Public consultation on statutory sick leave pay launched

The Government has opened a public consultation on proposals to introduce a legal requirement for employers to provide sick pay to employees.

The lack of statutory sick pay was raised as an issue by Opposition politicians and trade unions during the early months of the coronavirus pandemic. In particular there were concerns that low-paid workers, in settings such as meat plants, would be penalised if they were required to self-isolate after developing symptoms.

The Government has committed to enacting statutory sick pay legislation by the end of 2021, with a public consultation on the proposed scheme launched on Monday. The consultation will run until December 18th.

Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise Leo Varadkar said he was committed to introducing the new law "as quickly as possible".

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“Ireland is one of only a small number of European countries in which there is no legal obligation on employers to provide for sick pay, in the way they do annual leave for example,” he said.

“This needs to change and I am committed to introducing a statutory sick pay scheme that works for employees and employers as quickly as possible,” he said.

“The scheme must be designed so that it protects employees, particularly low paid and vulnerable workers, but it also needs to be fair and affordable for employers, many of whom have faced great difficulties this year,” Mr Varadkar said.

In a statement, the Government said it did not want to develop a proposed scheme which placed “undue burden” on the costs of employers and businesses, given other challenges they faced such as Covid-19 and Brexit.

In many European countries the employer is required by law to provide sick pay for a period of the employees’ absence, which can also be supplemented by social welfare system payments.