Who is eligible for statutory sick pay?
If you are employed and earn on average at least £120 per week before tax you are legally entitled to statutory sick pay.
This means that the self-employed and those working on low-paid zero-hour contracts are excluded. Agricultural workers, those in the armed forces and women who are already receiving maternity pay are also not eligible for statutory sick pay.
The Trades Union Congress, a federation of unions, has warned that workers in these kinds of roles may feel they have no choice but to work, even if they are advised not to.
Nearly two million workers, including a third of zero-hours contract workers, do not qualify for statutory sick pay. It also includes over half of workers aged 65 and over – a group which has been identified by the Government as one of the most vulnerable to coronavirus.
The TUC also warned statutory weekly sick pay was now worth £3 less, in real terms, than prior to the pandemic, because of the soaring cost of living.
Struggling freelancers could previously apply for support under the Government’s Self-employed Income Support Scheme, but this ended at the end of September.
It means many freelancers have had to turn to the benefits system instead, but could find themselves waiting for weeks before they receive their first pay cheque because of the time taken to process applications for Universal Credit.
What if I can’t get childcare?
The omicron variant has wreaked havoc in schools across the country, with predictions they will likely face disruption until Easter next year.
On top of pupils with the virus needing to self-isolate, dozens of schools have closed early this year because of staff sickness. The upheaval means parents are having to juggle caring for sick or self-isolating children whilst working.
Michael Legge, an employment lawyer at JMW Solicitors, said that some employers may allow employees working from home to arrange this to accommodate caring for children too.
If this isn’t possible parents will have to look at taking emergency dependent leave, unpaid leave or using some of their annual leave entitlement, impacting either their pay or their holiday plans for the rest of the year.
“It all depends how generous your employer is so it is always worth making your case given the unusual circumstances,” Mr Legge explained.
If you’re still unsure about your rights the Advisory, Conciliation and Arbitration Service has some useful guidelines for both employees and employers.
