96.—(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 any statutory provision, or
(b)a recommendation in a provision of a code of practice issued or approved under Article 18 of the [1978 NI 9.] Health and Safety at Work (Northern Ireland) Order 1978,
and the provision is for the time being specified in paragraph (3).
(3) The provisions referred to in paragraph (2) are—
Regulation 2 of the [SR&O 1913 No. 2.] Manufacture and Decoration of Pottery Regulations 1913,
[F1Regulation 24 of the Ionising Radiations Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2000 ][SR 2000 No. 375]
Regulation 16 of the [SR 1986 No. 36.] Control of Lead at Work Regulations (Northern Ireland) 1986,
Regulation 11 of the [SR 1995 No. 51.] Control of Substances Hazardous to Health Regulations (Northern Ireland) 1995.
(4) The Department may by order add provisions to or remove provisions from the list of provisions specified in paragraph (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.
F1SR 2000/375
97.—(1) An employee is not entitled to remuneration under Article 96 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.
Para. (2) rep. by SR 2002/298
(3) An employee is not entitled to remuneration under Article 96 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 Article 96 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.