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Cutting self-isolation period ‘won’t fix sick pay problem’ – TUC
17 January 2022 Pay, Benefits and Taxation
Reducing the self-isolation period won’t fix the UK’s fundamental sick pay problem, the TUC has warned today (Monday), as the new government policy reducing minimum self-isolation from seven days to five days comes into effect.
The TUC says that without decent sick pay available to all, our self-isolation system will fail – pointing out that workers on low or no sick pay face the impossible choice of self-isolating and facing hardship or putting food on the table but potentially spreading the virus.
The warning comes as the union body publishes new analysis which estimates around a quarter of a million private sector workers (267,800) were self-isolating without decent sick pay or any sick pay at all in mid-December (13 to 26 December).
Around 209,900 workers had to rely on statutory sick pay, which is too low to meet basic living costs, and 57,900 got no sick pay at all.
New ONS data which estimates that 2.7 per cent of the private sector workforce – around 723,900 workers – were off work with Covid-19 from 13 to 26 December as the Omicron variant swept across the country.
According to TUC polling conducted by Britain Thinks, around three in 10 private sector workers rely on statutory sick pay, and just under one in 10 get nothing – leaving over a third of private sector workers without decent sick pay or any sick pay at all.
TUC General Secretary Frances O’Grady said:
No one should be forced to choose between doing the right thing and self-isolating or putting food on the table.
“But that was exactly the choice facing a quarter of a million private sector workers last month, as the Omicron variant raged across the country. This is a serious public health failure.
“It beggars belief that two years into the pandemic, statutory sick pay is still too little to live on and two million workers can’t get any sick pay at all.
“Ministers can’t continue to turn a blind eye to this vital public health tool. We need decent sick pay – paid at the real Living Wage – available to everyone.”
The UK has the least generous statutory sick pay in Europe, worth just £96.35 per week – around 15 per cent of average earnings, compared to an OECD average of over 60 per cent. And it is only available to employees earning £120 per week or more – meaning two million workers nationwide, mostly women, do not qualify.
Kate Palmer, HR advice & consultancy Director at Peninsula, believes that the reduction in the self-isolation period for Covid-positive cases will ultimately be beneficial for businesses.
She said:
The reduction in the self-isolation period will minimises the time employees spend away from the workplace and the subsequent knock-on impact this has on business operations.
“This being said, the amount of SSP payable to eligible employees needs to be reconsidered, in line with rising living costs, to ensure individuals are adequately supported through periods of sickness absence.
“Many employers may want to offer enhanced contractual sick pay schemes to alleviate the financial burdens of being off sick, but simply do not have the resources themselves to do so.”