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More workers to get sick pay and parental leave rights

10th October 2024

Millions of people will be able to get sick pay from the first day they are ill and claim unpaid parental leave as soon as they start a job, in a major overhaul of workers' rights. However, certain measures in the Employment Rights Bill have been criticised for being watered down or delayed. Most of the planned changes will not take effect for two years following a period of consultation.

The government said the bill marked the "biggest upgrade to rights at work for a generation", but business groups are concerned about how the changes will work in practice.

What will change?

• Statutory sick pay (SSP): Workers will be entitled to SSP, external from the first day they are ill, rather than the fourth day. Lower earnings limit for SSP: Currently, workers earning less than £123 per week cannot claim SSP. This limit will be removed but the bill will set out a lesser level of sick pay for lower earners.
• Paternity leave: Fathers or partners to be eligible from day one of employment, instead of 26 weeks
• Unpaid parental leave: Parents to be eligible from day one of employment, instead of one year
• Unpaid bereavement leave: To become a "day one" right for workers
• Flexible working: Bosses will be expected to consider any flexible working requests made from day one, and say yes unless they can prove it is unreasonable.

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