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

[ByQuaintAzureWasp]

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?

OK so giving money to the poorest is a good way of boosting the economy because, by necessity, they spend it almost immediately- on food/rent/clothing etc. No squirreling it away in long term investments or the international art market.

Your answer to this very valid answer means you know very little about economics if you'd not thought about it.
People who just want growth (but only for themselves) are entirely what's wrong with this world. It's all going to bloody implode one day.
Austerity does not work. Has never worked and never will. You need to give people the means to be able to spend... and to help grow the economy.

This.

Absolutely

That's a personal view, I've always dragged myself in, but didn't expect others to do so.

I hadn't thought about it from that perspective, and you are correct I'm not an economist. I'm happy to learn from others' points though ... I'm getting to understand however that this is a crime on this site though, only "know it alls" are allowed to post.

People like you make it very dangerous for people like me to work because you will drag yourself in pass it on to me, then I end up in hospital for weeks and also lose 3 days of pay which means paying bills becomes incredibly hard. Nobody is thanking you for spreading your germs.

How does that help a small business? Genuinely. You go in, spread your germs around. Someone else catches it, etc, etc.
There could be a few people off together.
At least if people get paid, they might stay at home and not spread illnesses about. Take a few days off, get well and come in fully recovered. Don't know why people martyr themselves (unless they don't get paid of course, then you have no choice).

Came here to say the same thing.

It's not even about that. I learn a lot from my other half, who is a 'know it all'. And what I don't know, I take the time to go and read things independently. Not just headlines from the daily mail etc.

I honestly despair that people can't do a bit of independent research and fire off ridiculous posts like this.

That's brilliant.

Some people work in environments where germs are inevitable and we’d rather not be short staffed. Some of us do thank others for not staying away for every minor sniffle.

The problem isn’t the odd sick day. It’s when they go off sick for months on end and a small business is expected to cover it

I honestly despair that people can't do a bit of independent research and fire off ridiculous posts like this.

It’s a chat forum. Its entire purpose is to ask other people about things.

So what? Why are you more angry at a few piss taking workers than the majority of businesses who pay their workers so little that the government has to step in with in work benefits so they can live?

Because people will have a tiny bit more money in their pocket. As they are low earners they are likely to spend it on frivolous shit like feeding and clothing themselves or paying their rent. This is good for the economy because it is money being spent increasing the profits of businesses.

How does it help the economy to make poor people poorer?

Ah... another Labour bashing thread. Not had one of these in a few hours.

Edit: I'll add in benefit bashing and low-earner bashing too because we all know where this is going.

If op is dragging herself in i don't think she's talking about a minor sniffle

So people.who are sick enough to have to stay off work for months should just...starve?

Yeah. Doesn't help you much with a queue out the door on the busiest days of the season which are essential to maximise to keep going throughout the winter though.

Those that need childcare would all be as well taking a week. You can't manage someone out for a week's sickness that can't be proved either way..

So do all of you who already get sick pay in your jobs regularly skive off for the half-term or use it as easy childcare?

Or is it just the poors who are likely to do this?

I don't think most people have the same commitment to their 12 hour a week minimum wage job as to a professional role they need long term. It's largely temporary ish staff filling a gap in their lives e.g students.

Its also people like me who are disabled so can only work part time. I already use all my holidays on hospital appointments and have to take days of unpaid for the rest. I think its unfair when I have to have surgeries or get hospitalised that I lose 3 days of pay that is a lot of money to lose when your poor.

Students are a lot less likely to need to use it to cover childcare.

My husband works a minimum wage job - this will really help if he gets sick and can't work.

We struggle throughout the month so any day he is sick really hits hard.