Budapest Post

Cum Deo pro Patria et Libertate
Budapest, Europe and world news

Government move to limit COVID sick pay sparks fury from trade unions

Government move to limit COVID sick pay sparks fury from trade unions

Meanwhile, business groups have expressed cautious support for move to scrap remaining coronavirus restrictions in England, calling it a "significant step towards normality returning".

Trade unions have lashed out at the government's decision to limit statutory sick pay for workers who fall ill with COVID-19.

Those sick with coronavirus will be forced to wait until the fourth day of their illness before they can claim statutory sick pay, which provides workers with £96.35 per week for up to 28 weeks. More than 7.8 million workers rely on this kind of sick pay.

Calling the change reckless and self-defeating, TUC General Secretary Frances O'Grady, slammed the government's announcement on Monday.

Free testing is set to end on 24 March.


"Nobody should have to wait till their fourth day of being sick to receive support," the union boss said. "The government is creating needless hardship and taking a sledgehammer to public health.

"If people can't afford to stay home when they're sick, they will take their infections into work," she said, adding: "Ministers' inability to grasp this fact will leave the UK vulnerable to future variants and pandemics."

The £500 self-isolation support payment will also end.

Opponents of the changes warned that the poorest in society would not be able to afford to stay at home when sick with coronavirus, and would be forced to go to work despite being ill.

Britain already has one of the lowest levels of statutory sick pay in Europe.

The GMB trade union also expressed anger at the decision, calling it an act of national self-sabotage.

"This nonsensical announcement guarantees that workers will attend the workplace with COVID-19. This will prolong the pandemic with more outbreaks," said Dan Shears, GMB's national health and safety director, in a statement to Sky News.

"Asking people to exercise responsibility whilst taking away a key workplace provision for them to do that just shows how bankrupt this government is.

"The situation will be made even worse in April when statutory sick pay is cut in real terms against a backdrop of rampant inflation," he added.

'A significant step towards normality'


Other measures announced by Prime Minister Boris Johnson on Monday included an end to free testing, and that there will no longer be a legal requirement for adults and children who test positive to isolate.

Business groups, meanwhile, expressed cautious support for the moves.

"After almost two years, the Living with COVID strategy marks a significant step towards normality returning," said Matthew Fell, CBI's chief policy director.

"While free testing cannot continue forever, there is a balance to be struck between confidence building and cost-cutting," he said. "Mass lateral flow testing has kept our economy open and firms continue to believe the economic benefits far outweigh the costs.

"The government now needs to add further guidance on issues like sick pay and employer liability to avoid the risk of a legal vacuum. Many firms will continue to be cautious and use extra measures to protect their staff and customers, as they have from the outset."


Analysis, by Helen-Ann Smith, business correspondent

There may be some employers that are relieved we're moving to "living with COVID".

The nightmare of being forced to close because too many staff are isolating will, theoretically at least, be over.

But the lack of definitive rules shifts the onus onto employers, requiring them to develop and implement their own policies about what happens when staff test positive and that presents its own complicated conundrums.

Not only will businesses have to shoulder the cost of testing if they want to keep abreast of infections among staff, but they will also need to balance the duty of care they have towards their employees, with the bottom line led desire to get back to normal.

Deciding if and when infected people should come to work won't be easy.

Many workers, particularly the medically vulnerable, may well be feeling anxious.

Whether a COVID-positive worker would have the right to refuse to come in against the wishes of their employer is legally untested, but disciplinary action could well be a reality for some.

And then there's the economics of it.

During the pandemic, sick pay rules were extended to cover isolation periods. But the prime minister announced today that those rules will soon be disbanded meaning that sick pay will return to its original form - £96.35 a week, only kicking in after four days.

This is one of the lowest rates in Europe.

Self-Isolation Support payments which were being granted to help the poorest isolate will also end.

Many will not be able to afford to stay away from work and will opt to turn up while infected, potentially passing the virus to others and causing outbreaks that could still end up disrupting business and livelihoods.

