Explanatory note

These Regulations further amend the Statutory Sick Pay (General) Regulations 1982 (S.I. 1982/894), the Statutory Sick Pay (Mariners, Airmen and Persons Abroad) Regulations 1982 (S.I. 1982/1349), the Statutory Maternity Pay (Persons Abroad and Mariners) Regulations 1987 (S.I. 1987/418) and the Social Security (Contributions) Regulations 1979 (S.I. 1979/591).

These Regulations make provision enabling statutory sick pay and statutory maternity pay to be paid to employees (including mariners, airmen and continental shelf employees) who go outside Great Britain on holidays or business; and reduces the extent of the records an employer is required to maintain (regulations 2, 3, 4 and 5).

As respects statutory sick pay alone, these Regulations also make provision reducing the time limit within which an employee may notify his employer of sickness absence where there is good cause for delay; and introducing flexibility into the manner in which, and the time limit within which, an employer is required to provide information to his employees (regulations 2 and 5).

These Regulations also make a transitional provision in respect of women whose expected weeks of confinement fall before 18th August 1996 (regulation 6).

A full compliance cost assessment of the effect these Regulations have on costs of business is available from the House of Commons and House of Lords Libraries. Copies can be obtained by post from the Department of Social Security, Room 623, Adelphi, 1—11 John Adam Street, London WC2N 6HT.