The UK also has the least generous statutory sick pay in Europe, worth just £96.35 per week
647,000 workers in hospitality, retail, and arts and entertainment – key sectors for Christmas festivity – do not qualify for statutory sick pay, according to new analysis published by the TUC.
With the discovery of the Omicron variant and new tougher self-isolation rules, the union body is warning that workers are at risk of being left with no work and no income over the Christmas period.
Hundreds of thousands of festive workers, who are most likely to come in contact with people over the busy festive period, receive no sick pay while self-isolating and could face drastic cuts to their livelihoods over Christmas.
The total includes:
- 238,000 hospitality workers (one in six, or 16% of the workforce)
- 336,000 retail workers (one in ten10, or 10% of the workforce)
- 73,000 arts and entertainment workers (one in eight, or 12% of the workforce)
According to the analysis by the TUC, based on the Labour Force Survey (July-Sept 2021), the only other sector of the economy with a higher proportion of workers who do not qualify for statutory sick pay is those employed by households – e.g. for example domestic cleaners at 32%.
The UK has the least generous statutory sick pay in Europe, worth just £96.35 per week. It is only available to employees earning £120 per week or more.
TUC research has found that this leaves around a third of workers – over 10 million people – with sick pay that is too low to meet basic living costs, or no sick pay at all.
Although the government introduced a temporary scheme to assist people who face hardship if required to self-isolate, the TUC says its research has found that two-thirds of applications (64%) are rejected – in part because the funding is too low, and many workers are not aware of it.
The TUC is calling on the government to extend statutory sick pay protection to every worker by removing the lower earnings limit and increase statutory sick pay to at least the value of the real Living Wage – (£346 per week).
TUC General Secretary Frances O’Grady said: “Every worker should have the security of sick pay if they fall ill or need to isolate. But while we’re out celebrating and buying presents, many workers who make that possible get no sick pay protection at all.
“Our sick pay system is broken. No one should be left to choose between doing the right thing or putting food on the table. And we all risk having our Christmas ruined because our sick pay system doesn’t do what’s needed to stop the virus spreading.
“Ministers must extend sick pay protection to every worker. And it should worth at least the same as the Living Wage to make sure people can afford to isolate.”
Basit Mahmood is editor of Left Foot Forward
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