Statutory Sick Pay in the UK vs Italian Sick Leave: INPS, CCNL Top-Ups and the Comporto Period

UK sick pay is a flat statutory minimum, often topped up by company policy. Italian sick pay is a shared system: INPS pays an allowance, the employer usually tops it up under the CCNL, and the employee’s job is protected for a long period. For a UK employer, both the cost model and the dismissal rules change.

UK: SSP after the 2026 reforms  

Statutory Sick Pay is paid by the employer for up to 28 weeks. Gov.uk now gives the rate as £123.25 a week or 80% of normal weekly earnings, whichever is lower, and says it is paid for all full days off sick that would normally have been worked.

These are changes made by the Employment Rights Act 2025 , in force from 6 April 2026 ( s.10 , s.11 ): the three unpaid “waiting days” have gone, and the lower earnings limit was replaced by the 80% rule so lower earners now qualify. A fit note is needed after seven days ( eligibility ). Many employers pay contractual sick pay above SSP.

In the UK, long-term sickness can lead to a capability dismissal after a fair process, subject to disability discrimination rules.

Italy: how sick pay works  

For blue-collar workers in industry and for blue- and white-collar staff in commerce and services, INPS pays a sickness allowance through the employer’s payroll:

• days 1 to 3 (carenza): no INPS allowance; the CCNL usually requires the employer to pay them;
• days 4 to 20: INPS pays 50% of average daily pay;
• from day 21: 66.66%;
• up to 180 days in a calendar year.

The employer advances the INPS allowance on the payslip and offsets it against contributions. Most CCNLs then require the employer to top up to a higher percentage, often full pay, for a set number of days. White-collar staff in industry (impiegati dell’industria), quadri and dirigenti get no INPS allowance: the employer pays sick pay in full under the CCNL. The details depend on the agreement and job level.

Certificates and checks  

The employee’s doctor sends the medical certificate online to INPS, and the employer can see it through INPS services. The employee must be available at home during set hours for an official medical check (visita fiscale), which the employer can request through INPS. This is very different from the UK self-certification and fit-note system, and it means sick leave is documented from day one.

The comporto period: job protection  

Article 2110 of the civil code protects an ill employee’s job for a period set by the CCNL, called comporto. During it, the employer cannot dismiss for the illness itself. The length depends on the CCNL and often on seniority, typically measured in months within a set reference period. Only after the comporto is exceeded can the employer dismiss for that reason, with notice.

Two consequences for UK employers:

• There is no “capability process” equivalent during the comporto. Even a very long absence is protected until the limit is reached.
• Counting the comporto correctly is technical (consecutive vs accumulated days, reference windows). Mistakes make a dismissal void.

Serious illnesses, disabilities and specific conditions can extend protection under the CCNL or other laws. Dismissal for a disability-related absence also raises discrimination issues in both countries.

Side by side  

Cost planning  

In the UK, the employer bears SSP and any enhanced pay. In Italy, the INPS share is funded by contributions already in payroll costs, and the employer’s top-up depends on the CCNL. For budgeting, assume the employee receives close to normal pay during typical short illnesses, and plan cover for longer absences.

Sickness during holiday and notice  

Illness interacts with other leave in ways that surprise UK managers. If an Italian employee falls ill during holiday and the illness prevents rest and recovery, the holiday is generally suspended and the sick days are recorded as sickness, provided the certificate is sent. In the UK, case law and the Working Time Regulations also allow holiday to be rescheduled, but the Italian process is more formal because the certificate goes to INPS. Similarly, sickness during a notice period suspends the notice within the comporto, which can push back the end date.

Common mistakes UK employers make  

• Asking employees to “self-certify” by email; the medical certificate system is the legal evidence.
• Contacting a sick employee about work or asking for the diagnosis.
• Counting sick days against holiday.
• Starting a capability process during the comporto period.
• Forgetting that the employer’s CCNL top-up, not INPS, often determines the employee’s actual pay during short absences.

What this means if you hire through an EOR  

The EOR receives the certificate data, applies the INPS allowance and the CCNL top-up, and tracks the comporto. Your managers should not ask about diagnoses (health data is special-category data under the GDPR, and the Italian certificate sent to the employer does not include the diagnosis), and should never treat absence as a performance issue without speaking to us first.

The bottom line  

The UK moved closer to Italy in 2026 by paying sick pay from the first day and to lower earners, but the systems remain different. In Italy the state shares the cost, the employer usually tops up to near full pay, absences are certified from day one, and the job is protected for the comporto period set by the CCNL. Treat sickness as an administrative process to be run correctly, not a performance issue, and involve the employer of record early in any long absence.

Related guides for UK companies  

• Holiday and working time
• Maternity, paternity and parental leave
• Unfair dismissal vs Italian dismissal rules
• Italy vs UK overview , contracts , calculator

General information, not legal advice. Contact us with any sickness case.