Dear Secretary of State for Work and Pensions,

 

We, the undersigned, are a coalition of unions, health and disability charities and civil society organisations representing millions of workers in the UK subject to the UK's Statutory Sick Pay regime. We are calling on the government to make the changes set out below to create a sick pay system that is better for workers, employers and Britain's public health. We are writing to you to highlight the problems with Statutory Sick Pay, and to invite you to a meeting to find an equitable solution to the UK's sick pay system.

 

The pandemic highlighted some of the shortcomings of our current sick pay legislation. Currently one third of workers are only paid £99.35 a week to take time off when ill. Those workers are not paid for the first 3 days they are off sick. Furthermore, almost two million workers receive no sick pay because they earn below the earnings threshold of £123 per week with their employer.

 

As a result, the current system incentivises workers to go into work sick as they cannot afford to take the time off. This leads to public health risks as we saw during the pandemic. It also leads to financial hardship, especially with the cost of living crisis. For instance, Mind found that two in three people with a mental health problem, who received Statutory Sick Pay, faced financial difficulties. Finally, this leads to people not being able to look after their health and wellbeing, and focus on getting better.

 

There are four changes to Statutory Sick Pay legislation that would make a great impact to public health, personal wellbeing and whether some people can make ends meet during the cost of living crisis:

 

1. Abolishing the earnings threshold for Statutory Sick Pay
2. Making Statutory Sick Pay payable from the first day of sickness
3. Increasing sick pay to be in line with a worker’s wages up to the real living wage
4. Developing a flexible model for Statutory Sick Pay which allows for a phased return to work and income protection for workers

 

Currently, the UK’s sick pay is among the lowest of any wealthy country. We would like to invite you to a meeting so that we can work with the Department of Work and Pensions to build a sick pay system our country can be proud of. We look forward to your response.

 

Your sincerely,

 

Sophie Corlett, interim Chief Executive, Mind

 

Paul Nowak, General Secretary elect, Trades Union Congress

 

Mark Hodgkinson, Chief Executive, Scope

 

Sharon Graham, General Secretary, Unite the Union

 

Christina McAnea, General Secretary, UNISON

 

Alison Garnham, Chief Executive, Child Poverty Action Group

 

Amanda Walters, Chief Executive, Centre for Progressive Change 

 

Kevin Courtney, General Secretary, National Education Union

 

Gemma Hope, Director of Policy, Leonard Cheshire Disability

 

Kamran Mallick, CEO, Disability Rights UK

 

Mark Serwotka, General Secretary, Public and Commercial Services Union

 

Diane Lightfoot, CEO, Business Disability Forum

 

Paddy Lillis, General Secretary, Union of Shop, Distributive and Allied Workers

 

Dr Sarah Hughes, Chief Executive, Centre for Mental Health

 

Sarah Woolley, General Secretary, Bakers Food and Allied Workers Union

 

Helen Undy, Chief Executive, Money and Mental Health Policy Institute

 

Paul Fleming, General Secretary, Equity

 

Matt Wrack, General Secretary, Fire Brigades Union

 

Catherine Howarth, Chief Executive, ShareAction

 

Ian Lawrence, General Secretary, Napo

 

Philippa King, Managing Director, Shiva Foundation 

 

Michelle Stanistreet, General Secretary, National Union of Journalists

 

David Ramsden, Chief Executive, Cystic Fibrosis Trust

 

Nat Whalley, CEO and Co-Founder, Organise

 

Rachel Kirby-Rider, Chief Executive Officer, Young Lives vs Cancer

 

Bob Monks, General Secretary, The United Road Transport Union

 

Marzena Zukowska, Co-Director and Co-Founder, Polish Migrants Organise for Change

 

Captain Martin Chalk, General Secretary, British Airlines Pilots’ Association

 

Gisela Valle, Director, Latin American Women's Rights Service  

 

Diarmaid McDonald, Executive Director, Just Treatment

 

Alison Smith, CEO, Roots HR CIC

 

Tom Madders, Director of Communications and Campaigns, Young Minds

 

Adela Belecova, Executive Team, English for Action

 

Jacobo Belilty, Coordinator, CLAUK

 

Professor Phil Taylor, Professor of Work and Employment Studies, University of Strathclyde, Fellow of the Academy of Social Science

 

Janet Newsham, Coordinator, Greater Manchester Hazards Centre