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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

AIBU to think statutory sick pay is a joke

95 replies

Rainysummersday · 20/04/2018 18:01

I think sick pay is a basic right all workers should be entitled to. I agree workers should have to work for a minimum period before getting it, but it’s shocking some big companies only pay statutory in 2018. Do they want people to come in vomiting as they need to pay the rent?

Statutory sick pay is only about £92 a week and you have to be off for four days in a row to get anything. I very rarely take days off sick, and when I have it’s because I have no choice and aim to return to work as soon as possible. Penalising hard workers for something out of their control (who wants to be sick?) is awful imo.

Yes there are some people who abuse the system, but it’s few and far between.

OP posts:
Heatherjayne1972 · 21/04/2018 06:58

Mute point really. After brexit most of our ‘perks’ will be lost
After all sick pay holiday entitlement maternity/ paternity allowance and pay disability payments and such will all be a distant memory after brexit

BexConnor · 21/04/2018 06:59

I agree with you. Last year I fell seriously ill through no fault of my own and was off sick for four months. Trying to manage on the SSP was horrendous.

That said, I can imagine that the system is abused and employers understandably would not want to pay for this, it's a difficult one. It's just a shame that when you are genuinely unwell and in need of some help it's not there.

freshstart24 · 21/04/2018 07:06

My family run a small independent business. We are just, only just, making ends meet.

We have a small workforce, many have been with is 15 years, a few over 25. We are good caring employers.

We genuinely can rarely afford to pay sickness pay. When people are sick it costs us money to cover this. It is not the type of business that can operate properly with a 'man or woman down'. So on top of covering their job it is huge stretch to alcohol pay sick pay.

We do it as and when we can, but I don't think people give much thought to how small business work when they expect these things to be automatically covered.

ScreamingValenta · 21/04/2018 08:34

So on top of covering their job it is huge stretch to alcohol pay

Freudian slip Grin?

Peachyking000 · 21/04/2018 08:37

I pay my staff 6 weeks full sick pay, then after that it’s SSP until the next calendar year. I can’t afford any more - we have a small workforce and if someone is off, I also have to pay a temp to cover.

insancerre · 21/04/2018 08:44

It does seem quite unfair that there isn't some sort of standard sick policy across the board
I work for a medium sized company that only pays statutory sick pay so I don't get anything if I'm off for a day or two

Dh works for a large multi national and he gets full pay for sickness up to 6 months

If I was ill I would go in unless I was physically unable to because otherwise I wouldn't get paid and we have the Bradford factor so could end up being sacked it i didn't go in

Dh can feel a little bit ill and ring in and get full pay

And he gets paid for medical appointments where I've had to use annual leave or make the time up

I think it's.because there is a lot of union involvement where he works. Joining a union isn't encouraged where I work, although I have joined one.

mirime · 21/04/2018 08:47

Sick days in the private sector are lower than the public sector and it’s not because people are healthier in the private sector, it’s because they won’t get paid.

It just means people drag themselves in when they're really too ill to be there, reducing productivity and spreading whatever they've got to their colleagues who then do the same.

It makes sense to take benefits in to account (ie sick pay) when looking for a job, or to consider long term illness cover with a private insurer.

If I'm ever made redundant I'll remember to tell the job centre that. We'll see how long it takes me to get sanctioned. And insurance? You know a lot of the jobs where you just get SSP will be minimum wage?

For a large number of people being picky about the extra benefits a job provides or getting illness cover are not realistic solutions to the problem of SSP not being high enough.

HunterHearstHelmsley · 21/04/2018 08:50

It is low. But, as above, who would pay for more?

One of the reasons I've stayed with my company is the sickness policy, I have 4 months full pay and 4 months half.

CaraDeanna · 21/04/2018 08:54

I'm currently working through hyperemesis as I don't have enough sick pay to allow me to take time off. It's awful and embarrassing but with a baby on the way and bills to pay I can't afford to be at home. I'm running myself in to the ground.

Not sure who would pay for me to have extra sick pay however so I've just come to terms with the fact that they pregnancy isn't going to be easy!

Loopyloopy · 21/04/2018 08:56

Wow, you guys don't automatically get sick pay in the UK? In Australia, we get sick pay at our notmal pay rate from the day we start. I think we are allowed two weeks pet year paid.

