Sick pay changes benefiting millions celebrated in Parliament

Read more here: www.centreforprogressivechange.org/blog/celebra...

Lucy Powell MP, Deputy Leader of the Labour party, speaks at a celebration of new sick pay rules at a Safe Sick Pay event in the House of Lords

Brilliant to be joined by @lucympowell.bsky.social Baroness O'Grady, Ros Wynne Jones and many others in Parliament this week as we celebrated #SafeSickPay!

The Employment Rights Act now gives 10 million workers access to Statutory Sick Pay from day one of illness 🎉

It is with great pleasure that we welcome Tom Darling today as our new Safe Sick Pay Campaign Director🥳

Tom brings a wealth of experience from his work on the Renters' Reform Coalition. He will be leading the campaign to see that all get the sick pay they need.

Nye's lost legacy | Fabian Society Fabian Society

Read the full report:
fabians.org.uk/publication/...

Day one sick pay and lower earnings limit reforms due to be nacted in the #employmentbill are hugely welcome.

It is clear though that the Government must do a wider review of sick pay, including the rate if it is serious about tackling the UK's health, productivity and living standard challenge

Great contribution to the debate and evidence-base on the future of workplace health from
@thefabians.bsky.social @sasjkia.bsky.social

Key recommendation on Statutory Sick Pay:
- add an immediate raise to the rate
- review and pathway towards a higher rate in line with wages

Careers We build national organising campaigns for a more progressive society. We do this by driving our own campaigns, carrying out research on what works and offering training and consultancy.

We are recruiting for a Safe Sick Pay Campaign Director and an Operations Director🥳Exciting time to be joining the team as we work to scale-up. If you or someone you know would be suitable please get in touch. Please share🙏

Full-time roles at £60-£67k

centreforprogressivechange.org/careers

Well done Belgium - something the UK could aspire to!

Brilliant to have @alexsobel.co.uk as a public supporter of the #SafeSickPay campaign.
At £3 an hour, Statutory Sick Pay is so low that many are forced to return to work whilst ill or injured - jeopardising both their physical and mental health. It's time this changed.

Our director, Amanda Walters said “If we are serious about improving the health of the working age population, the Government needs to stop ignoring the elephant in the room and put statutory sick pay in line with the minimum wage.”

That's why many brilliant organisations like @mssocietyuk.bsky.social @younglivesvscancer.bsky.social @mind.org.uk @citizensadvice.bsky.social @pcsunion.bsky.social @tuc.org.uk @leukaemiacare.bsky.social & @organisehq.bsky.social call for a change to sick pay

Studies by some of the UK's top experts at the @workfoundation.bsky.social @resfoundation.bsky.social
@healthfoundation.bsky.social WPI Economics @citizensadvice.bsky.social @cipd.bsky.social and @ippr.org have found that the UK's low sick pay is actually making the workforce's health worse.

The latest annual data is on the link below. It masks the true picture: Day in day out, millions of workers are going to work ill or injured, working through pain because their sick pay doesn't cover the bills.

They don't get counted in these statistics.
www.ons.gov.uk/employmentan...

Some significant news from the ONS on sick day data this morning.

There has been a large fall in total sick days taken by workers, but there is more to the story... a 🧵

Front cover of No Compromises: Supporting people with MS to thrive in and out of work. Partners: Work Foundation and MS Society. Authors: Aman Navani, Asli Atay and Jon Fitzmaurice. Date: May 2025.

📢 Today, we release new research with @mssocietyuk.bsky.social‬ ‬‬‬on the experiences of 1,125 people with multiple sclerosis. It explores the barriers & enablers to accessing & staying in work with 96% of respondents stating MS impacted their ability to work. (1/10) lancaster.ac.uk/work-foundat...

Update - we've heard the sick pay amendment is due to be debated now next week - so watch this space!
#SafeSickPay

Last month, we joined civil society organisations, businesses, trade unions and affected workers to deliver a card signed by thousands of affected workers and families to No.10

We're encouraging Peers to support Baroness Lister's #sickpay amendment on Tuesday [3/3]

The Government has said no worker should be forced to choose between their health and finances due to inadequate sick pay.

However, even with positive changes such as day one sick pay, many workers will still be forced into this difficult choice if they rely on SSP

[2/3]

Baroness Ruth Lister has put down an important amendment to the employment bill that will be heard in Parliament this Tuesday.

It seeks to strengthen measures on statutory sick pay (SSP) to better protect vulnerable workers [1/3] 👇

Brilliant to have @fabianhamilton.bsky.social MP as a supporter of the #SafeSickPay campaign!
Too many employees in Leeds are unable to pay the bills and support their families when the are sick - it is time this changed.

At just £3/hr, Statutory Sick Pay forces people to push on at work when ill or struggle to pay the bills, causing extra stress & anxiety at an already difficult time.

Thank you @daviesofbrixton.bsky.social & @mindcharity.bsky.social for highlighting the mental health impact of low SSP on workers ⬇️

Thank you Baroness @carmensmith.bsky.social for highlighting the need to address gaps in sick pay alongside improving gender equality.

SSP at £3 an hour forces low paid workers - disproportionately women - to work during illness. Raising the rate of sick pay is crucial for building gender parity.

Baroness Lister just highlighted to @houseoflords.parliament.uk
that the Government's #SickPay plans will have unintended consequences for low paid workers.

Unless wording on removal of the Lower Earnings Limit is changed, some workers - especially women and disabled people - will be worse off.

"Statutory sick pay is the lowest in Europe & the lowest paid have been excluded, meaning they cannot afford to stay home when sick. As we saw during COVID, that endangers public health."

Great to hear Baroness O'Grady highlight in
@houseoflords.parliament.uk today the need for higher #SickPay!

"Imagine going through the hardest health condition [...] and coming out of that with your financial situation in ruins."

Amanda Walters from #SafeSickPay to @bbclondonnews.bsky.social on why more needs to be done to raise the rate of #sickpay

🔊 Have a listen.

#ukpolitics #campaigns

Great to hear from @chrishinchliff.bsky.social on the evidence of how increases to sick pay will lead to reduced presenteeism and improved productivity

Great speech by Imran Hussain MP calling on the Government to protect employees from financial hardship by increasing the rate of Statutory Sick Pay and to ensure that no employees see a cut to their sick pay

Great to hear @mwheelermp.bsky.social call on the Government to fix the problem with the Employment Rights Bill and its "unintended consequence of reducing sick pay for those earning at or slightly above the lower earnings limit"

Great speech by Imran Hussain MP calling on the Government to protect employees from financial hardship by increasing the rate of Statutory Sick Pay, and to ensure that no employees see a cut to their sick pay.

Grateful to hear Lorraine Beavers MP call on the Government to increase the rate of Statutory #SickPay and make sure all workers are benefitted by the removal of the Lower Earnings Limit. Changes must be made to protect 300,000 workers from cuts to their sick pay.

#EmploymentRightsBill