Coalition calls for sick pay overhaul

A 32-strong coalition of unions, charities and civil society organisations has sent an open letter to the secretary of state for work and pensions calling for urgent reform of Statutory Sick Pay (SSP).

The organisations say that the Covid pandemic showed the failing of current legislation, with a third of workers only being paid £99.35 a week when off sick, and nothing for the first three days. And almost two million workers receive no sick pay because they earn below the earnings threshold of £123 per week.

As a result, they say, the current system incentivises workers to go in to work sick and creates financial hardship and stress. They therefore recommend the following changes:

abolishing the earnings threshold for SSP;

making it payable from the first day of sickness;

increasing sick pay to be in line with a worker’s wages up to the real living wage; and

developing a flexible model for SSP which allows for a phased return to work and income protection for workers.

Signatories to the letter include officials from: the TUC, Balpa, BFAWU, Equity, FBU, Napo, NEU, NUJ, PCS, UNISON, Unite, Urtu and Usdaw, and organisations and charities such as Mind, the Child Poverty Action Group, the Centre for Progressive Change, and Leonard Cheshire Disability.

https://www.centreforprogressivechange.org/safe-sick-pay-letter-to-government?fbclid=IwAR3Ngqj3uZ3SE300JXHsg7FuRLxOxPtln3cbJdhe8K2WLPDGs5N_0EPbIEc