CaraDeanna · 21/04/2018 09:02

@Loopyloopy I get two weeks also, which is better than some get! I think this is fine if you are lucky enough not to be sick long term. I have hyperemesis and am struggling as I'm likely to have it for weeks. If I went off sick me and DP would fall apart financially. I can't even begin to imagine what it would be like if you were suffering with cancer or other serious long term illnesses.

pannikin · 21/04/2018 09:07

I think if you can't afford to pay employees a decent living wage, and to cover for things like sickness then maybe it's not a viable business.

BakedBeans47 · 21/04/2018 09:08

I get 4 weeks as per my contract. In truth I suspect the directors would pay more if they were satisfied it was genuine sickness.

freshstart24 · 21/04/2018 09:20

It is perfectly possible to have a small viable business who can not afford unlimited sick pay. Wages are expensive.

Rather than suggesting small businesses should be saving money to cover possible staff sick pay- how about employees save to cover this, or take out insurance.

GladAllOver · 21/04/2018 09:46

I think if you can't afford to pay employees a decent living wage, and to cover for things like sickness then maybe it's not a viable business
So you close the non viable business, and put everyone out of work including those who aren't sick.
Well done!

Herculesupatree · 21/04/2018 09:57

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

sothisisspring · 21/04/2018 10:04

But if you are on a very low wage and have to have SSP then your benefits will go up? We received tax credits one year when on paper we wouldn’t have got them anymore because DH had a month off work after emergency surgery. His company offer I think ten days sick cover in a rolling year and then SSP. When he started the job I was really worried about lack of sick pay (he got none at the start) etc but it’s a very small company. They are really flexible and good employers but financially cant support anyone on long term sick at full pay.

sothisisspring · 21/04/2018 10:09

Oh and it isn’t a crappy job either. It’s just a small company. It’s a professional job and a great employer in lots of ways.

mirime · 21/04/2018 10:12

@Herculesupatree what world are you living in that everyone could get a better job if they just put a bit more effort in? You do realise that there aren't enough good jobs for everyone, even if everyone had the same ability, drive and ambition?

mirime · 21/04/2018 10:20

@CaraDeanna I don't want to scare you but hyperemesis puts you at increased risk of pre-eclampsia.

I worked through horrendous sickness (never actually diagnosed, but it may have been HG at the 'milder' end) and ended up with pre-eclampsia. It was only afterwards I found out there was a link and it made me even more annoyed that my GP had dismissed the sickness and my midwife had seemed confused by it.

CaraDeanna · 21/04/2018 10:25

@mirime thanks for the heads up. I've been to my doctor and am on a lively cocktail of medications! It's better than it was but I am still vomiting between 0 and 10 times a day. It's hard work but am being monitored fairly closely and am just pushing on through. If I don't work not then I will have to go back earlier after baby is born, so having to suck it up a little bit, as much as I shouldn't have to!

pourmeanotherglass · 21/04/2018 10:31

I work for the NHS, so get full sick pay. I don't see a lot of staff in my department taking the piss. If they did, there is a policy in place to deal with it.
As I work in a cancer centre where many of the patients have low immunity due to chemo, it is important for staff to stay away for the full 48 hours after a tummy bug to avoid passing on the infection. If they were not paid, they might feel pressured into coming back too early to pay the rent.
Most staff come to work with coughs and colds, but it is important that they stay away if they have a high temperature or vomiting.

user1487194234 · 21/04/2018 10:31

Small business owners generally can't afford to pay this
Can you get private sick cover

insancerre · 21/04/2018 10:32

*BakedBeans47

I get 4 weeks as per my contract. In truth I suspect the directors would pay more if they were satisfied it was genuine sickness*

I work in a nursery, in a management role and my company don't pay sick pay
We have ratios to maintain so sickness costs us money as we have to cover the missing member of staff

Are you willing to pay double your nursery fees so the staff can get paid sick days?
Because that's the reality for a lot of companies. We could charge more but to stay viable we have to charge reastically, and take a massive but with the 'free' funding

user1487194234 · 21/04/2018 10:33

When I was in the public sector people talked openly about taking their winter sick week
Outrageous