Managing your team – proxies, sickness, managing leave and disciplinaries

Watch this IPSA Online webinar outlining how to set up a new proxy and to change your existing proxy’s settings.

MPs can nominate up to two proxies to complete certain tasks relating to funding and/or payroll functions.

You can choose to split the proxy role between funding and payroll functions or have one member of staff be nominated a proxy for both functions.

Under IPSA's regulatory principle of accountability, MPs are responsible for their funding and budget performance.

To request a routine delegation to a proxy, you should submit the MP proxy form on IPSA Online – see guidance.

In exceptional circumstances, you may delegate the management of your funding to another MP – see guidance.

Available proxy permissions

Full expenses and payroll proxy

• Can approve funding requests apart from their own

• Can view the staffing budget report

• Can view the MP dashboard

• Can view the MP office annual leave and sick details

• Can record sickness absence on behalf of other staff members

• Can record neonatal leave on behalf of other staff members

• Can record parental bereavement leave on behalf of other staff members

• Can create and submit these payroll forms on behalf of the MP and staff: bike loan, employee leaver, season ticket request, overtime, FTC (fixed-term contract), make-permanent

These forms will then go to the MP for approval.

If the leaver form is submitted by the proxy, it will be sent directly to the IPSA payroll officer. It will not need the MP's approval.

However, if the staff member submits their own form(s) from the list above, a full payroll proxy can approve it.

A full payroll proxy also has access to create and submit these form types:

• Contractual changes

• Reward and recognition

These forms will then go to the MP for approval.

These changes impact the staffing budget and why they need to be approved by the MP as the employer and budget holder.

Choose this proxy setting by selecting option B, then option D, on the MP proxy form.

Full expenses-only proxy

• Can do all the expenses tasks for their MP

• Can approve everything apart from their own expenses

• Can view the MP dashboard

Choose this proxy setting by selecting option B on the MP proxy form.

Limited expenses-only proxy

• Can prepare funding requests

• Can view the MP dashboard

The MP must approve them all.

Choose this proxy setting by selecting option A on the MP proxy form.

Limited expenses with full payroll permissions proxy

• Can prepare funding requests but cannot approve them

• Can view the staffing budget report

• Can view the MP dashboard

• Can record sickness absence on behalf of other staff members

• Can record neonatal leave on behalf of other staff members

• Can record parental bereavement leave on behalf of other staff members

• Can create and submit these payroll forms on behalf of the MP and staff: bike loan, employee leaver, season ticket request, overtime, FTC (fixed-term contract), make-permanent

These forms will then go to the MP for approval.

If the leaver form is submitted by the proxy, it will be sent directly to the IPSA payroll officer. It will not need the MP's approval.

However, if the staff member submits their own form(s) from the list above, a full payroll proxy can approve it.

A full payroll proxy also has access to create and submit these form types:

• Contractual changes

• Reward and recognition

These forms will then go to the MP for approval.

These changes impact the staffing budget and why they need to be approved by the MP as the employer and budget holder.

Choose this proxy setting by selecting option A, then option D, on the MP proxy form.

Full payroll-only proxy

• Can view the MP dashboard

• Can view the staffing budget report

• Can view the MP office annual leave and sick details

• Can create and submit these payroll forms on behalf of the MP and staff: bike loan, employee leaver, season ticket request, overtime, FTC (fixed-term contract), make-permanent

• Can record sickness absence on behalf of other staff members

• Can record neonatal leave on behalf of other staff members

• Can record parental bereavement leave on behalf of other staff members

These forms will then go to the MP for approval.

If the leaver form is submitted by the proxy, it will be sent directly to the IPSA payroll officer. It will not need the MP's approval.

However, if the staff member submits their own form(s) from the list above, a full payroll proxy can approve it.

A full payroll proxy also has access to create and submit these form types:

• Contractual changes

• Reward and recognition

These forms will then go to the MP for approval.

These changes impact the staffing budget and why they need to be approved by the MP as the employer and budget holder.

Choose this proxy setting by selecting option D on the MP proxy form.

Limited expenses and payroll proxy

• Can prepare funding requests but not approve them

• Can view the MP dashboard

• Can record sickness absence, neonatal and parental bereavement leave on behalf of other staff members

• Can create and submit these payroll forms on behalf of the MP and staff: bike loan, employee leaver, season ticket request, overtime

These forms will then go to the MP for approval.

