Labour's employment reforms could harm sick workers. Join our campaign for Safer Sick Pay now.
The government's proposed sick pay changes could leave millions of hard-working people out of pocket when they fall ill
We’ve said it before at The Lead and we’ll say it again: Labour’s worker’s rights reforms will change millions of lives.
But as a staunch believer that the media’s role is to highlight broken things and propose solutions to fix them, we are pushing for the government to revisit its proposals and ensure the most vulnerable do not fall through the cracks.
The current system of statutory sick pay (SSP) in the UK is broken and the Employment Rights Bill offers an opportunity to remove the Lower Earnings Limit (LEL) and make sick pay available to the 1.3 million workers currently excluded from it. However, as the Bill stands, it risks leaving many of the lowest-paid workers even worse off—just when they need support the most.
At present, the LEL requires employees to earn at least £123 a week to qualify for SSP. This excludes a disproportionate number of low-paid and part-time workers, 70 per cent of whom are women. Cleaners, carers, and gig economy workers—those who kept the country running during the pandemic—are left without a safety net when they fall ill. These workers are forced to choose between their health and paying their bills.
The Labour party has rightly pledged to remove the LEL and ensure sick pay is available from the first day of illness. A DWP spokesperson told The Lead that “No one should be forced to choose between their health and financial hardship, which is why we have consulted on plans to strengthen Statutory Sick Pay and make sure everyone is entitled from the first day they are sick, regardless of earnings."
They added: “These reforms as part of the Employment Rights Bill will support people managing a health condition to stay in work and raise living standards across the country.”
But the government’s proposed wording of the Bill creates a major problem. By linking SSP to a percentage of earnings, those just above the LEL could see their sick pay slashed. For example, an employee earning £130 per week could receive just £78 in SSP if the replacement rate is set at 60 per cent. That’s a 33 per cent cut compared to the current SSP rate of £116.75.
These figures aren’t just numbers—they represent real lives.
Alan, a 65-year-old former medical device engineer from Eastbourne, was diagnosed with stage 3 bowel cancer last year and had to take four months off initially for the operation and treatment: “At the time I discovered I was ill, I was an engineer with around 40 years’ experience. I had always paid my taxes and worked since leaving school at age 16. I was only with the company for just over a year so I only got SSP from day one.”
Alan’s experience is not uncommon. Ashley, from the North East, experienced a devastating spiral due to inadequate sick pay. “I have a long-term mental health condition for which I now claim PIP (personal independent payment), and my partner suffers from depression, anxiety, and arthritis. Both my partner and I had to claim sick pay during the same period when we were both struggling with our respective issues."
“We couldn't pay our bills or afford food on that pay, which forced me to return to work so we could survive and not lose our home. Upon my return to work, I attempted to end my own life due to the stress and the struggle of it all.”
Ashley’s life collapsed. “I felt like once I couldn't work, my whole world collapsed around me,” he explained. “It's as if, unless I'm able to contribute economically, I don't exist and don't matter. You don't think about these things until they happen to you.”
The government claims no one will be worse off due to the removal of waiting days for SSP. Yet internal estimates from unions like the Trade Union Congress show that under the proposed changes, up to 1.3 million low-paid workers could see cuts to their sick pay.
We now have an urgent opportunity to change this through the Employment Rights Bill. The Lead and the Safer Sick Pay campaign are joining forces to urge the government to make the change needed to support some of society's most vulnerable workers.
We think a simple amendment could solve this problem. The Bill currently states:
“The weekly rate of statutory sick pay that an employer must pay to an employee is the lower of (a) £116.75, and (b) the prescribed percentage of the employee’s normal weekly earnings” .
It is designed that way to resolve the problem of some employees potentially earning more when they are sick than when they are working.
However, we think the section in the Employment Rights Bill should read as follows:
“The weekly rate of statutory sick pay that an employer must pay to an employee is (a) £116.75, and (b) the prescribed percentage of the employee’s normal weekly earnings if they earn below £116.75.”
This ensures no one currently eligible for SSP receives less, while those earning below the SSP rate receive a fair replacement income.
Labour MP Neil Duncan-Jordan MP will be sponsoring our petition. He told The Lead: "Statutory sick pay is there to provide support when people need it most. Those with illnesses like cancer, chronic fatigue, or mental health conditions should not have to choose between their health and being able to pay their bills.
“With the current rates of SSP paid at around 17% of the average wage, that's the choice many unjustly have to make. The Employment Rights Bill is our chance to right this wrong and ensure that the most vulnerable in our society are protected and cared for."
Without this amendment, those most affected will be part-time workers earning just above the LEL, particularly in sectors like healthcare, retail, and cleaning. Many of these workers are women, juggling multiple jobs or caring responsibilities.
Without proper protections, many will force themselves to work through illness, risking the spread of infection and worsening of their own health. Those who can not return to work may well be plunged into hardship, affecting their families, homes and lives.
The UK already has one of the least generous sick pay systems in the OECD. Forcing low-paid workers to endure further hardship will only deepen inequality and harm public health.
The government must honour its commitment to strengthen sick pay—not weaken it. As Alan and Ashley’s stories show, fair sick pay isn’t just about policy, it’s about dignity, health, and survival.
Please sign the petition and show your support for #SafeSickPay and put pressure on Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions), Alison McGovern MP, to take action.
Parliament must act to ensure the Employment Rights Bill delivers the safety net workers deserve. No one should face financial ruin for falling ill.
Five years since Brexit…
Yesterday (Friday 31 January) was five years since Brexit happened.
While there’s much wailing and flailing about Farage, Johnson and co - and the whole thing being an economic headache for the UK - the mood music around the EU is beginning to shift.
While there’s not many ‘reasons to be cheerful’ on Brexit from our point of view, we felt it was important we put the context into perspective. Best For Britain’s Niall McGourty has looked at what’s changed in those five years and how the political arena is shifting when it comes to our relationship with Brussels and Europe.
In The Lead North this week…
We continue our commitment to bringing in-depth, original, journalism to the North of England with our titles in Blackpool, Teesside, Calderdale, Southport and Lancashire.
From Leigh Jones diving into the latest on the incinerator planned for Teesside, to Jamie Lopez exploring what the future holds for the former George pub in Southport and Michael Holmes looking at the former TVR factory in Blackpool - there’s a sense of place which intertwines buildings and people in our towns and cities.
And we’ll leave you with the curious case of the Bamber Bridge henge. And how a small town on the edge of Preston took some pieces of plastic under its wing as the ongoing mystery over whether a council would actually complete some roadworks became a very local meme.
We hope you enjoy the rest of your weekend, whatever you’re up to, please do sign the petition to put pressure for better sick pay and to force the government to re-think its clumsy wording which will see millions worse off.
We’ll be back in your inbox on Tuesday.
All the very best.
Ed, Zoe, Luke, Natalie and Sophie
p.s. If you enjoy receiving this newsletter then please do share The Lead and let people know about the email newsletter