The Feminist Future of Work
The Employment Rights Bill and the impact on women's working lives
Consultation Response
Our response to the Statutory Sick pay consultation
We strongly advocate for setting the Statutory Sick Pay (SSP) rate at 100% of pay for workers earning below the current earnings limit. This approach addresses deep-rooted inequalities and provides meaningful support to vulnerable workers.
At just £116 per week (17% of average wages), the UK’s SSP is among the least generous in Europe 1 . By comparison, most EU countries provide sick pay at rates of 70% to 100% of earnings 2 .
To avoid creating unfairness between those earning below and just above the lower earnings limit, and to take further steps to tackle economic and health inequalities, the rate of SSP should actually be increased to at least the real living wage rate for 52 weeks.
WBG notes the stated intention within the consultation to publish an Equality Impact Assessment. This would have been useful to have had available ahead of the consultation period to support responses. We urge for this to be a comprehensive and cumulative impact assessment.
Read our full consultation response.
. WBG own analysis of ONS (2023) Average weekly earnings in Great Britain: November 2023
Spasova, S., Bouget, D., Belletti C., and Vanhercke B. (2020). Sickness benefits in the EU: making sense of diversity, ETUI
The Employment Rights Bill and the impact on women's working lives
Briefing I: Introduction and Headline Measures