UK sick pay 'lags behind' other European countries

clock • 2 min read

Mandatory sick pay for workers is much less in the UK and Ireland compared to many of its European counterparts, a new study has found.

Research from vouchercloud has revealed the amount of mandatory sick pay available to workers for both a week and a month off sick across Europe, with Switzerland and Liechtenstein out in front and Ireland, Finland and the United Kingdom "lagging way behind.," With the average payout for a week of sick leave across Europe (including Australia) sitting at £245, the UK's £35.96 payout is one of the lowest by a long way - and with a £305.71 monthly payment still far below the £1,034 average, a strong average salary across the UK means nothing in terms of sick pay. The average worker acro...

To continue reading this article...

Join COVER for free

  • Unlimited access to real-time news, key trend analysis and industry insights.
  • Stay on top of the latest developments around health and wellbeing, diversity and inclusion and the cost of living crisis.
  • Receive breaking news stories straight to your inbox in the daily newsletter.
  • Members only access to monthly programme 'The COVER Review'
  • Be the first to hear about our CPD accredited events and awards programmes.

Join now

 

Already a Cover member?

Login

More on Income Protection

Half of homeowners believe income protection pays out on redundancy

Half of homeowners believe income protection pays out on redundancy

Misconceptions over the role of the state, employers and IP

Jaskeet Briah
clock 04 June 2026 • 2 min read
Shepherds Friendly partners with Primis

Shepherds Friendly partners with Primis

Income protection distribution

Jaskeet Briah
clock 21 May 2026 • 1 min read
Cirencester Friendly introduces minimum benefit guarantee for IP

Cirencester Friendly introduces minimum benefit guarantee for IP

Maximum of £1,500 a month

Jaskeet Briah
clock 12 May 2026 • 1 min read