If the leaver form is submitted by the proxy, it will be sent directly to the IPSA payroll officer. It will not need the MP's approval.

However, if the staff member submits their own form(s) from the list above, a limited payroll proxy can approve it.

They cannot view the staffing budget report.

Choose this proxy setting by selecting option A, then option C, on the MP proxy form.

Full expenses, limited payroll proxy

• Can do all the expenses tasks for their MP

• Can approve everything apart from their own expenses

• Can view the MP dashboard

• Can record sickness absence, neonatal and parental bereavement leave on behalf of other staff members

• Can create and submit these payroll forms on behalf of the MP and staff: bike loan, employee leaver, season ticket request, overtime

These forms will then go to the MP for approval.

If the leaver form is submitted by the proxy, it will be sent directly to the IPSA payroll officer. It will not need the MP's approval.

However, if the staff member submits their own form(s) from the list above, a full payroll proxy can then approve it.

They cannot view the staffing budget report.

Choose this proxy setting by selecting option B, then option C, on the MP proxy form.

Limited payroll proxy

• Can create and submit these payroll forms on behalf of the MP and staff: bike loan, employee leaver, season ticket request, overtime

These forms will then go to the MP for approval.

If the leaver form is submitted by the proxy, it will be sent directly to the IPSA payroll officer. It will not need the MP's approval.

However, if the staff member submits their own form(s) from the list above, a limited payroll proxy can then approve it.

They cannot view the staffing budget report or the MP dashboard or record sick absence on behalf of other staff members.

Choose this proxy setting by selecting option C on the MP proxy form.

Guidance updated on April 2026.

If a staff member is sick, they must inform you or the MP on the first day of absence explaining the reason for the absence and when they hope to return to work.

If the absence is likely to last longer than a few days, you or the MP should set up a time for regular contact with the staff member for updates.

Keeping and maintaining good records ensures the staff member will receive accurate sick pay.

Ensure you inform IPSA as soon as possible.

If a staff member is sick for two weeks or more, IPSA will move costs relating to the sick staff member to the staff absence budget.

Guidance updated on April 2026.

The costs below will be met centrally from a staff absence budget and will not be deducted from MPs’ staffing budgets:

• Costs of staff who are on maternity, paternity or adoption leave

• Costs of staff who are on long-term sick leave (i.e. longer than two weeks)

• Costs of staff who are British Armed Forces reservists and have been granted special paid leave to participate in mandatory training in connection with their role in reserve forces up to 15 days per staff member per year

The costs of staff to cover for the absences listed above will be met from MPs’ staffing budgets.

MPs must ensure any additional staffing to cover absence will not take them over their available staffing budget.

Guidance updated on April 2026.

Staff will receive Statutory Sick Pay (SSP) as required by law and, depending on their length of continuous service in their current employment, they may also be entitled to Occupational Sick Pay.

If they have worked for less than one year for their current MP, they will receive one week’s full pay for every four weeks of continuous service including any SSP due (see example 1).

If they have worked for more than one year for their current MP, they will receive a maximum of 26 weeks on full pay, then a further 26 weeks on half pay including any statutory sick pay due. This is their maximum entitlement during any four-year rolling period.

Note that the four-year rolling period begins on the first day of their most recent absence. Once the four-year rolling period is up, i.e. four years since the first day of absence, their entitlement will reset to 26 weeks on full pay/26 weeks on half pay.

What staff members are entitled to for each sickness absence will be calculated according to these rules and will take into consideration the staff member’s current absence record and any previous payments for sickness absence.

Sickness relating to an employment with another MP (previous or current) is not considered during the four-year rolling period. In other words, the four-year rolling period exclusively relates to a single employment with an MP.

If a staff member, the proxy or the MP wants to check whether a staff member will receive occupational sick pay for a period of absence, they should contact the IPSA payroll team for details.

Example 1

A staff member has worked for their MP for less than one year. Their employment started on 1 November. They were off sick from 4 January and are due to return three weeks later on 25 January.

The period of employment considered is from 1 November to 25 January: 12 weeks and one day, although only full weeks are counted.

The calculation: sick leave accrual (12 weeks) / 4 weeks continuous service = 3 weeks.

