More than a million UK workers feel forced to work when ill, with such presenteeism largely the result of being unable to claim statutory sick pay (SSP) because of their low earnings, research has suggested.
The analysis by the think-tank The Work Foundation at Lancaster University has argued nearly two thirds of the 1.15 million UK workers who currently fail to meet the SSP earnings threshold of £123 per week are women (69.2%).
A third are disabled (33%) and more than half are young workers aged 16-24 (52.4%) – so leaving all three groups acutely vulnerable to working while ill and burnout.
The research has come as, separately, the TUC and the Centre for Progressive Change have said that more than seven million working people would benefit from making SSP available from day one of sickness.
The Work Foundation has argued the situation is compounded by the number of businesses that only offer the statutory minimum level of sick pay.
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Its survey of more than 1,000 senior business leaders across Great Britain found almost half of employers (47%) do not provide more than the statutory minimum level of sick pay – which currently replaces just 17% of a worker’s average weekly earnings.
Only a quarter of employers (27%) provided a policy that either ‘moderately’ or ‘substantially’ exceeded statutory requirements, the foundation said.
Two in five senior business leaders (43%) said financial constraints were preventing their organisation from providing enhanced sick pay.
Others listed challenges including compliance with legal requirements (31%), perceived impact on staffing levels (31%), and administrative burden and complexity (28%).
The TUC and Centre for Progressive Change study concluded that one in four employees currently have to wait three days before receiving SSP. This meant millions faced a “financial cliff edge if they get ill”, the TUC warned.
If the law were changed, 7.4 million employees would be able to claim SSP from their first day of illness instead of having to wait until the fourth day of illness before getting any support.
This amounted to more than a quarter (26%) of all employees, rising to 36% for people working in elementary occupations such as labourers and cleaners, and 39% for people working in sectors like care and leisure.
Alice Martin, head of research at the Work Foundation, said of its research: “The truth is our workforce is getting sicker and yet not everyone gets the time off they need to live healthy lives.
“The current low rate of sick pay compels some people to work while they are unwell to make ends meet. This risks compounding existing health conditions and can lead to people dropping out of the labour market altogether.
“We currently have a record 2.83 million people economically inactive in the UK due to long-term health issues – and our previous research suggests many of these people want to work but aren’t given the necessary support to do so.”
The Work Foundation analysis also looked at other leave policies offered to workers across the UK and assesses if they are fit for purpose. Overall, lower earners had less access to paid time off, it concluded.
Almost a third (32%) of those earning an above-average income had an annual leave entitlement that exceeded 30 days.
By contrast, the same allowance was only available to a quarter of those who earn a lower than average income . This made above-average earners 1.26 times more likely than lower paid workers to have over 30 days annual leave, the foundation said.
This created a “vicious cycle”, the researchers warned, as people with lower incomes and insecure work lives find themselves having to risk their health by having less time away from work for holidays and other forms of leave.
Improved sick pay would also help improve public health by reducing the risk of people going into work when sick and spreading infections, TUC general secretary Paul Nowak said.
“Nobody should be plunged into hardship when they become sick. But millions of workers face a financial cliff edge if they get ill,” he said of the TUC research.
“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.”
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