'Half of UK workers' off sick for longer than a month would struggle financially

One million too ill to work for longer than a month every year

'Half of UK workers' off sick for longer than a month would struggle financially
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Research by Royal London investigates employee attitudes to sick pay

Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) figures show that, on average, 960,000 employees take sick leave for a month or more every year, and new research from Royal London, which questioned 1,030 people, has revealed that 52% would worry about their income if they found themselves in this position.

The survey also found that two-thirds (60%) found their employer's sick policies difficult to understand, with one-in-six workers not knowing what their employer's policy is.

Sick pay

Statutory sick pay (SSP) entitles employees to £92.05 a week for up to 28 weeks, however two in five (42%) said they did not think this would be enough to live on if they were on sick leave for longer than a year.

While some employers offer contractual sick pay which is more generous than SSP, a quarter of those surveyed mistakenly believed that sick pay policies were the same across all companies and industries. The average UK worker stands to lose almost £450 in pay if they were off sick for a week without contractual sick pay.

'Could happen to anyone'

"Falling ill unexpectedly could happen to anyone," said Jennifer Gilchrist, protection specialist at Royal London. "With a million workers off sick for more than a month, it's important to think about how you would manage financially and make plans, so you do not have the added financial worry if you were to fall ill."

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