– The member companies of Virke and NHO will notice it well in the long run if, for example, people can no longer afford to go out to eat or buy new clothes, says Eggen.
The warehouse worker at Asko Vest has become something of a sick pay celebrity after he was on NRK’s ”Debate” and talked about what cuts in sick pay will mean for people who do not have the opportunity to have a home office.
This was followed up by an article in Bergens Tidende – and now an interview with Magasinet – where his point is repeated:
The reason why sickness absence is increasing in Norway is not that people are lazy, but that companies are understaffed.
– It is not the viruses that worry me, but the strain injuries, he says.
– It is the long-term sickness absence that is the problem. And if you introduce sick leave, for example, people will be pressured to go to work even if they are sick. And then the long-term absence will increase even more.
The IA negotiations: Elizabeth would not have been able to pay the rent, if she only received 80 percent of sick pay
Pressured negotiations
In Norway, we have full pay when we are sick, from day one.
This has long been challenged by employers and right-wing parties, who would prefer to introduce some form of sanctions in the event of illness.
And this challenge has become particularly clear this autumn, when the parties in working life have had to renegotiate the agreement on “inclusive working life”.
One of the requirements from the employer’s side is that you must have a “full review” of the sick pay scheme, where you must “dare to look at everything”.
And “everything” is, among other things, the old system of sick leave – i.e. that you do not get paid on the first day you are sick – and reduced sick pay.
—
Today’s sick pay scheme
- Employees are entitled to sick pay from the first day of illness.
- Until the 16th day of illness, the employer pays sick pay, the same amount that would have been paid in salary.
- From the 17th day of illness to 48/50 weeks after the illness or injury occurred, the sickness allowance is paid by the National Insurance.
- The sick pay amounts to 100 per cent of basic salary up to 6 G.
Source: Nav
—
The Liberal Party wants them to be cut to 80 per cent of their salary after six months.
As Eggen touched on in both “The Debate” and the newspaper: This will affect those who have the least. Those with the lowest wages are also those who do not have a financial buffer to draw on.
And they often work in professions where you can’t take a day at the home office if you feel a bit shabby – the same professions that were considered “essential” during the pandemic.
Like the warehouse workers at Asko.
– Here there is heavy lifting and a lot of wear and tear, says Eggen.
Sick leave: Why is there a full argument about sick pay now?
Tight conditions
There is a lot of talk about social economy and statistics in the sick pay debate, but what is interesting is what this type of cut will mean for the people behind the statistics.
So how would Bård Eggen manage, for example, if he lost a day’s wages due to illness?
Or only got paid 80 percent of salary over a long period of time?
– In the short term, it probably wouldn’t be that serious. Then it would mostly be about saving on “luxuries” such as visits to cafés and the like – which will, of course, affect people who work in that industry, he says.
– But if we look at the long term, with pay cuts over several months, it will hit significantly harder. Then it will eventually become difficult to pay loans and so on, says Eggen.
– It would be very tight financially.
And you don’t need much imagination to imagine it.
– People have already had to cut back on things now during the animal age. So we have, in a way, trained on this, says Eggen – before he sighs that the employer side, which is so eager to give people worse advice, will lose out in the long run.
– It is popular to talk about a “trickle down” economy. But maybe we should try a “trickle up” economy instead.
Read also: Joséphine was refused sick pay by her employer: – I cried for two days
Read also: Calculate pension? Don’t fall into this trap, warns expert (+)