In this example, they would receive full Occupational Sick Pay for the whole three-week period they were off sick.

In instances during the first year of employment where the sickness is ongoing and the return date is not yet known, sick pay will be calculated on a month-by-month basis.

Example 2

A staff member has been employed with their MP for three years and they are currently off sick. Their sickness record indicates they previously received 26 weeks’ full pay during a separate period of long-term sickness within the last four years.

As a result, they are unable to receive occupational sick pay at full pay and would only be entitled to occupational sick pay at half pay for a total of 26 weeks. If the sickness continued after these 26 weeks at half pay, they would move to zero pay. This is because they would have also exhausted their Statutory Sick Pay, which is paid to them as a portion of the full/half pay they receive. After 12 months, their entitlement to statutory sick pay would reset.

Example 3

A staff member started work for their MP on 13 March and went off sick on 31 March. As they were employed for less than four weeks, they are not eligible for occupational sick pay. Therefore, any absence less than four days will be unpaid. For any absence period over four days, they will receive Statutory Sick Pay.

Example 4

A staff member has worked for their MP for six years but in the last four years their sickness record shows they have exhausted their full occupational sick pay and three weeks of their half pay. This means that any further sick pay will be capped to 23 weeks at half pay.

Accruing annual leave while on sick leave

Statutory holiday entitlement continues to accrue if they are off sick.

Staff members may choose to take annual leave while on sick leave and be paid at their usual rate (e.g. if they are not entitled to sick pay). This will pause their sickness absence for the annual leave duration.

If a staff member falls ill or gets injured just before or during a period of annual leave and they are consequently unable to take the holiday, they can take their annual leave at another time with the time off work treated as sickness absence. They must report their sickness to the proxy/MP if they want to take any holiday as sick leave in advance.

Guidance updated on April 2026.

If a staff member has accumulated annual leave because they have been off sick and are unable to use it, they are entitled to carry over up to 20 days into the following year.

However, they must use it within 18 months starting from the end of the leave year in which it was accrued. This is pro-rated for part-time staff.

Carrying over 20 days unused annual leave can only be done in exceptional cases of long-term sickness absence.

Guidance updated on April 2026

A phased return to work is when someone who has been absent gradually builds up to returning to work, e.g.:

• Starting on reduced hours

• Doing work that is different to their usual job

• Having a lighter workload

A phased return might be appropriate after:

• Long-term illness

• Serious injury

• Bereavement

You can use this phased return-to-work plan to outline how an employee can return to their role in a managed way.

Download the phased return-to-work plan.

Guidance updated on April 2026.

Staff absence budget

The salary cost for the absent member of staff will be automatically transferred to the staff absence budget from the first day of leave as soon as IPSA are informed.

In these cases, an MP may wish to have some support in the office to cover the absence.

This cover will be funded from the normal staffing budget.

Pay award and family leave

If an MP awards a pay increase to all their staff, the same consideration must also be given to a staff member who is on family leave.

Childcare vouchers

If a staff member is in receipt of childcare vouchers before they go on maternity/adoption leave, they are entitled to continue receiving them for the duration of their maternity/adoption leave (up to 52 weeks).

While the staff member is on full pay, the deductions continue as normal.

When the staff members move onto Statutory Maternity Pay or nil pay, they are still entitled to receive the childcare voucher as if they were being paid their full salary.

During this period, there will be no deduction from the employee's pay and the MP must take the full cost of these vouchers as expenditure against their staffing budget.

Employer's pension contribution

While a member of staff is in receipt of statutory maternity, adoption or paternity pay, the MP will continue to pay the full employer’s pension contributions (10% of salary).

Overpayment recoveries

If a member of staff is having any salary overpayment recoveries while on family leave, these will stop when they go on to statutory pay only and be restarted upon their return to work.

Should the member of staff not return to work, IPSA will write to them for the outstanding amount owed.

Statutory money reclaim

MPs are classed as small employers and they will automatically receive 103% reclaim against statutory maternity/adoption/paternity and shared parental pay in their staffing budget.

Guidance updated on April 2026.

We strongly advise speaking to Members' HR before making any decisions about ending or extending a fixed-term contract for someone on – or due to go on – family leave and would encourage you to follow the advice they provide.

You are able to end the contract at the fixed-term end date even if the staff member is on family leave. However, the staff member would lose any occupational pay they would have been entitled to had they remained employed.

