Employment Rights Act 1996

Suspension on medical grounds

64Right to remuneration on suspension on medical grounds

(1)An employee who is suspended from work by his employer on medical grounds is entitled to be paid by his employer remuneration while he is so suspended for a period not exceeding twenty-six weeks.

(2)For the purposes of this Part an employee is suspended from work on medical grounds if he is suspended from work in consequence of—

(a)a requirement imposed by or under a provision of an enactment or of an instrument made under an enactment, or

(b)a recommendation in a provision of a code of practice issued or approved under section 16 of the [1974 c. 37.] Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974,

and the provision is for the time being specified in subsection (3).

(3)The provisions referred to in subsection (2) are—

• Regulation 16 of the [S.I. 1980/1248.] Control of Lead at Work Regulations 1980,

• Regulation 16 of the [S.I. 1985/1333.] Ionising Radiations Regulations 1985, and

• Regulation 11 of the [S.I. 1988/1657.] Control of Substances Hazardous to Health Regulations 1988.

(4)The Secretary of State may by order add provisions to or remove provisions from the list of provisions specified in subsection (3).

(5)For the purposes of this Part an employee shall be regarded as suspended from work on medical grounds only if and for so long as he—

(a)continues to be employed by his employer, but

(b)is not provided with work or does not perform the work he normally performed before the suspension.

65Exclusions from right to remuneration

(1)An employee is not entitled to remuneration under section 64 unless he has been continuously employed for a period of not less than one month ending with the day before that on which the suspension begins.

(2)An employee who is employed—

(a)under a contract for a fixed term of three months or less, or

(b)under a contract made in contemplation of the performance of a specific task which is not expected to last for more than three months,

is not entitled to remuneration under section 64 unless he has been continuously employed for a period of more than three months ending with the day before that on which the suspension begins.

(3)An employee is not entitled to remuneration under section 64 in respect of any period during which he is incapable of work by reason of disease or bodily or mental disablement.

(4)An employee is not entitled to remuneration under section 64 in respect of any period if—

(a)his employer has offered to provide him with suitable alternative work during the period (whether or not it is work which the employee is under his contract, or was under the contract in force before the suspension, employed to perform) and the employee has unreasonably refused to perform that work, or

(b)he does not comply with reasonable requirements imposed by his employer with a view to ensuring that his services are available.