London: Millions of women are expected to gain from strengthened workplace rights set to take effect in April, according to research released by the Trades Union Congress (TUC).
The union body said that around 4.7 million women will benefit from enhanced statutory sick pay from next month, including more than 830,000 women who will become eligible for the payment for the first time.
According to the analysis, these newly eligible recipients are among the lowest-paid workers who are currently excluded from sick pay because their earnings fall below the £125 weekly eligibility threshold.
The TUC remarked that low-paid employees, particularly women, have long missed out on sick pay protection, often leaving them with little choice but to continue working even when they are ill.
Employment Rights Act
Alongside the changes to sick pay, additional employment rights will take effect in April under the Employment Rights Act. The reforms will grant fathers and partners the right to paternity leave from the first day of employment, while all parents will also gain a day-one entitlement to unpaid parental leave.
Paul Nowak, general secretary of the TUC, stated that the changes represent an important step forward for women in the workplace. “For too long, women have borne the brunt of a sick pay system that is not fit for purpose, and a culture of exploitative, insecure work. That’s why the Employment Rights Act is an important step forward for women at work.”
A government spokesperson noted that the legislation would provide significant support for women in the workplace by introducing stronger protections for pregnant women and new mothers, requiring large employers to develop menopause action plans, and granting parental leave rights from the first day of employment.
The spokesperson added that enabling women to thrive at work is crucial not only for advancing equality but also for supporting broader economic growth. The reforms build on earlier family leave policies, including shared parental leave introduced in 2014. The scheme allows parents to share up to 50 weeks of leave and up to 37 weeks of pay after the birth or adoption of a child.
Under current provisions, new fathers are entitled to two weeks of paid leave, receiving either £187.18 per week or 90 percent of their average weekly earnings, whichever amount is lower.
Despite these policies, research has highlighted the financial challenges many mothers continue to face. A study published last year found that mothers lose an average of £65,618 in earnings by the time their first child turns five, reflecting the long-term impact of the so-called ‘motherhood penalty’ on financial security.
Data from the Office for National Statistics (ONS) found that mothers in England experience a significant and long-lasting drop in earnings after having children, partly because they are less likely to remain in paid employment.
The analysis showed that women’s average monthly earnings fall by 42 percent, equivalent to £1,051 per month, five years after the birth of their first child, compared with their earnings one year before childbirth. The findings, which examined pay data collected between 2014 and 2022, indicate that this reduction amounts to an average income loss of £65,618 over a five-year period.
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