They would not lose their entitlement to statutory payments, which would be paid as a lump sum in their final payslip should the contract come to an end.

Guidance updated on April 2026.

Annual leave on family leave

Annual leave continues to accrue while on family/parental leave.

It is recommended this is taken either at the beginning or end of the family leave.

See guidance on calculating and managing your annual leave entitlement.

Redundancy and family leave

Where staff member's jobs are made redundant (as a result of their employing MP leaving Parliament) while qualified for – or in receipt of – statutory pay entitlements for parental leave, any remaining statutory pay owed to the staff member will be paid in the staff member’s final payslip.

Former MPs may request that the staff member receive any remaining occupational pay they would have been entitled to for that period of parental leave had their employment not ended.

Time off in lieu

Any accrued time off in lieu must be taken before a staff member begins their family leave.

Guidance updated on April 2026.

The MP holds the employment relationship with their staff.

IPSA is not responsible for any elements of that employment relationship. Instead, IPSA provides model contracts of employment and associated procedures to MPs to support them in following best employment practice.

The Members’ HR team at the House should be the first point of contact for MPs when making any employment decisions or HR changes.

IPSA cannot provide any advice or guidance on HR matters.

The MP and the MP alone is the employer of their staff so while day-to-day management of the office can be taken by others as delegated by the MP, the MP themselves remains liable for any employment practices undertaken.

Neither an ‘MP representative’ nor the designated proxy can have the employment relationship transferred to them.

This procedure does not form part of any employee’s or worker’s contract of employment or engagement. These procedures are in line with ACAS guidance and current best practice. They were last updated in July 2024.

It may be amended from time to time and the employer may need to depart from it depending on the circumstances of any case.

This procedure applies to all employees regardless of length of service. However, discretion may be applied to vary this process for employees or workers with less than two years’ service.

These procedures are designed to ensure a fair and consistent approach to the enforcement of standards or conduct. This policy and these procedures are designed to help and encourage all employees to achieve and maintain required standards of conduct, attendance and job performance. This policy also aims to resolve and improve problems of conduct or poor performance, poor attendance and, wherever possible, to avoid dismissal.

The procedure is designed to establish the facts quickly and to deal with disciplinary issues consistently.

Investigation

No disciplinary action will be taken until the matter has been fully investigated. At every stage, you will be notified of the allegations that have been made against you and you will be invited to a hearing to discuss them. Any disciplinary decision (up to and including dismissal) will be taken by the employer/manager after full investigation.

Any meetings and discussions as part of an investigation are solely for the purpose of fact-finding and no disciplinary action will be taken without a disciplinary hearing. Investigation meetings may take place in person or remotely using remote working platforms or technologies as appropriate.

You may choose to be accompanied at the investigation meeting if you wish by a work colleague of a trade union representative, and you should inform your employer in advance of the name of your chosen companion.

In cases of misconduct (situations less serious than gross misconduct), it might also be appropriate to suspend the employee if this helps with the investigation. Suspension is not considered to be disciplinary action, nor does it indicate guilt in any way. A period of suspension should be regularly reviewed, be kept as short as possible and will be on a fully paid basis.

Disciplinary hearing

Upon completing the investigation, it will then be decided whether to proceed to a formal disciplinary meeting or to resolve the matter informally without further action (e.g. by creating an improvement plan or providing further training).

If a disciplinary hearing is warranted, you will be given a minimum of 48 hours’ notice in writing of the hearing, including sufficient information about the alleged misconduct or poor performance and its possible consequences to help you prepare. You will normally be given copies of relevant documents, witness statements and other evidence.

Disciplinary hearings may be held remotely or in person and you will be informed of the relevant arrangements. Where meetings are held remotely, you should let the person chairing the meeting know of any questions regarding joining instructions in advance of the meeting.

If you have a disability or health condition that may have an impact on your ability to participate in this procedure, whether remotely or in person, or if you need assistance (e.g. where an employee has a hearing condition), you should let the person chairing the hearing know so they can make reasonable adjustments and appropriate arrangements for you.

You may choose to be accompanied at the hearing if you wish by a work colleague of a trade union representative and will have the opportunity to state your case. You should inform your employer in advance of the name of your chosen companion.

