to comply with the statutory requirements for sick pay you must report absence as follows:
Reporting Sickness Absence
For short absences lasting seven days or less, clergy need to complete a self- certificate form
and send to jill.marsh@leeds.anglican.org, the form can be accessed via the link - SC2 form online
Clergy must use all reasonable endeavours to make arrangements for their duties to be covered by another person.
In parochial posts where the individual is unable to do this, the responsibility lies with the churchwardens, in consultation with the Area Dean where necessary.
For absences lasting 7 consecutive days or more, or where a recurrence of a period sickness absence occurs, the Area Bishop and Archdeacon should be informed.
If the absence continues for more than seven calendar days, a Doctor’s Fit Note will also be required. This should be sent to the People Team and Jill Marsh (PA to Jonathan Wood, Diocesan Secretary) at Church House who will keep a copy and consider whether any support including an Occupational Health referral is needed and forward the original to the Church Commissioners.
Sick Pay Arrangements
Clergy are usually entitled to receive their stipend at the full rate for the first 26 weeks of absence.
Statutory sick pay (SSP) is payable for 28 weeks in respect of any one period of incapacity from work. One period of incapacity can be linked to another if they are separated by no more than 56 days. The linked periods constitute a single period for the purpose of calculating the maximum entitlement. The payment of full stipend will include the entitlement to SSP.
If the sickness absence continues beyond the date when entitlement to SSP ceases, the continued payment of stipend will be at the discretion of the Diocesan Bishop.
In cases where the payment continues, it shall be reviewed every month in the light of the medical evidence available.
After 28 weeks of SSP, the office holder is entitled to claim Employment and Support Allowance (ESA) directly from the government. Office holders will be notified by the Church Commissioners, Clergy Payments Department when SSP ceases and will be given information on how to claim ESA. The stipend will be reduced by the amount of ESA received.
There is no entitlement to SSP during a phased return to work.
Compassionate Leave
All clergy are entitled to five days compassionate leave inclusive of one day for a funeral.
Maternity, paternity, parental and adoption leave and time off work to receive ante-natal care
You are entitled to maternity, paternity, parental and adoption leave, shared parental and bereavement leave (as applicable), under Regulation 23, for the same periods and subject to the same conditions as apply in the case of an employee under the Employment Rights Act 1996.
Clergy Family Friendly Policy and Guidance
This is currently under review and will appear here soon.
Please contact our People Team for advice and guidance and speak to your Area Bishop as soon as possible.
Time off work to receive ante-natal care
You are entitled to take time off to receive ante-natal care as specified in Regulation 25.
As soon as is reasonably practicable after a pregnancy is confirmed you must notify the officer of the diocese named at the start of this Statement.
Guidance for requesting special leave, or adjustments time off or adjustments can be found here: Family friendly policies | The Church of England
Jury Service
You should inform your Area Dean and Archdeacon as soon as you are notified if you are called for Jury Service. On occasions when you are not required at Court or are dismissed early, you should return to your normal activities.
Time spent on public duties
You are entitled to spend time on public duties other than your duties of office, in accordance with the requirements in Regulation 24.
Your stipend shall not be reduced as a result of time spent on public duties, unless specified otherwise below.
In circumstances where there is compensation for loss of income when undertaking public duties, the office holder should claim from the appropriate body and notify the Diocese so an appropriate reduction can be made to the stipend.
Absence due to Injury
In the unfortunate event that you shall be incapable of attending to your duties by reason of injury sustained wholly or in part as a result of actionable negligence, nuisance or breach of statutory duty on the part of a third party, all payments made to you by the Diocesan Board of Finance, shall to the extent that compensation is recoverable from the third party, constitute loans by the Board to yourself. These shall be repaid when and to the extent that you recover compensation for loss of earnings from the third party by action or otherwise.