To change my hairdresser for this reason

[ElderAve]

I've been going to the same salon for more than two decades. Various stylists in that time and I have occasionally tried somewhere else but I'm never as happy and always end up back there. It's expensive so it should be good mind.

When I first started going it was owner managed, he expanded to become a small chain of three shops and then sold up to a larger chain (still trades under the old name, I don't know who they're owned by.)

During the inevitable chat about the virus today, the hairdresser told me that since the takeover, they don't get sick pay for the first 3 days so she's worried that people might not take time off when they should.

Quite apart from the current situation I am shocked that a successful business, charging premium rates to customers would treat its staff so badly. I just paid £45 for a hair cut. The salon has probably 20 chairs and you have to book weeks in advance or you don't get in, the place must be a goldmine .

However, if I go elsewhere, I know I won't be as happy with my hair

Lots of profitable businesses don’t offer sick pay, the business my DH work for had a multi million turn over... SSP all the way.

That is statutory sick pay rules. They are changing rules imminently so you get sick pay from day 1

The waiting time is for statutory sick pay I think which Boris said he was going to sort.

Hm, well. I mean, change them for any reason you like.

But most people don't get sick pay for the first three days. SSP is only paid after four days, usually. For Corona, the government has changed it to the first day. www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-51738837

I did tell her SSP rules have changed. Is that for all illness and indefinitely or just for this one?

I read that the extra 3 days' SSP makes around £40 difference, so it's hardly the same as being paid

My company doesn't pay us for the first 3 days

The rules havent changed just yet. Its quite common to just get SSP

The majority of companies don't. Ones who do tend to be living wage employers so do better generally for employees.

You could change, and I think it's admirable of you, but think you'd be unlikely to find an alternative that does pay more than ssp in that industry and unless you contact the owners they won't know that's why you've changed so won't have an impact other than on you.

Don't get sick pay?? Where I live it's part of employment law. You only have to pay 5 days per year (it accumulates over time if not used) but you can't just not pay it because you don't want to.

There is sick pay but it's not full pay

My employer doesn't pay for the first 3 days of sickness, I thought that was standard. Any shop you go into is going to have workers under the same rules, the risk could be everywhere you go

I think from talking to my hairdresser (salon owner, we both run small businesses so chat about the trials and tribulations) that ssp - complete with 3 day wait - is fairly typical for the industry.

I'm horrified by how many employers don't pay sick pay. I work in the public sector and get full pay from day 1. I'm also entitled to 6 months on full pay and 6 months on half pay so if i got a serious illness I could afford to recover properly.

This is pretty normal. The only workers I know who get a better deal with sick pay is nhs staff, railway staff, council staff and a few other odd businesses.

SSP is shit £94pw not sure how anyone is meant to survive on that.

Tesco doesn't pay their store staff sick pay either. And look at the profit they make! In fact staff at Tesco have to buy their own hand sanitiser gel as the company won't provide it. Imagine how many get my things they touch - screens, money, other people's hands, all the tins and boxes and so on.

rather than faffing about with ssp in the first three days, i think more attention should be paid to the fact it bears no relation to actual pay, and is a small fraction of the minimum wage

SSP is currently £92 a week - so 35 hour week, £2.62an hour, 40 hour week £2.30 an hour - I think that's around 25% of minimum wage; the equivalent of less than £5k per annum gross, not being paid for the first three days is a drop in the ocean.

Most retailers don’t pay sick pay. You can’t boycott places that don’t. I used to work for a well know health shop and had to return to work 3 days after a miscarriage which required surgery due to not getting paid.

Change your hairdresser for whatever reason you like, why do you need to ask?

No way. When I had a small business I paid sick pay from day 1. Treat people how you'd like to be treated (mind you, I did have to close but staff sickness definitely wasn't the cause).

It’s not unreasonable to change hairdresser for any reason you fancy, but I expect you’ll come up against the same issue elsewhere.

My employer paid sick pay, normal pay, for months if necessary.
I thought only maybe shops/ retailers didn’t give proper sick pay.

Well DH's work have said it will have to be taken as annual leave not sick pay. They are shits too but people like corporations in this country so we are stuck with this shit!

£45 isnt that expensive for a haircut.

Lots of businesses don't pay sick leave. For statutory sick pay it isnt paid for first 3 days anyway (that's changing for corona which will be first day onwards).

Hairdressers here rent a chair, so they are self employed and get no sick pay