On Thursday 20th August, the Mayor of London, wrote a letter to the Chancellor and the Health Secretary urging the Government to implement comprehensive financial support for employees who are required to self-isolate.
In his letter to Rishi Sunak and Matt Hancock, Sadiq Khan expressed his concern that “many Londoners are in insecure work, on zero hours contracts, in the gig economy, or rely on informal economies”. Thus, the absence of proper support can leave both the employees and their communities at a greater risk of health complications from the virus.
BAME Londoners who are pre-dominantly employed as key-workers at the Covid-19 frontlines have been disproportionately impacted by the first wave of coronavirus. Deeply concerned about those workers not receiving adequate Statutory Sick Pay (SSP) and thus, going back to work, the Mayor of London wrote,
“Whilst I recognise that statutory sick pay (SSP) is available to some who are self-isolating, far too many Londoners are falling through the gaps or are unable to make ends meet. We cannot be in a situation where Londoners are forced into financial hardship for following public health advice and keeping their community safe. Once again, the UK is falling behind the rest of the world. In Germany, for example, workers are supported to isolate with payments for the first six-weeks equivalent to their net-wage.”
Therefore, he is calling on the Government to:
• Ensure entitlement to SSP if it is necessary to self-isolate, as an absolute minimum.
• Investigate a further ‘COVID Protection Pay’ scheme which would provide a higher level of compensation, without penalising employers. This could take the form of a short-term flexible furlough under which Government would meet a higher percentage of a worker's regular pay.
• Prioritise investment in NHS Test and Trace and more support for hospitality businesses to implement systems. It is now clear that we need to learn to live with the virus, and NHS Test and Trace plays a large role in giving the public confidence.
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His letter reads as follows:
Dear Rishi and Matt,
As lockdown continues to ease, it has become clear we will only be able to protect the increase in restrictions being eased and support the reopening of the economy if the NHS Test and Trace Service supports all Londoners to take the action needed to contain the virus. As I explained in my meeting with Baroness Harding this week, I am concerned that the current system does not provide adequate support to those who must self-isolate, putting them and their communities at risk. I am calling on the Government to act now to put in place comprehensive financial support for workers who are required to self-isolate and the businesses that employ them.
As Baroness Harding, recently noted in her evidence to the House of Lords Science and Technology Committee inquiry into the Science of COVID-19; “The main reasons they find it [self-isolation] hard tend to be financial, practical or emotional”. Whilst I recognise that statutory sick pay (SSP) is available to some who are self-isolating, far too many Londoners are falling through the gaps or are unable to make ends meet. We cannot be in a situation where Londoners are forced into financial hardship for following public health advice and keeping their community safe. Once again, the UK is falling behind the rest of the world. In Germany, for example, workers are supported to isolate with payments for the first six-weeks equivalent to their net-wage.
We all agree that the number of people across the country accessing testing and then sharing their contacts with the NHS Test and Trace Service must increase. To accomplish this, we need to remove all barriers to engaging with the system. There are almost 170,000 employees in London not eligible to claim SSP because they were under the earnings threshold and 864,000 people self-employed in London who could face no income if they are not working due to being off sick. Statutory Sick Pay amounts to just 15 per cent of the median weekly earnings of employees in London, meaning a significant loss of income for many.
Many Londoners are in insecure work, on zero hours contracts, in the gig economy, or rely on informal economies. We know that this is the case for many BAME Londoners, who we also know have been disproportionately impacted by the first wave of COVID-19. It is simply unacceptable that the Government is not taking all the steps possible to protect and support these communities.
Therefore, I am calling on the Government to:
• Ensure entitlement to SSP if it is necessary to self-isolate, as an absolute minimum.
• Investigate a further ‘COVID Protection Pay’ scheme which would provide a higher level of compensation, without penalising employers. This could take the form of a short-term flexible furlough under which Government would meet a higher percentage of a worker's regular pay.
• Prioritise investment in NHS Test and Trace and more support for hospitality businesses to implement systems. It is now clear that we need to learn to live with the virus, and NHS Test and Trace plays a large role in giving the public confidence.
Employers must do all they can to support workers to isolate, allowing working from home at full pay wherever possible. But for some types of work this is not viable and the Government must step up to ensure all workers receive financial support. Not only is it the right thing to do and will save lives, it makes economic sense. Effective test and trace, that recognises self-isolation as a civic duty, will help us control the virus and keep our economy open by avoiding the need for further lockdowns and restrictions.
I look forward to hearing from you on this pressing matter shortly.
Yours sincerely,
Sadiq Khan
Mayor of London