You should let your employer know as early as possible if there are any relevant witnesses you would like to be interviewed, or any documents or other evidence you wish to be considered.

You will be notified of the outcome of the hearing in writing. It should be noted that the outcome could be at any of the stages described below depending on the seriousness of the matter.

You have the right to appeal against any disciplinary sanction.

Disciplinary action

Stage 1: first written warning

If your conduct or performance is unsatisfactory, you may receive a formal disciplinary warning in the form of a first written warning. This warning represents the first stage of the formal procedure. It will set out the nature of the misconduct, the change in behaviour/performance that is required and your right of appeal.

This warning will be recorded but disregarded after a period of six months of satisfactory service. The warning will also state the consequences of there being no improvement within this period, which will be that further action will be taken under this procedure.

Stage 2: final written warning

If the offence is serious or there is no improvement in standards, or if a further offence of a similar kind occurs, a final written warning may be given. This warning represents the second stage of the formal procedure. The warning will set out the nature of the misconduct, the change in behaviour that is required and your right of appeal.

The warning will be recorded but disregarded after a period of 12 months of satisfactory service. The warning will also state the consequences of there being no improvement within this period, which will be that action will be taken under Stage 3 of this process.

There may be exceptional circumstances where a final written warning is issued without a first written warning being live. This is likely but not exclusively to be an alternative sanction to dismissal.

Stage 3: dismissal or action short of dismissal

If conduct or performance has failed to improve, the employee may face redeployment, demotion or dismissal.

Gross misconduct

If an employee has committed an offence of the following nature, the normal consequence will be dismissal without notice or payment in lieu of notice:

• Theft, fraud and misrepresentation

• Any involvement in bribery or giving, receiving or facilitating bribes, or failing to disclose bribes

• Unauthorised entry to computer records or deliberate or attempted falsification of records, including unauthorised disclosure of information

• Serious breach of the employer’s rules on email and internet usage, health and safety policy, security policy or data protection policy

• Fighting or assault, or deliberate or reckless damage to employer’s property

• Inability to perform job duties through being under the influence of alcohol or drugs

• Serious breach of the employer’s safety rules or a single error due to negligence that causes or could have caused significant loss, damage or injury to the employer, its employees or customers

• Conviction of a criminal offence that makes the employee unsuitable or unable to carry out their duties

• Serious act of insubordination such as deliberate refusal to carry out proper instructions

• Acts of bullying, harassment, discrimination or intimidation, and defamation

• Serious breach of trust or confidentiality

• Bringing the office into disrepute

MPs staff should abide by the UK Parliament behaviour code. A serious breach of the code may constitute gross misconduct. This list is not intended to be exhaustive and only gives an indication of the types of offence that may be considered gross misconduct. The employee may be suspended while the alleged gross misconduct is being investigated. A period of suspension should be regularly reviewed, kept as short as possible and on a fully paid basis.

Appeals

Employees have the right to appeal after a disciplinary sanction has been issued. This right to appeal must be exercised by writing to the person named in the letter confirming the outcome of the disciplinary hearing within five working days of receiving written notification of the disciplinary sanction. The letter should clearly state the grounds upon which the appeal is being lodged.

Wherever possible, the employer will consider whether it is feasible for the appeal to be heard by an independent party although it remains the MP’s decision as the employer regarding any outcome. All appeals will be considered impartially.

You will be invited to an appeal hearing and have the right to be accompanied by a work colleague or a trade union representative.

The appeal hearing may need to be adjourned if further investigations are required.

If your appeal is against dismissal, the dismissal decision will stand unless or until it is decided otherwise.

The decision at the appeal will be notified to you in writing without unreasonable delay and will be final and binding.

Guidance updated on April 2026.

If you have any questions regarding disciplinary or grievance processes and procedures or would like to discuss a case, please call the Members’ and Members’ Staff HR Advice Team on 020 7219 2080 or email membershr@parliament.uk.

MPs' staff can also speak to HR practitioners directly by calling 0207 219 2617.

Other sources of support

• House of Commons best practice guide – conducting investigations

• House of Commons best practice guide – grievance

• House of Commons best practice guide – managing misconduct

• UK Parliament – the Independent Complaints and Grievance Scheme (ICGS)

• Acas code of practice on disciplinary and grievance procedures

• Labour Relations Agency (NI) – code of practice on disciplinary and grievance procedures