More women missing out on sick pay

Women workers are more than twice as likely as men to miss out on sick pay, new TUC analysis suggests.

The trade union body’s scrutiny of Labour Force Survey data shows that women make up 70% of all workers who don’t earn enough to qualify for statutory sick pay. The wages of 1.3 million women workers are lower than the threshold of £123 a week; that’s 6.5% of all women workers, compared to 2.8% of men whose earnings don’t meet the limit.

BAME women workers are even more likely to fall below the threshold, with 7% missing out, while White working men are least likely at 2.7%. Workers on zero hours contracts are especially at risk, with 30.3% not earning enough to qualify, compared to 3.6% of workers on secure contracts.

With statutory sick pay at £109.40 per week – just 18% of average earnings – and a three-day waiting period before it applies, the TUC reiterated its call for decent sick pay for all workers.

General secretary Paul Nowak described the system as “broken”.