London - British Prime Minister Boris
Johnson said on Wednesday he would cut the number of days
workers must wait before they qualify for the state minimum sick
pay if they are isolating themselves because they may have
coronavirus.
Johnson told parliament that emergency coronavirus
legislation would include measures to allow the payment of
statutory sick pay from the first day of absence instead of four
days under current rules.
"That's the right way forward. Nobody should be penalised...
for doing the right thing," he said.
The government came under pressure to change the rules
around statutory sick pay after advising that anyone who had
come into contact with a confirmed case of coronavirus should
self-isolate for 14 days.
The Trades Union Congress umbrella group said the change
represented progress, but existing rules meant some lower earners
whose pay does not meet the sick pay threshold would still go to
work when ill, endangering colleagues and clients.
It called on the government to raise the level of weekly
sick pay, which at 94.25 pounds (about R1 800) per week is among the
lowest of European countries.
Laura Gardiner, research director at the Resolution
Foundation think-tank, said the change announced on Wednesday
would help reassure workers who need to self-isolate that they
will not lose all their income.
However, she said, the government should extend sick pay to
cover the UK's 5 million self-employed workers and 2
million low-paid employees who do not currently qualify.
"It shouldn't take a pandemic to prompt this," she added.
The UK has 3.7 million insecure workers - those who are
self-employed, on zero-hours contracts, or do agency, casual or
seasonal work, according to the TUC.
Up to a fifth of the workforce in the UK could have to miss
work during the peak of the coronavirus pandemic, according to
government projections.