Require the Government to fund all Statutory Sick Pay for small businesses
Many small businesses cannot absorb the extra cost of additional days of statutory sick pay. Long-term sickness or multiple absences could threaten business survival and jobs. The Government should fund the cost of all sick pay rather than requiring small businesses to pay.
Signatures
69
signatures
Government response threshold (10,000) · 69/10,000
Debate threshold (100,000) · 69/100,000
- 14 APR 2026Petition opened for signaturesCreated by Claire Harkin
Background
Small businesses often operate on tight margins and cannot easily absorb additional employment costs. Requiring employers to pay all statutory sick pay from Day 1 could place significant financial pressure on small companies, especially if employees take long-term sickness or if several staff are absent at once. This could threaten business stability and jobs. The Government should fund all sick pay rather than small businesses having to provide this.