TUC call for sick pay reforms to benefit 300,000 Welsh workers

More than 300,000 workers in Wales would benefit from sick pay on day one according to TUC.

A new joint analysis by TUC and the Centre for Progressive Change suggests that more than a quarter of employees in Wales currently have to wait three days before receiving statutory sick pay.

The study showed that altering the law to make Statutory Sick Pay (SSP) available from the first day of sickness would enable 337,000 employees in Wales to claim SSP from their first day of illness, instead of the current law mandating they wait until the fourth day.

It highlights that this reform would particularly benefit individuals in certain local authorities, where the impact is even higher.

The two organisations warned if these changes are not implemented, workers will continue to face "a financial cliff edge" should they become ill at work.

The most considerable repercussions would fall on the lowest earners as they suffer the highest penalties under Britain's current system for sick pay.

For instance, more than 20,000 workers in Wales receive no SSP due to the existing lower earnings limit of £123 a week.

The organisations underscored that modifying the sick pay system is not just a moral necessity, but an economic one as well.

The majority of those who miss out due to the limit are women.

As such, the TUC and Centre for Progressive Change are pushing political parties contesting in the general election to commit to reforms, including terminating the four-day wait period and including low earners in the protection.

These reforms have already gained support from various organisations like Mind and Young Lives vs Cancer.

TUC Cymru general secretary, Shavanah Taj said: "Nobody should be plunged into hardship when they become sick.

"But hundreds of thousands of workers in Wales face a financial cliff edge if they get ill.

"Making people wait three days before they get any support is just plain wrong – especially in the current cost of living crisis.

"That’s why it is essential that SSP is available from day one and available to all." Amanda Walters, director of the Centre for Progressive Change, emphasised that: "The three unpaid sick pay waiting days means a full-time worker on SSP gets an effective sick pay rate of just £1 an hour.

"Charities, workers, businesses and trade unions are calling for the next government to change this broken system."

The suggested changes in the sick pay system could prove transformative, providing financial relief to those who need it most.

Apart from offering financial help to the employees, these changes could also ensure public health and safety, as it would reduce the risk of sick employees returning to work before they are fully recovered, reducing the risk of spreading infections.