New Release | WFM UK: Configurable 'Evidence Seen?' Flag for Absences (SSP and CSP) | 4 Jun 2026

What’s New?

• Configurable 'Evidence Seen' Flag for Absences (SSP and CSP)
  A new setting is now available for Absence Types that, when enabled, removes the 'Evidence seen?' requirement in employee absence records so they can be paid Statutory or Company Sick Pay (SSP/CSP). The 'Evidence seen?' tickbox (see Fig.2 below) can be made ineffective, or hidden altogether

  This setting is available for newly created Absence Types only and becomes locked once the Absence Type has been used on an absence record, ensuring data integrity and preventing any retrospective impact on historical payroll results

  Following the April 2026 SSP reforms and customer feedback, the change reduces administrative burden, particularly for short, self-certified absences (seven days or fewer) where formal medical evidence is not typically provided

Release date: 4th June 2026

Instructions

Important: This setting is only available for new, unused Absence Types. Allowing it on existing types could re-evaluate historical records - changing SSP/CSP eligibility or disrupting processed payments.

Creating new Absence Types does involve some upfront administrative effort, but it is a deliberate and necessary trade-off to fully protect historical absence data, payroll results, and past SSP/CSP decisions, ensuring they remain accurate and unaffected. Protecting the integrity of historical absence and payroll data is a priority for Fourth.

To create an Absence Type, go to:

• HR or Payroll > Administration > Absence Types
• Select Create Absence Type

Configure the Absence Type as required, but notice the following new tickboxes will be available to configure as part of an Absence Type:

• Absence Does Not Require Evidence Seen to Pay SSP and CSP - tick this if the Absence Type will not require Evidence seen? to be ticked (Fig.2), when applied to an employee's record, to pay SSP and CSP
  • Hide Evidence Field - will only appear if the above is ticked, and hides the Evidence seen? tickbox entirely at employee level

Where the Absence Does Not Require Evidence Seen to Pay SSP and CSP setting is left unticked, standard behaviour applies: Evidence seen? must be ticked on the absence record before SSP or CSP can be paid.

If Hide Evidence Field is not ticked and Does Not Require Evidence is ticked, the Evidence seen? tickbox will remain visible, though ticking/unticking will have no bearing on SSP or CSP eligibility.

SSP (and CSP) will pay without evidence seen being required:

Once a payroll has been processed, any Absence Type used will lock in the selection made for the Absence Does Not Require Evidence Seen to Pay SSP and CSP setting to further preserve and protect historical data: