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Original poster

1.3 low paid workers (earning less than £123 per week) to be entitled to 80% sick pay from day 1!!

77 replies

ByQuaintAzureWasp · 04/03/2025 18:20

The government has told us they want to promote growth (increase GDP) ... great. They've hammered small businesses with NI threshold reduction and Increasing employers NI %. Yesterday they announce they are going to guarantee that 1.3 million workers, earnings £123 or less per week will get sick pay from the first day of absence and this will be paid at 80% of normal pay.

How is this contributing to growing the economy and helping small and medium sized businesses?

Am I being unreasonable in thinking it's lunacy?

OP posts:
fromthevault · 04/03/2025 18:55

ByQuaintAzureWasp · 04/03/2025 18:47

If you earn £550 per week you'll have 3 waiting days for SSP and you'll get, just over 20% of your weekly pay - how is that equitable and fair?
Growth improves the lives of everybody, that's the theory. We can't sod growth, the country will never get out of debt and the country will go bankrupt.

Edited
Show quote history

So, 'growth', endless growth, always and forever, stretching on into infinity?

Must everything always be about 'growth'? Can we actually carry on 'growing', forever? What would that actually look like? Interesting thought experiment, no?

The UK almost certainly will never 'go bankrupt' and cetainly not because of giving a small number of people an even smaller amount of money. Fiat currency and all that. Google can help.

ComtesseDeSpair · 04/03/2025 18:51

ByQuaintAzureWasp · 04/03/2025 18:38

I'm not 'picking on' anybody. I'm asking how this promotes growth?

Show quote history

Good employee wellbeing increases employee morale and loyalty. Claims that giving people sick pay will suddenly make them all throw sickies is largely unfounded. Added to which, all good employers should have adequate performance monitoring procedures in place to address employees who they suspect of throwing sickies, and to terminate their employment either on the basis of misconduct for doing so, or for lack of capability to perform their role if the sickness is persistent and ongoing. If employers don’t have these procedures in place and all their staff just apparently take advantage of them and call in sick all the time with no consequences, that’s a weak employer - and eradicating weak employers and employment practices does lead to growth.

80smonster · 04/03/2025 18:51

I think it’s a good thing. In the next budget I predict Labour will tax low and middle earners much harder, scandi-style. Probably a good idea all round, but principles cost money.

CeeJay81 · 04/03/2025 18:50

ByQuaintAzureWasp · 04/03/2025 18:47

If you earn £550 per week you'll have 3 waiting days for SSP and you'll get, just over 20% of your weekly pay - how is that equitable and fair?
Growth improves the lives of everybody, that's the theory. We can't sod growth, the country will never get out of debt and the country will go bankrupt.

Edited
Show quote history

How about you get more money from the Rich to help the economy, rather than than begrudging the poor the essentials. You sound very right wing.

ShagratandGorbag4ever · 04/03/2025 18:48

ByQuaintAzureWasp · 04/03/2025 18:34

No not a Tory voter actually.

So how is this policy going to promote growth and help businesses?

Show quote history

Not everything that happens in this world has to promote growth. Growth is not God.

Hobnobswantshernameback · 04/03/2025 18:48

God the goady bollocks on here isn't even intelligent any more

Starseeking · 04/03/2025 18:48

If you get that some people can't work full-time, or can only work in low paid jobs, why would you begrudge them £23 a day SSP?

Original poster
ByQuaintAzureWasp · 04/03/2025 18:47

CeeJay81 · 04/03/2025 18:37

It's about treating people fairly and not having people unafford to buy food cause they had a sickness bug for a couple of days. Sod growth.

Show quote history

If you earn £550 per week you'll have 3 waiting days for SSP and you'll get, just over 20% of your weekly pay - how is that equitable and fair?
Growth improves the lives of everybody, that's the theory. We can't sod growth, the country will never get out of debt and the country will go bankrupt.

OP posts:
Original poster
ByQuaintAzureWasp · 04/03/2025 18:45

Starseeking · 04/03/2025 18:43

SSP is something like £23 per day...can you live on that, OP?!?

I absolutely could not but that's why I've always worked either full time or had another job on top of full time. I do get some people can't however.

OP posts:
Original poster
ByQuaintAzureWasp · 04/03/2025 18:44

CeeJay81 · 04/03/2025 18:38

I'm hoping it includes people on more than that amount, who also don't get paid for the first 3 days.

Show quote history

No, not that I can see.

OP posts:
Starseeking · 04/03/2025 18:43

SSP is something like £23 per day...can you live on that, OP?!?

Original poster
ByQuaintAzureWasp · 04/03/2025 18:41

ComtesseDeSpair · 04/03/2025 18:36

It’s just essentially broadening the eligibility of Statutory Sick Pay to those who earn less than £123 a week, who aren’t currently eligible for it. It’s not a wholesale change to the way sick pay is approached. Businesses will cope with it: it might sound like a lot of workers nationwide, but there will be relatively few employees working fewer than ten hours a week spread across each UK business.

Edited

Good point about LEL/sick pay.

OP posts:
CeeJay81 · 04/03/2025 18:38

ComtesseDeSpair · 04/03/2025 18:36

It’s just essentially broadening the eligibility of Statutory Sick Pay to those who earn less than £123 a week, who aren’t currently eligible for it. It’s not a wholesale change to the way sick pay is approached. Businesses will cope with it: it might sound like a lot of workers nationwide, but there will be relatively few employees working fewer than ten hours a week spread across each UK business.

Edited

I'm hoping it includes people on more than that amount, who also don't get paid for the first 3 days.

Original poster
ByQuaintAzureWasp · 04/03/2025 18:38

Cattreesea · 04/03/2025 18:31

Really? you are choosing to pick on people who are earning £123 a week or less?

Of course they should get sick pay from day one.

I assume you are the type of people who thinks that workhouses and sending kids up chimneys were a good idea...

Pathetic.

I'm not 'picking on' anybody. I'm asking how this promotes growth?

OP posts:
CeeJay81 · 04/03/2025 18:37

ByQuaintAzureWasp · 04/03/2025 18:34

No not a Tory voter actually.

So how is this policy going to promote growth and help businesses?

Show quote history

It's about treating people fairly and not having people unafford to buy food cause they had a sickness bug for a couple of days. Sod growth.

ComtesseDeSpair · 04/03/2025 18:36

It’s just essentially broadening the eligibility of Statutory Sick Pay to those who earn less than £123 a week, who aren’t currently eligible for it. It’s not a wholesale change to the way sick pay is approached. Businesses will cope with it: it might sound like a lot of workers nationwide, but there will be relatively few employees working fewer than ten hours a week spread across each UK business.

Original poster
ByQuaintAzureWasp · 04/03/2025 18:36

Datgal · 04/03/2025 18:24

It's ok op. Just let the well off keep on building their nest eggs...fuck the poor eh?

With respect, the poor need to work more than 10 hours a week, unless they are restricted from doing so because of health.

OP posts:
Original poster
ByQuaintAzureWasp · 04/03/2025 18:34

Treacletoots · 04/03/2025 18:22

Heavens, paying people when they're ill. Whatever will they think of next.

Tory voter I presume?

No not a Tory voter actually.

So how is this policy going to promote growth and help businesses?

OP posts:
fromthevault · 04/03/2025 18:33

Genuine question, OP - how does impoverishing ordinary workers help to grow the economy?

Cattreesea · 04/03/2025 18:31

Really? you are choosing to pick on people who are earning £123 a week or less?

Of course they should get sick pay from day one.

I assume you are the type of people who thinks that workhouses and sending kids up chimneys were a good idea...

Pathetic.

CeeJay81 · 04/03/2025 18:30

So it's OK for managers to get sick pay but not us menial workers?

Southwest12 · 04/03/2025 18:30

There speaks someone who has never had to rely on SSP, which is a pittance anyway, let alone not being paid for the first 3 days of sickness.

BorgQueen · 04/03/2025 18:27

What about the employment allowance OP?
Very small employers will benefit from not having to pay up to £10k in NI.

fromthevault · 04/03/2025 18:27

Labour govt protecting low-paid workers SHOCKER.

Datgal · 04/03/2025 18:24

It's ok op. Just let the well off keep on building their nest eggs...fuck the poor eh?