24,618

of 50,000 signatures

To Mel Stride, Secretary of State for the Department of Work and Pensions and Victoria Atkins, Secretary of State for Health

The Problem: Nearly 2 million UK workers can't get sick pay because they don't earn enough. Even those who get sick pay find it too low at £109.40 a week, starting only from the 4th day of illness, meaning workers often can't afford to take time off and may face punishment for being sick.

Workers should not have to face the tough choice between health and earning enough to live.

The current sick pay system jeopardises the health of all working people and puts added strain on the NHS. 87% of Organise members admitted going into work while sick and 84% of us have got a cold or other illness while at work. Increasing numbers of workers being sick is not only bad for the economy but damaging to workers' short term recovery and long term health and wellbeing. Many workers simply cannot afford to take time off work and in some cases face disciplinary action when they are off sick.

Open letter text

Dear Mel Stride,

New data has shown that over 98% of us could not pay our bills or cover our living costs on only £109.40 a week. This issue cannot be ignored any longer.

Workers desperately need a change to Statutory Sick Pay (SSP) legislation so that:
👉🏽 Everyone is eligible for sick pay - by removing the earnings threshold
👉🏽People receive sick pay from day 1 rather than day 4, and
👉🏽Workers can afford to take the time off, by increasing SSP so that it is in line
with a worker’s wages.

Fixing sick pay would create more flexibility for employers, and prevent those in low-paid and precarious work from being forced out entirely.

With the cost-of-living crisis, our flawed sick pay system is putting millions at risk. We urge you to pass new laws to make sick pay better for everyone. This will create a safer, healthier work environment and support workers in need.

Notes:
Organise survey: Safe sick pay survey https://the.organise.network/surveys/safe-sick-pay-survey

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Signers list

Ann Graham
Michael Blackwell
Angela Taylor
Richard Williams
Theresa Vembe
Rachel Young
Raymond Debroize
Elka Lee-Green
Alan Hughes
Robert Munday
Wendy Holden
Julie Barnes
Mark Steele
Stephanie Gulliver
Gerard Allen
Nicola Day
Richard Siebert
Annette Bowen
Linda Brosnan
Michael Sarna
Beverley Dransfield
Michael Mcmenamin
Robert David Bell
Deborah Gray
Vivianne Mason.
Helen Harvey
Paterson Paula
Su Sullivan
Liz Knowles
Oyinlola Oladipo
Jason Evans
Moira Lamb
Rebecca Townley
Sarah Jane Davies
Andrew Rhys Williams
N Van Der Linden
Amar Asher
Dave Shearn
Adam Ross Wilson
Terry Kelly
Colin Joseph Gavan
Jacqueline Bull
Joy Morley
David C York
Kevin Cockburn
Mariusz Rakowski
Adrian Roman
Lesley Courtenay
Aisling Frazer
Fiona Macdonald

Safe sick pay for workers now!

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