London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Thursday, Jul 10, 2025

Government move to limit COVID sick pay sparks fury from trade unions

Government move to limit COVID sick pay sparks fury from trade unions

Meanwhile, business groups have expressed cautious support for move to scrap remaining coronavirus restrictions in England, calling it a "significant step towards normality returning".

Trade unions have lashed out at the government's decision to limit statutory sick pay for workers who fall ill with COVID-19.

Those sick with coronavirus will be forced to wait until the fourth day of their illness before they can claim statutory sick pay, which provides workers with £96.35 per week for up to 28 weeks. More than 7.8 million workers rely on this kind of sick pay.

Calling the change reckless and self-defeating, TUC General Secretary Frances O'Grady, slammed the government's announcement on Monday.

Free testing is set to end on 24 March.


"Nobody should have to wait till their fourth day of being sick to receive support," the union boss said. "The government is creating needless hardship and taking a sledgehammer to public health.

"If people can't afford to stay home when they're sick, they will take their infections into work," she said, adding: "Ministers' inability to grasp this fact will leave the UK vulnerable to future variants and pandemics."

The £500 self-isolation support payment will also end.

Opponents of the changes warned that the poorest in society would not be able to afford to stay at home when sick with coronavirus, and would be forced to go to work despite being ill.

Britain already has one of the lowest levels of statutory sick pay in Europe.

The GMB trade union also expressed anger at the decision, calling it an act of national self-sabotage.

"This nonsensical announcement guarantees that workers will attend the workplace with COVID-19. This will prolong the pandemic with more outbreaks," said Dan Shears, GMB's national health and safety director, in a statement to Sky News.

"Asking people to exercise responsibility whilst taking away a key workplace provision for them to do that just shows how bankrupt this government is.

"The situation will be made even worse in April when statutory sick pay is cut in real terms against a backdrop of rampant inflation," he added.

'A significant step towards normality'


Other measures announced by Prime Minister Boris Johnson on Monday included an end to free testing, and that there will no longer be a legal requirement for adults and children who test positive to isolate.

Business groups, meanwhile, expressed cautious support for the moves.

"After almost two years, the Living with COVID strategy marks a significant step towards normality returning," said Matthew Fell, CBI's chief policy director.

"While free testing cannot continue forever, there is a balance to be struck between confidence building and cost-cutting," he said. "Mass lateral flow testing has kept our economy open and firms continue to believe the economic benefits far outweigh the costs.

"The government now needs to add further guidance on issues like sick pay and employer liability to avoid the risk of a legal vacuum. Many firms will continue to be cautious and use extra measures to protect their staff and customers, as they have from the outset."


Analysis, by Helen-Ann Smith, business correspondent

There may be some employers that are relieved we're moving to "living with COVID".

The nightmare of being forced to close because too many staff are isolating will, theoretically at least, be over.

But the lack of definitive rules shifts the onus onto employers, requiring them to develop and implement their own policies about what happens when staff test positive and that presents its own complicated conundrums.

Not only will businesses have to shoulder the cost of testing if they want to keep abreast of infections among staff, but they will also need to balance the duty of care they have towards their employees, with the bottom line led desire to get back to normal.

Deciding if and when infected people should come to work won't be easy.

Many workers, particularly the medically vulnerable, may well be feeling anxious.

Whether a COVID-positive worker would have the right to refuse to come in against the wishes of their employer is legally untested, but disciplinary action could well be a reality for some.

And then there's the economics of it.

During the pandemic, sick pay rules were extended to cover isolation periods. But the prime minister announced today that those rules will soon be disbanded meaning that sick pay will return to its original form - £96.35 a week, only kicking in after four days.

This is one of the lowest rates in Europe.

Self-Isolation Support payments which were being granted to help the poorest isolate will also end.

Many will not be able to afford to stay away from work and will opt to turn up while infected, potentially passing the virus to others and causing outbreaks that could still end up disrupting business and livelihoods.

Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
Severe Heatwave Claims 2,300 Lives Across Europe
NVIDIA Achieves Historic Milestone as First Company Valued at $4 Trillion
Declining Beer Consumption Signals Cultural Shift in Germany
Linda Yaccarino Steps Down as CEO of X After Two Years
US Imposes New Tariffs on Brazilian Exports Amid Political Tensions
Azerbaijan and Armenia are on the brink of a historic peace deal.
Emails Leaked: How Passenger Luggage Became a Side Income for Airport Workers
Polish MEP: “Dear Leftists - China is laughing at you, Russia is laughing, India is laughing”
BRICS Expands Membership with Indonesia and Ten New Partner Countries
Weinstein Victim’s Lawyer Says MeToo Movement Still Strong
U.S. Enacts Sweeping Tax and Spending Legislation Amid Trade Policy Shifts
Football Mourns as Diogo Jota and Brother André Silva Laid to Rest in Portugal
Labour Expected to Withdraw Support for Special Needs Funding Model
Leaked Audio Reveals Tory Aide Defending DEI Record
Elon Musk Founds a Party Following a Poll on X: "You Wanted It – You Got It!"
London Stock Exchange Faces Historic Low in Initial Public Offerings
A new online platform has emerged in the United Kingdom, specifically targeting Muslim men seeking virgin brides
Trump Celebrates Independence Day with B-2 Flyover and Signs Controversial Legislation
Boris Johnson Urges Conservatives to Ignore Farage
SNP Ordered to Update Single-Sex Space Guidance Within Days
Starmer Set to Reject Calls for Wealth Taxes
Stolen Century-Old Rolls-Royce Recovered After Hotel Theft
Macron Presses Starmer to Recognise Palestinian State
Labour Delayed Palestine Action Ban Over Riot Concerns
Swinney’s Tax Comments ‘Offensive to Scots’, Say Tories
High Street Retailers to Enforce Bans on Serial Shoplifters
Music Banned by Henry VIII to Be Performed After 500 Years
Steve Coogan Says Working Class Is Being ‘Ethnically Cleansed’
Home Office Admits Uncertainty Over Visa Overstayer Numbers
JD Vance Questions Mandelson Over Reform Party’s Rising Popularity
Macron to Receive Windsor Carriage Ride in Royal Gesture
Labour Accused of ‘Hammering’ Scots During First Year in Power
BBC Head of Music Stood Down Amid Bob Vylan Controversy
Corbyn Eyes Hard-Left Challenge to Starmer’s Leadership
London Tube Trains Suspended After Major Fire Erupts Nearby
Richard Kemp: I Felt Safer in Israel Under Attack Than in the UK
Cyclist Says Police Cited Human Rights Act for Riding No-Handed
China’s Central Bank Consults European Peers on Low-Rate Strategies
AI Raises Alarms Over Long-Term Job Security
Saudi Arabia Maintains Ties with Iran Despite Israel Conflict
Musk Battles to Protect Tesla Amid Trump Policy Threats
Air France-KLM Acquires Majority Stake in Scandinavian Airlines
UK Educators Sound Alarm on Declining Child Literacy
Shein Fined €40 Million in France Over Misleading Discounts
Brazil’s Lula Visits Kirchner During Argentina House Arrest
Trump Scores Legislative Win as House Passes Tax Reform Bill
Keir Starmer Faces Criticism After Rocky First Year in Power
DJI Launches Heavy-Duty Coaxial Quadcopter with 80 kg Lift Capacity
U.S. Senate Approves Major Legislation Dubbed the 'Big Beautiful Bill'
Largest Healthcare Fraud Takedown in U.S. History Announced by DOJ
×