§ Mr. Geoffrey RobinsonTo ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what action he will take to ensure that all employees are paid their full entitlement to sickness and maternity benefits by their employers; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. ScottEmployers already receive comprehensive guidance and advice on how to operate the statutory sick pay (SSP) and statutory maternity pay (SMP) schemes through the medium of guides, manuals, free telephone enquiry service and training seminars. A quick guide to enable employers to deal with most cases under the schemes is revised and issued to all known employers annually and an updated version of the employer's manual to SSP will be issued to employers next month.
Explanatory leaflets and a free telephone service are also available to inform employees of their rights. Disagreements between employer and employee can be resolved by an independent adjudication officer at the local social security office.
As part of the Contributions Agency's 1992–93 target of 114,000 survey visits to employers to check their compliance with the legislation, the agency has introduced measures aimed at improving employers' performance in administering the schemes including a programme of 17,000 educational visits. The agency is also planning a random survey of employers to obtain a more representative view of employers' performance to identify and resolve areas of particular difficulty.