Partner Tim Clark, in our Employment Law team, highlights Prime Minister Boris Johnson's announced changes to statutory sick pay following the Coronavirus (COVID19) outbreak.
Prime Minister Boris Johnson announced today that workers will receive statutory sick pay immediately, should they contract Coronavirus (COVID19) or be required to self-isolate for a period of up to two weeks. The change is being made in emergency legislation and could result in eligible workers receiving an extra £40 per week.
Under current laws, workers are not entitled to statutory sick pay for the first three days of sickness absence. Following that initial period, they are eligible to receive £94 a week.
The Prime Minister said that people should not be "penalised for doing the right thing" on the day that England's chief medical officer, Professor Chris Whitty, explained that it is “likely” that Coronavirus (COVID19) will result in an epidemic in the UK. As of 4 March, 85 cases have been confirmed nationwide.
Trades Union Congress (TUC) general secretary, Frances O'Grady, has highlighted that around two million workers in the UK do not qualify for statutory sick pay, while a number of unions have pinpointed that freelance and self-employed workers, alongside those on zero hours contracts, will be faced with the prospect of not earning for a period.
Please also see our earlier blog article, 'Coronavirus (COVID-19) - Advice for Employers and Employees' and our more recent piece, The Budget - Chancellor Announces Measures to Support Employees and Employers in Light of Coronavirus Outbreak'.
For further information or legal advice, please contact law@blandy.co.uk or call 0118 951 6800.
This article is intended for the use of clients and other interested parties. The information contained in it is believed to be correct at the date of publication, but it is necessarily of a brief and general nature and should not be relied upon as a substitute for specific professional advice.