AI Disclaimer: An advanced artificial intelligence (AI) system generated the content of this page on its own. This innovative technology conducts extensive research from a variety of reliable sources, performs rigorous fact-checking and verification, cleans up and balances biased or manipulated content, and presents a minimal factual summary that is just enough yet essential for you to function as an informed and educated citizen. Please keep in mind, however, that this system is an evolving technology, and as a result, the article may contain accidental inaccuracies or errors. We urge you to help us improve our site by reporting any inaccuracies you find using the "Contact Us" link at the bottom of this page. Your helpful feedback helps us improve our system and deliver more precise content. When you find an article of interest here, please look for the full and extensive coverage of this topic in traditional news sources, as they are written by professional journalists that we try to support, not replace. We appreciate your understanding and assistance.
Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
Altman Says GPT-5 Already Outpaces Him, Warns AI Could Automate 40% of Work
Russian Research Vessel 'Yantar' Tracked Mapping Europe’s Subsea Cables, Raising Security Alarms
Global Cruise Industry Posts Dramatic Comeback with 34.6 Million Passengers in 2024
U.S. Demands Brussels Scrutinize Digital Rules to Prevent Bias Against American Tech
Private Equity’s Fundraising Surge Triggers Concern of European Market Shake-Out
Tokyo’s Jimbōchō Named World’s Coolest Neighbourhood for 2025
European Officials Fear Trump May Shift Blame for Ukraine War onto EU
The Personality Rights Challenge in India’s AI Era
Italy Considers Freezing Retirement Age at 67 to Avert Scheduled Hike
Italian City to Impose Tax on Visiting Dogs Starting in 2026
Study Finds No Safe Level of Alcohol for Dementia Risk
Trump Says Ukraine Can Fully Restore Borders with NATO Backing
Europe Signals Stronger Support for Taiwan at Major Taipei Defence Show
Germany Weighs Excluding France from Key European Fighter Jet Programme
Cyberattack Disrupts Check-in and Boarding Systems at Major European Airports
Björn Borg Breaks Silence: Memoir Reveals Addiction, Shame and Cancer Battle
When Extremism Hijacks Idealism: How the Baader-Meinhof Gang Emerged and Fell
JWST Data Brings TRAPPIST-1e Closer to Earth-Like Habitability
Trump Orders $100,000 Fee on H-1B Visas and Launches ‘Gold Card’ Immigration Pathway
France’s Looming Budget Crisis and Political Fracture Raise Fears of Becoming Europe’s “Sick Man”
Three Russian MiG-31 Jets Breach Estonian Airspace in ‘Unprecedentedly Brazen’ NATO Incident
European manufacturers against ban on polluting cars: "The industry may collapse"
Turkish car manufacturer Togg Enters German Market with 5-Star Electric Sedan and SUV to Challenge European EV Brands
Christian Brueckner Released from German Prison after Serving Unrelated Sentence
World’s Longest Direct Flight China Eastern to Launch 29-Hour Shanghai–Buenos Aires Direct Flight via Auckland in December
New OpenAI Study Finds Majority of ChatGPT Use Is Personal, Not Professional
The conservative right spreads westward: a huge achievement for 'Alternative for Germany' in local elections
Pope Leo Warns of Societal Crisis Over Mega-CEO Pay, Citing Tesla’s Proposed Trillion-Dollar Package
Poland Green-Lights NATO Deployment in Response to Major Russian Drone Incursion
U.S. and China Agree on Framework to Shift TikTok to American Ownership
Le Pen Tightens the Pressure on Macron as France Edges Toward Political Breakdown
Czech Republic signs €1.34 billion contract for Leopard 2A8 main battle tanks with delivery from 2028
Penske Media Sues Google Over “AI Overviews,” Claiming It Uses Journalism Without Consent and Destroys Traffic
Indian Student Engineers Propose “Project REBIRTH” to Protect Aircraft from Crashes Using AI, Airbags and Smart Materials
One in Three Europeans Now Uses TikTok, According to the Chinese Tech Giant
Could AI Nursing Robots Help Healthcare Staffing Shortages?
NATO Deploys ‘Eastern Sentry’ After Russian Drones Violate Polish Airspace
The New Life of Novak Djokovic
German police raid AfD lawmaker’s offices in inquiry over Chinese payments
Volkswagen launches aggressive strategy to fend off Chinese challenge in Europe’s EV market
France Erupts in Mass ‘Block Everything’ Protests on New PM’s First Day
Poland Shoots Down Russian Drones in Airspace Violation During Ukraine Attack
Apple Introduces Ultra-Thin iPhone Air, Enhanced 17 Series and New Health-Focused Wearables
Macron Appoints Sébastien Lecornu as Prime Minister Amid Budget Crisis and Political Turmoil
Vatican hosts first Catholic LGBTQ pilgrimage
Apple Unveils iPhone 17 Series, iPhone Air, Apple Watch 11 and More at 'Awe Dropping' Event
France joins Eurozone’s ‘periphery’ as turmoil deepens, say investors
France Faces New Political Crisis, again, as Prime Minister Bayrou Pushed Out
Nayib Bukele Points Out Belgian Hypocrisy as Brussels Considers Sending Army into the Streets
France, at an Impasse, Heads Toward Another Government Collapse
×